BYU students, alumni help others through business

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BYU’s current students and recent graduates use the knowledge they have learned in the classroom to better the world around them. Entrepreneurs Aaron Neuenschwander, Mitch Casey, Savanna Allred and Ty Evenson all positively impact the community through their entrepreneurial efforts.

Aaron Neuenschwander: Arvo Wear
Arvo Wear is a “minimalist watch company” based out of Salt Lake City. Its mission is to “be good, do good.” The company gives back to the community by contributing to charities and organizing annual charity events, according to BYU alumnus and Arvo Wear co-founder Aaron Neuenschwander.

The Arvo “Good Samaratime” watch. Arvo’s mission is to “be good, do good.” (Aaron Neuenschwander)

“We’ve just tried to find meaningful ways to give to the less fortunate,” Neuenschwander said.

Arvo Wear donates ten percent of every sale from its “Good Samaritime” watch collection to charity. Customers choose which charity benefits from their purchase by choosing one of three different colored second-hands for their watch.

Arvo Wear either donates to Operation Underground Railroad, Granite Education Foundation or Because He First Loved Us depending on which color the customer chooses.

Arvo Wear also hosts an annual Christmas charity event to raise money for refugees in the Salt Lake Valley. The 2016 event raised over $17,000, according to Neuenschwander.

Neuenschwander and Arvo Wear CEO Jake Nackos first bonded over their passion for giving back to the community. Neuenschwander said giving back has always been a part of their lives.

“Growing up in a well-off community, it hasn’t gone unnoticed that we are very blessed with a lot of things that others are in need of,” Neuenschwander said. “I’ve been able to travel to third world countries and I’ve seen first-hand those things we often take for granted.”

Mitch Casey: Dulo Supply Co.
Dulo Supply Co. is a lifestyle brand that sells accessories and apparel for the “everyday adventurer with a minimalistic style” and supports awareness for mental illness.

Dulo means “end” in Tagalog and the mission of Dulo Supply Co is to “create change, support initiatives for depression, anxiety and other mental disorders, and ultimately ‘end’ the lack of understanding about mental disorders.”

Dulo Supply Co. is a lifestyle brand that sells accessories and apparel for the “everyday adventurer with a minimalistic style” and supports mental disorder causes. (Blake Hogge)

Dulo Supply Co donates 5 percent of all proceeds to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, according to BYU student and founder of Dulo Supply Co., Mitch Casey.

Casey said mental illness is prevalent in his family and he has personally struggled with depression.

“After suffering through this for some time, I came to the conclusion that the best solution to my problem was to take my life. So, that’s what I attempted to do,” Casey said.

Casey wanted to use his experience with mental illness to raise awareness and help others going through similar situations. In addition to donating a percentage of proceeds to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Casey writes articles about mental illness on the Dulo Supply Co. blog.

“I wanted to make a difference and integrate things I was passionate about,” Casey said. “Those things were mental disorder awareness, entrepreneurship and minimalistic style. With that, Dulo Supply Co. was born.”

Savanna Allred: Tossd 

Tossd is an online retail store that sells all natural salt spray for hair. BYU freshman Savanna Allred founded Tossd at age 16 shortly after she volunteered with OSSO Orphanage in Cuenca, Ecuador. She said she wanted to find a way to keep contributing to the orphanage after she returned home.

BYU freshman Savanna Allred founded Tossd at age 16 shortly after she volunteered with OSSO Orphanage in Cuenca, Ecuador. (Savanna Allred)

“The least I could do to give back to the children who permanently changed my life was to create a community where everyone could easily help,” Allred said. “This is the perfect way to easily make a difference.”

Tossd donates $1 of every purchase to OSSO Orphanage.

Allred explains why she started Tossd and how her efforts have impacted the OSSO Orphanage in the podcast below.

BYU freshman Savanna Allred explains why she started Tossd and how her efforts have impacted the OSSO Orphanage in this podcast. (Claire Anderson)

Ty Evenson: Evobox
Evobox is a Utah-based business that does order fulfillment and logistics for local start-up companies.

Evobox is a Utah-based business that does order fulfillment and logistics for local start-up companies. The company employes refugees. (Evobox.com)

Evobox hires refugees in the Salt Lake Valley to make products. The company pays refugee employees by the number of products they make rather than by the hour, according to BYU alumnus and Evobox CMO Ty Evenson.

Evobox started hiring refugees after Evenson and his business partners heard that a local Somalian woman with three kids had left her abusive husband and was looking for work.

“We heard her story and were like, ‘Why would we not choose her?’ It’s work that she can do and she can do it on her own time,” Evenson said. “We want to help out refugees who come here and want to make a better life for themselves.”

Entrepreneurs such as Neuenschwander, Casey, Allred and Evenson are redefining entrepreneurship by focusing their business incentives and career goals around helping others.

 “More than anything we just saw that business could be used for good to bless other peoples’ lives and not just to make a profit,” Neuenschwander said.

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