Athletes and celebrities are crazy about this $18 charity bracelet that has water from Mount Everest and mud from the Dead Sea
(Originally Published on Business Insider)
The latest celebrity-approved accessory is a silicon bracelet called the Lokai.
Like the iconic yellow Livestrong bands of years past, this one promises to distribute a portion of its profits to charity — 10%, in this case. Like the Livestrong, you can wear it 24/7 without worrying about it tarnishing or falling off.
But unlike the cheap Livestrong bracelets — which cost $10 for a 10-pack — the Lokai is $18 a pop. And instead of sending money only to cancer research, Lokai donates its proceeds to a selection of different charities.
“It’s a very millennial take on how to change the world and how to give back,” Lokai’s 25-year-old founder, Steven Izen, told Business Insider.
Though Lokai has declined to share how many bracelets it has sold, the company has raised over $4 million for charities since the brand’s launch in 2013, thanks in part to some serious celebrity support and a strong social-media following.
The idea for Lokai came from a bittersweet moment in Izen’s life: While enjoying a vacation with his family, he received news that his grandfather had Alzheimer’s.
His desire to find balance in the midst of the “highest highs” and “lowest lows” turned into the distinctive Lokai design.
Each bracelet has one white bead encasing water from Mount Everest and one black bead filled with mud from the Dead Sea — the highest and lowest points on earth. Izen even found a team of Sherpas who could get him the Everest water.
The other silicon beads come in a collection of different colors, each associated with the charity the proceeds support.
So far, it has been a hit with a wide range of celebrities. Whether football star Cam Newton, or Justin Bieber, Lokai bracelets have graced many famous wrists. Newton wears a whole stack.
Izen says he makes sure to partner with charities that “really move the needle” in support of their specific cause. So far, that list has included Charity Water, the World Wildlife Fund, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Save the Children, and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Because of its social-media success — the brand’s Instagram has 1.4 million followers, with many of its posts sourced from its community — Lokai has gone global and can be found in 160 countries. Izen says Lokai will look to go beyond bracelets and create what Izen calls “digital and experiential products.”
These bracelets are also available on Amazon.com
