These Entrepreneurs Are Counting On You To Help Them Change The World
These Entrepreneurs Are Counting On You To Help Them Change The World
What if a fashion brand spent its advertising budget on solving social problems? David Eros and Atila Uri, founders of ch8se, believe that the answer to the question is that such a brand could change the world. The key, they say, is for you to choose ch8se.
David explains, “ch8se wants to fight some of the most pressing social and environmental problems, such as deforestation, child hunger, unemployment, low education rates and lack of access to clean water, with our primary focus being on the developing countries, where the need for help is the most pronounced. Considering the monstrosity of these problems, we have no illusions of being able to solve any of them, we just want to provide people with a new way of contributing to a global solution.”
Atila notes, “We are basically trying to create a novel structure in the fashion industry that isn’t just a sustainable, environmentally friendly enterprise, but one that will have and active role in reversing the harm that our global consumer economy has made to the planet. We want to do it in a way that is really transparent, and more intuitive than most of the current solutions on the market.”
He explains how they are working toward this objective. “We developed an ethically sourced, high-quality product line that supports various causes without an increased price compared to the rest of the premium fashion brands in the industry. This way ch8se enables its customers to contribute to a better world without any additional costs, simply by opting for a ch8se product instead of the product of a traditional fashion brand.” The key step, he says, was to virtually eliminate the advertising budget.
Atila Uri and David Eros, courtesy of ch8se
David shares their vision for the future. “We believe that the most efficient way to make a change in a consumer society is by using consumer choices. Primarily, ch8se wants to contribute to a better world through the donations it makes and through its highly ethical and responsible production processes. But we think that ch8se’s impact can have a resonance beyond what is immediately observed. If it turns out to be a viable model in the fashion industry, it could expand its activity to other fields as well, and ultimately to serve as a source of inspiration or as a connective platform for multiple enterprises.”
The company is a planning a crowdfunding campaign in the near future.
On Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 5:00 Eastern, David and Atila will join me here for a live discussion about ch8se. Tune in here then to watch the interview live. Post questions in the comments below or tweet questions before the interview to @devindthorpe.
You can download an audio podcast here or subscribe via iTunes.
More about ch8se:
Twitter: @ch8seofficial
ch8se is a grassroots movement materialized in the form of an inclusive apparel startup that goes beyond being sustainable. It aims to serve as a platform that enables people to become activists through their consumer choices in a radically intuitive and transparent way. It is the first fashion brand ever to ditch traditional advertising in favor of supporting various social and environmental causes. Instead of spending on ads, ch8se plants trees, feeds children and provides access to clean water in drought-stricken areas. As ch8se donates away its advertising budget to selected charities, the main drive of its marketing is word of mouth and social media buzz fueled by good will. This way its products can have a really significant impact. A single ch8se hoodie can plant as many as 93 trees, a t-shirt can provide 46 months of clean water, or feed a child for 20 days.
David Eros, courtesy of ch8se
David’s bio:
David Eros is a co-founder of ch8se, an experimental fashion startup that uses the power of conscious consumer choices for supporting various social and environmental causes.
David studies applied mathematics and engineering in financial mathematics with a special interest in the mathematical modeling of moral evaluation systems.
He is a founding member of PromoArt and PromoNature, two non-profit organizations devoted to promoting cultural values and environmental consciousness. Since 2014. he is the vice president of PromoArt. He also has many years of experience as a radio program host. David regularly volunteers for various humanitarian and cultural initiatives and has a passion for mountain biking, he co-founded the local bike club “Bikers On The Storm”. When not in the office, you’ll probably find him in the mountains in pursuit of clarity, as a relief from the urban buzz.
Atila Uri, courtesy of ch8se
Atila’s bio:
Atila Uri, co-founder of ch8se, is an industrial engineer of automation with 10 years of experience in medical infusion and tele-medical systems. He implemented and connected the first Telestroke systems in Southeast Europe enabling hospitals to provide improved stroke care to patients in underserved areas. Atila was the lead assistant for donations to the adviser of the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See (Vatican City) under the leadership of Archbishop Eugenio Sbarbaro for 4 years. These donations were mainly consisted of medical equipment and supplies for covering the basic needs of vulnerable target groups and environmental disaster victims. On weekends he loves hiking in the mountains and motorcycling. His personal motto is: Feed your head.
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