Three University of Richmond students work through social media to represent a clothing company called Serengetee, which is best known for its pocket T-shirts, said Emmy Morse, a "campus rep" for the brand.
Serengetee has about 1,500 students representing it on campuses around the country, said Seth Klebe, the marketing manager of the company. Serengetee uses fabric originating from 32 different countries to make the pockets. It also sells backpacks, shorts and other clothing.
Morse first heard about Serengetee while she was studying abroad in Buenos Aires, she said. She saw a person wearing one of Serengetee's T-shirts and when she learned more about the brand, she decided that she would like to represent them.
According to Serengetee's website, serengetee.com, 5 percent of each purchase is donated to a charitable cause from the country of the fabric's origin. Currently, the donations total $52,120 for 32 causes in 28 different countries.
Sophomore Casey Nolan said he decided to work with the company because he thought what they are doing is different and innovative. He said he liked how it paired social work with a product that regular people would like to buy.
Morse said she thought Serengetee would do well on Richmond's campus because people love wearing T-shirts and would enjoy simultaneously supporting a cause of their choosing. She compared the company's product to TOMS because they allow the customer to wear something they like while donating to a charity.
"Our clothes are exceptional because we use fabric from around the world, so no other clothing company has any chance of copying us," Klebe said. "The fact that each fabric is paired with a nonprofit cause is also huge."
Morse gave about two hours per week to the job, which was a flexible commitment, she said. Nolan said he had given a few minutes a day to the job because so much of it is currently social media based.
Morse said although the representatives were not required to do an event, they were encouraged to. The Richmond representatives did not currently have an event planned, but they were starting to float ideas around, she said. Their event would hopefully be in collaboration with another organization, perhaps Greek life or sports clubs, she said.
Nolan said that ideally, he hoped to run a social venture that ties in with clean water when he graduates, so working with Serengetee gives him a chance to see how a nonprofit company is run. Last summer, Nolan worked for two and a half months with a children's choir in Uganda, so he is particularly interested in helping Uganda charities, he said. Currently, he volunteers as a Bonner Scholar for the William Byrd Community House.
Contact staff writer Brennen Lutz at brennen.lutz@richmond.edu
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