High-end sunglass distributors have built a multi-billion dollar business model on one simple truth: you will lose your sunglasses, and you will have to buy a replacement. Ca-ching!
Greek-American entrepreneur Aristotle Loumis of WearEllison.com is innovating a $140 billion market opportunity by upending the entrenched sunglass business model forever so consumers everywhere can breathe a sigh of (shaded) relief. The best part is he’s offering regular Joes the ability to get in on the ground level with him at Republic.co/ellison.
“We started with three simple beliefs: quality matters, there needs to be a better way we access a product we use in daily life without paying extravagant prices for it, and all of this could be done while giving back,” says Loumis.
He adds, “The eyewear industry is run by a handful of giant corporations, who own the rights and licenses to today’s biggest fashion brands and use outdated distribution channels. Sadly, consumers are still paying higher, unfair prices for lower quality products than they deserve because of a monopolized industry stagnant in changing for the better. The status quo is not easy to change. But we have proven we can sure as hell do it.”
Ellison Eyewear offers designer quality sunglasses made in Greece using Italian components. More importantly, they eliminate that sinking feeling of “Wait, where are my sunglasses?” How? Because members can have their sunglasses replaced easily when they lose a pair. Consumers everywhere are investing in Ellison Eyewear on Republic.co/ellison where
Loumis’ first crowd funding effort made it one of the fastest and most successfully funded companies on Republic, raising nearly 4x their initial goal. Republic, unlike other crowd funding sites, allows people to buy equity into the company, so think of it as “shopping with ROI.” Republic was founded by an alumni of AngelList which is the world’s largest online investment platform for accredited investors.
Since Ellison has been built by loyal customers, they strive to further strengthen that relationship. Equity crowdfunding is more personal than selling shares in the open market, allowing investors a stronger level of buy-in with the company.
Look Good, Do Good:
When one invests in Ellison, he or she is investing in a company that actively seeks to improve the quality of life for communities around the globe.
The company encourages investors to get involved in a social good whether it’s providing eyesight to somebody in need or building homes for the refugee crisis in Greece and across poverty stricken areas in Latin America. “It’s time we give the power back to the people and build companies that solve the problems they want solved,” says Loumis.
A Company with a Story:
Loumis and his seven siblings were raised on the South side of Chicago by a single mother who gave up her career as a doctor to raise them. Understandably, finances were tight and resources were lean. But what she did give them was a certain grit and will to succeed in business.
At age 18, Loumis took his first plane ride to Greece to come face-to-face with the father he’d never met. His father welcomed him to his homeland, took him out on a boat, and gave him a pair of expensive sunglasses, which he promptly lost. Loumis was frantic and embarrassed over the loss but his business idea was born. He recognized this problem stretches to nearly every person who has ever bought a pair of sunglasses.
“As a company, we promise our customers a lifelong membership to get replacement access to handmade sunglasses while never having to sacrifice on style, quality or luxury. At Ellison, we want to remove silly, but very real anxieties about losing glasses while encouraging people to live their lives to the fullest and to never hold back on their dreams or life experiences,” Loumis says.
Losing things is a natural part of life. Replacing them at full price has been the norm for a long time and it’s a model the large sunglass makers love because it guarantees them huge repeat profits again and again.That is not right. There is a better way.
Get Involved:
As Uber was to the taxicab industry, Ellison is to the billion dollar sunglass industry. Through January 31st, 2018 those looking for a fashionable, ethical, entrepreneurial alternative to the stale sunglass model can be part of the solution by buying equity (and the hippest sunglasses available) in Ellison. They ship globally.
Visit https://republic.co/
