We have all heard of clothing and accessory brands whose funds benefit larger organizations, recently termed “brands that give back”. Livestrong, (RED), TOMS, FEED Projects, and many others are just a few examples of this amazing ability of the consumer to give back to an important cause through a purchase. The brand Serengetee is another one of these new, up-and-coming brands you should know about!
Three college friends, Jeff Steitz, Ryan Westberg, and Nate Holterman, who participated in Semester at Sea, founded Serengetee. During their time abroad, they collected fabrics and conversed with people around the globe and upon return, wanted other people to feel just as connected to the wider world, and further give back to communities. Amazingly, their brand was launched out of dorm room in Spring 2012! It has been a success ever since.
The brand showcases awesome pocket shirts, which come in long sleeve, short sleeve, tank, sweatshirt, and even sweaters! Uniquely, every pocket is a different fabric from a different location around the globe and every location is paired with a particular cause relevant to that location! Serengetee currently support 32 causes with at least 5% of every purchase going to given cause. This organization gains its support through grassroots, social media, and word-of-mouth marketing. In fact, Tyler Posey of MTV’s “Teen Wolf” just recently supported the most recent line released, with proceeds supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. Even their Facebook page currently has over 155K likes. This is definitely an organization and brand to look out for and make purchases from in the near future!
Campus Rep Melissa Warten is loving her Serengette shirt!
Melissa Warten, a sophomore here at Boston College, a Campus Rep for Serengetee, and also a personal friend, highlights that the products being such “conversation starters” is what makes the brand so appealing to her. She states, “not only do people ask where the shirt came from, but they get to hear the story of the cause it supports.” She furthermore expresses that, “having the opportunity to spread the mission as a Campus Rep has already been so rewarding.” There are five Campus Reps at BC, and each of them is more than welcome and happy to tell you why they are so passionate about Serengetee. So what are you waiting for? Check out Serengetee and start purchasing! Every dollar, every purchase, and every act of support can make a huge difference. Isn’t it time we all started trying to give back?