25 percent of profits go to efforts to fight extinction
Published in the Aug. 19 – Sept. 1, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Marty Cheek
Photo by Marty Cheek
Kaitlyn Yee and Alex Ferriera started Extinct Sunwear earlier this month.
Keeping the world from losing its wildlife has become a mission for two Sobrato High School graduates. Students of the class of 2014, Kaitlyn Yee and Alex Ferriera this month launched Extinct Sunwear as a Kickstarter project the two hope will help them give 25 percent of their company’s profits from sunglasses and clothing sales on efforts to fight the extinction of Earth’s animals.
“We’re trying to raise awareness,” said 18-year-old Yee. “We want to inspire everyone to become conscious about the issues that are occurring in the world like the alarming rate that Earth’s wildlife is approaching extinction. We want to spread the word in order to save these animals.”
The recent poaching in Zimbabwe of a lion named Cecil by an American dentist has helped raise awareness that animals have as much a right to Earth as a home as humans do, said 19-year-old Ferriera. The timing of that event, which has gained world-wide attention, has helped with the launch of Extinct Sunwear which seeks to raise $13,900 on Kickstarter with a deadline of 8 a.m. Sept. 3. It has so far raised about $2,500 from supporters who will receive sunglasses and T-shirts for their financial donation.
“The Cecil issue is obviously a tragedy, and I think what it does is bring the issue into the spotlight,” Ferriera said. “This is something that happens every single day throughout the world. Hundreds and hundreds of species are at risk and hopefully as people learn more about them, we’ll do more to conserve (these animals) while we still can.”
The two entrepreneurs grew up in Morgan Hill and now live in Santa Cruz. Yee is a student at Cabrillo Community College and Ferriera is designing websites as part of a business incubator called Slingshot in Scotts Valley. His interest in building businesses began during his freshman year at Sobrato when he started a clothing company called Contrive Clothing after discovering an interest in graphic design. He learned through YouTube videos how to make the clothes as well as develop business contacts. He made a lot of mistakes, he admits, but it taught him skills, such as building websites, that have helped in starting Extinct Sunwear. His girlfriend Yee supported him through his first business, and has been his support system ever since, he said.
“We did great for about a year and we spread it throughout campus and throughout Morgan Hill,” he said. “And it was a great first-year experience for me to get into the entrepreneurial world and start a business.”
After researching various wildlife conservation nonprofit organizations, Yee and Ferriera decided on an organization that supports a wide variety of animals and efforts throughout the world. For a $30 purchase, an individual will get a pair of “retro-style” sunglasses designed with an endangered animal theme.
“It was important to support a wide variety of species, and we knew we wanted to make a difference in as many areas as possible,” said Yee.
The supporter can select one of two organizations to have their donation sent to: The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and The International Anti-Poaching Foundation.
At this early point in its business development, Extinct Sunwear is now focusing on its line of polarized-lens sunglasses. Ferriera designed them in an “iconic and fashionable” style to appeal to young people in their 20s, but the sunglasses are suitable for all ages.
“We went with retro-inspired fashion. We went back in the books and found something that was in style both back then and now, something that people we know or we ourselves would wear on a daily basis,” he said. “They’re also inspired by animals — so we tried to use color schemes that represented different species.”
The sunglasses are designed for daily or adventurous use.
“A lot of the support we gained encouraged us to go toward the polarized lens that would reduce glare for anywhere someone might find themselves,” Ferriera said. “A lot of people internationally are actively working to support wildlife efforts, so they’re are out on safaris or hiking in the woods, which are all things we love doing as well.”
As their company grows, Yee and Ferriera will consider retail marketing options where their sunglasses and clothing line might one day be sold in stores.
“It would depend on the location,” Ferriera said. “Obviously the more we can spread the word and put products in the market that are good for the environment and have a good impact, the more the merrier.”
Before its launch on Aug. 3, Yee and Ferriera spent about five months developing their business plan and their initial product line.
“We’ve always had a love for animals and we’ve always wanted to protect them, so we’re always going to be about conservation,” Yee said.
“We realized what better way to do it than to create a sunglasses brand,” Ferriera added. “We’re trying to make it as affordable as possible, so that everyone who wants to be a part of it and everyone who wants to make a difference in some way can get involved through their purchases and through the things that they wear on a daily basis.”
As it expands, it will offer more sunglasses and clothing options for consumers, Ferriera said.
“This is just the beginning for us,” he said. “We’re starting with sunglasses, but we have quite a few things in the works. We have a lot of things in mind,so this is just the very tip of the iceberg.”
Andy Van Valer, founder of the incubator Slingshot, said he is impressed with how Extinct Sunwear is raising awareness of wildlife conservation and using business savvy to bring environmental issues to the public’s attention. Extinct Sunwear is among a growing trend in new companies that are starting from their very first day with a social purpose, he said.
“Alex and Kaitlyn have already done a fantastic job raising awareness through their highly impactful ad campaigns,” he said. “I have no doubt that they’ll be able to generate a wave of awareness among the generation who really has a chance to make a difference for wildlife among many other ecological issues earth is threatened by.”
Extinct Sunwear can inspire other young people who want to make the world a better place through entrepreneurship using digital technology to gain funding.
“The beauty of avenues like Kickstarter, and any sort of business at the moment, is there are no age limits,” Van Valer said. “Here in Scotts Valley and in hundreds of other areas throughout California and
the rest of the world, communities of young people are jumping in to start companies and make a difference with no attention paid to their age. Our youth are smarter, more capable, and more equipped then ever before — and this is only the beginning to a larger movement.”
The technology that has come out of Silicon Valley has made it possible for teenagers and young people in their 20s to build an online business and market it throughout the world, Yee said.
“We live in an information age. And even speaking to kids growing up now, those who are younger than me, they’re all being born and given an iPad. They all have access at their finger tips to all the information in the world. So the resources are there. It’s now about letting people know that if they have a passion, they can do whatever they want.”
