Ask Neil Blumenthal how he and his fellow Warby Parker cofounders met, and the story gets a little fuzzy. Though the quartet attended Wharton, Blumenthal thinks that Andy (Andrew Hunt) and Dave (David Gilboa) were in the same study group, while the rest—i.e., Jeffrey Raider and Blumenthal himself—met at Roosevelt’s, a bar in between their Center City apartments. However, ask him why the foursome chose to start Warby Parker, and Blumenthal doesn’t hesitate for a second. “Glasses are one of the most effective poverty-alleviation tools in the world—they increase one’s income by 20 percent, which is equivalent to adding a full extra day of work per week. We are focused on getting people the tools they need to be productive members of their community, and glasses are the best way we have found to do that.”
Clearly they were right. Offering a variety of optical frames and sunglasses for men and women (I happen to sport the Colton frames in Revolver-Black Crystal), the brand keeps customers outfitted in modern updates of vintage eyewear styles at a fraction of the price found at other fashion houses. Combine that commitment to providing people with fashionable, affordable glasses with a desire to change the world, and you get the company’s “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program. Based on the simple promise that for every pair of g lasses sold, Warby Parker will donate a pair to someone in need, the program has bettered the lives of more than 200,000 people—from a carpenter who was able to expand his business to enabling two brothers to continue farming their crops. The company takes its charitable work a step further by partnering with VisionSpring, a nonprofit that seeks to create opportunity and reduce poverty by selling affordable glasses. Through VisionSpring, Warby Parker gives people in developing nations the training they need to run sustainable businesses.
In addition to the brand’s international efforts (currently it works solely in India and Central America, but is hoping to expand to other countries around the globe soon), Warby Parker is also devoted to its local communities. The company hosts monthly events, such as painting with neglected children through Free Arts NYC or happy hours with local nonprofits to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas. As Blumenthal says, in the end, whether abroad or at home, “The best way that we can help…is by supporting organizations that have a solid infrastructure and have proven themselves successful; organizations that have a strong grasp of the culture and the people they serve.”
