The Beginning:
South Lakeshore Drive is a well known strip of road in downtown Chicago. At first glance it may seem like the typical busy Chicago street, but if you open your eyes a bit and look closer, you’ll find a spot that houses a company who really sees the big picture. Ellison Sunglasses is an up and coming brand that is taking the precedent step in innovating the combination of business and philanthropy.
“The Big Picture,” in the words of Aristotle Loumis, CEO and Co-Founder of Ellison, “We want Ellison to be a model of ‘Good Business,’” and in his eyes good business is not what you find on Wall Street. “I[Aristotle] want to close the gap between providing a good quality product and helping a cause, without a large profit”. This business plan may seem skewed to some, in the sense that the typical success of a business depends on profit. Ellison defies this stereotype.
The business began like every other. With an idea. With a semester left of school at the University of Iowa, Loumis and business partner, Patrick Stanley, of John Hopkins University conjured a business plan. “We wanted to build the company model for a cause that has been overlooked.” The cause was Cataract Disease, which is a cause overlooked indeed. Although many are very uninformed, the impact that Cataract Disease has on millions of people around the world is immense. On the contrary, the impact that Ellison is making on Cataract Disease is just as powerful. “We looked for the need, and then built a company around the need. ”
The Business Plan:
For every pair of sunglasses purchased from Ellison Sunglasses, a corrective eye surgery is fully funded by Ellison for a person in need. There are no gimmicks, no hidden fees, and no full profit to the company. Almost all of the profit received is donated, and the rest is used to maintain the rent, and getting out the story of not only Ellison, but the people around the world that Ellison is helping.
“We [Ellison] are willing to take a hit for what this company promotes,” states Loumis on the little amount of profit that the company retains. They give a 100% guarantee that the donation is going toward the cause. In fact, Loumis works three jobs to maintain his life, while still dedicating his time to the company he and others have built.
Here are the Statistics:
The Here and Now:
Over the next few years, Ellison hopes to improve over 150%, not just in sales, but in press and media coverage. The most important goal of this company is getting the word out about Cataract Disease, and informing people on what the model of “Good Business” should evolve into in the future. The brand itself is unisex, and caters to the consumer; Ellison hopes to even extend it’s product lines with shoes and clothes. Loumis, and those on the Ellison team, believe that EVERYONE can make a difference. To put it simply, “[Ellison] combines the power of a corporation and a single person to support a cause,” and by doing this, a link between business, consumer, and the individual receiving the donation is formed.
Nowadays, Ellison is reaching out to many different young people who are also on the verge of creating businesses that fit the model of “good business,” in addition to those working in the fashion, travel, and music. Networking is what is going to put Ellison on the front page of the Chicago Tribune or on the cover of Forbes, but, even if not, at the very least they will have given people around the world the help to see the world with clear eyes, and give them a second chance at life — an accomplishment that cannot be imitated. Loumis should be an inspiration to all who feel they are too small or too helpless to change the world. Ellison makes it possible.
More to check out:
http://theodysseyonline.com/content/issues/Iowa/05.03.12/ – Page 5, Natalie Leeper writes about Ellison
http://theglamorelle.com/2012/04/27/ellison-sunglass-co/ – heres another one
Also, check out our facebook, www.facebook.com/ellisonsunglass
Fun fact about Ellison Sunglasses:
The name “Elli”, in Ellison, comes from the Latin and Greek word “Sunlight”or “Sun Raise” So, Ellison means Sunlight and what we do is bring light back in to the people’s lives by correcting their sight, that would have otherwise gone unnoticed- Just a little fact about how our name corresponds to our mission :)
Find out more at http://ellisonsunglasses.com/