At its core, Ellison is a company with roots in Greece. And thanks to a new and innovative method that allows crowdfunding equity investing, people can become owners of a chunk of the company with as little as $30 a pop.
People from throughout the world have bought into the concept and today, Ellison is the fastest growing equity crowdfunding project on the Republic.co platform.
Aristotle Loumis founded the chic sunglasses company with one goal in mind— to do good while simultaneously looking good.
Call it an intersection of philanthropy and entrepreneurism, Loumis first imagined his company after seeing people in developing countries stigmatized with cataracts.
He founded a company whose profits and sales would help people see again through various philanthropic initiatives in developing countries.
Look good. Do Good.
Ellison— a derivative from the Greek word for sun, Elios, is all about fashion and the best quality sun glasses available on the market today.
The lenses are made by Carl Zeiss, the same company that created the lenses that filmed the moon landing an the frames are the highest quality Italian Mazzucchelli acetate.
All of the components— including German 5-barrel hinges, the finest available— meet at a family workshop in Greece where the glasses are hand made, one piece at a time.
Aristotle says the “Made in Greece” stamp is the most important element of his products as its his way to ensure that the country of his father’s birth is helped, by providing employment to Greek craftsmen.
Investment not donation
Equity crowdfunding is a new concept. Unlike the various Kickstarters or Indiegogo campaigns that ask for people’s support through donations and perks, equity crowdfunding makes those who give their money actual investors in the company, actual owners, with as little as a $30 investment.
It’s all about Disruption
For Aristotle, it’s all about disruption. He was one of the first advocates and has been informing people about how the eyewear industry is controlled by monopolies, which ends up stiffing the consumer with high prices.
Aristotle Loumis, the founder of Ellison at the company’s manufacturing facility in Greece
With his equity crowdfunding model he’s disrupting the way entrepreneurs are raising money for their companies— giving small investors the opportunity to have a stake in someone’s vision.
But the Ellison purchase model itself is also disruptive with something Aristotle has named Club Ellison. Consider it a loyalty program for life.
With a purchase of sunglasses from Ellison, or in the case of the equity crowdfunding campaign, an investment of $30, you are automatically a member of Club Ellison.
Picture this— you’re on vacation in Mykonos. You’re dancing wildly on the beach and your sunglasses fall off your head and someone steps on them. Or even more romantic, a gust of wind comes and blows them off your head into the blue abyss below.
With Club Ellison’s lifetime loyalty program, you simply contact Ellison, tell them what happened, share your adventure story about how you lost your pair of sunglasses and you get to pick a new pair of sunglasses that they will deliver to you anywhere in the world. The cost— exclusive member-only pricing which means half off the retail price.
Ellison recently tested this model during a journey to Nicaragua when 80 or so young entrepreneurs went on a journey to help people in need by building homes in poverty-stricken regions of the country.
Prior to the trip, he donated a pair of sunglasses to every participant, without divulging details of his plan in advance.
At the end of the trip, more than 20 of the participants had lost their sunglasses. Swimming, working on the home building project, hiking— whatever the story, Club Ellison, he explained, covered their loss. Because the “membership” covers it all— loss, theft, damage, you name it.
Loumis calls Club Ellison a lifetime client service model.
In everyday talk, it’s an insurance model for loss, theft or damage of your sunglasses.
As of today, Ellison has raised over $44,000 from investors across the globe via the Republic.co platform, making it the fastest growing equity crowdfunding campaign in the country today.
Meet Ellison from Ellison on Vimeo.
