When I got my first look at SOLO Eyewear, I was intrigued because they seemed so much more “me” thanthe sunglasses I’ve been wearing. When I learned that the company was local and run by a couple of young women who had a vision to give — each pair purchased funds a pair of eyeglasses and a portion of an eye surgery for two people in need — I knew I had to support them.
Okay, I am totally enamored by your sunglasses. They have style, substance AND soul! Can you give us a little background about how you met and why you decided to start the company?
Jenny: So awesome hearing that! The SOLO Eyewear story began in a classroom at San Diego State University. I was enrolled in an Entrepreneurship course and was reading a book called Out of Poverty by Paul Polak. In that book, Polak discusses the need for eye care in the world. I have poor vision but it wasn’t until reading the book that I realized how blessed I am to own a pair of glasses or contacts. I started doing some research and I learned that over one billion people are in need of eye care and don’t have access to it and 80% of the world’s blindness is preventable. That was a call to action and SOLO Eyewear was born.
Dana and I were coworkers at the Lavin Center for Entrepreneurship at SDSU. I started working on launching the company in January 2011. Dana voiced her interest and started working with me shortly thereafter to build the company.
Dana: It was really inspiring to hear Jenny talk about her dreams for the company with such passion and genuine intentions. I knew that she was on a mission to change the world, and I wanted to be a part of it! I utilized my design background to help build a visual identity and foundation for the company.
BOGO is a huge trend now, and I love that it’s changed from Buy One Get One to Buy One Give One. What does that mean to you?
Jenny: The whole concept of Buy One Give One resonates with socially-conscious consumers. It’s a growing trend. When we started the company, we classified ourselves as a Buy One Give One company. As time went on, we realized that we had the ability to do more than Buy One Give One so we changed our model. Each pair of our sunglasses purchased funds a pair of prescription eyeglasses and part of a cataract surgery for people in need. We continue to explore other ways to maximize our impact. I guess you could say Buy One Give One is a great reminder of our very early days as a company. We’ve grown and are able to give more now.
Dana: Buy One Give One is so easy for people to grasp. As Jenny mentioned, we are able to do even more than that! I like to say Buy One Give One and then some … It is our hope to continue developing our charitable donations so that Buy One Give One transforms into so much more. Our goal is to restore vision to one million people in five years. It would be awesome to expedite that accomplishment by expanding our giving to reach even more people with each pair purchased.
What’s been most rewarding about your experience so far?
Jenny: The most rewarding experience has been seeing the fruits of our efforts, knowing we helped a father regain his vision so he can now provide for his family and that we provided glasses to a child who can now see clearly to excel in school. It is those stories that keep us motivated and fulfilled. It’s why we exist.
Have you gotten to see firsthand the results of your giving? Have you met any of the recipients of the glasses or surgery?
Jenny: I had the opportunity to travel to India and stand in the operating rooms as cataract surgeries were being performed. It was an amazing experience. Patients would enter the room completely blind in one or both eyes and within five to ten minutes their vision would be restored. One of the ophthalmologists placed a cataract in my hand after he had removed it from someone’s eye. It was a moment I will never forget. I spoke with some of the patients and asked them what they looked forward to seeing after their surgery. Many of them responded with, “anything.”
Your sunglasses are really beautiful – and so original. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on my Blackwoods, and it means a lot to me that they’re handcrafted and use recycled bamboo. Tell us about your approach to design.
Jenny: SOLO is a socially and environmentally-conscious company. It’s important to us to be as well-rounded as possible and respectful of our environment and the people in it. We applied this mentality to the design of our sunglasses, and tried to find ways to incorporate sustainable materials. By using recycled bamboo temples, we were able to accomplish this. We’re still exploring additional ways to be more sustainable.
Dana: In terms of product models, we try to stand out from other sunglass companies by incorporating the traditional styles and adding some flare with new and exciting colors and bamboo accents.
Noliawood, your new line, is a collection of polarized styles. What makes them different?
Jenny: The Noliawood is our latest addition. In our first generation of SOLOs, we featured a white classic frame that was extremely well-received. Customers have been asking us to bring it back, and their wish is our command! We’ll soon be introducing the Noliawood, a cream-colored classic frame with bamboo temples. The name was inspired by Louisiana’s state flower, the Magnolia. I’m from Louisiana so I had to show a little southern love.
Philanthropy is a big part of your company and, I’m guessing, your lives. I understand you just sponsored your second annual Random Acts of Kindness event. What’s that all about?
Jenny: SOLO is about inspiring individuals to go out and accomplish amazing things. We try to inspire others to do this by encouraging them to have a Vision to Give. The Acts of Kindness Scavenger Hunt is a fun event where we gather people and send them off into the community to do kind things. Participants come back with so many awesome stories about making people’s day, helping others and inspiring bystanders. It’s such a cool event. We’re hosting the Scavenger Hunt on SDSU’s campus today. We had 150 students register so it should be a wonderful day to be on campus.
Dana: The act of helping others is so uplifting and inspiring. Kindness is contagious and our Acts of Kindness event is all about creating a ripple of good vibes, interacting with and meeting new friends and to “be the change we wish to see in the world.” You can check out all the participants’ photos of their Acts of Kindness adventures here.
Anything coming up you’d like to share with us? Any specific goals we can help you with?
Jenny: Our goal for 2013 is to restore vision for 12,000 people in need. We ask that readers help share our story and rock our shades so we can reach this goal!
These young and classy entrepreneurs hit on the perfect business model: quality product and giving back. Remarkable!!! Thanks for sharing.