While Kfir Gavrieli is best known as the Los-Angeles based co-founder of Tieks, he has recently made headlines for entirely different projects. Over the last decade, Gavrieli has worked to empower female entrepreneurs around the world through microloans. Gavrieli is also taking part in initiatives to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Kfir Gavrieli Began His Career With Tieks
Originally, Gavrieli started a footwear company known as Tieks in 2008. His company set itself apart by reinventing the ballet shoe. Thanks to the success of his company, the successful entrepreneur can use his profits to support his community.
Tieks rose to prominence because of the unique design of its
ballet shoes. These shoes could be folded, so they could easily fit into a
purse. The high-end shoes were made from Italian leather and textiles. Many
women purchased these shoes so that they could walk in ballet shoes and wear
heels once they reached their destination. The unique design made Tieks’ shoes
simple to hold in a purse or backpack.
Because of his success, Gavrieli has been able to spend more
time focusing on his philanthropic efforts. With the help of Kiva, Gavrieli has
given almost 59,000 microloans to female entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs are
located in the developing world, and the microloans provide a vital source of
capital. In total, Gavrieli has given out loans worth more than $10 million.
When the borrowers repay these loans, the money is given to someone else.
The loan recipients are located throughout the world in
diverse countries such as Mali, Peru and Indonesia. Once women receive the
money, they can use it to pay for things like feeding their farm animals,
buying sacks of rice and paying for their children’s tuition.
This amazing program began with a Facebook promotion.
Originally, Tieks promised to donate $1 to Kiva for each Facebook like they
received. Because of this promotion, Tieks had one of the fastest growth rates
of any Facebook page in the clothing category. Now, Tieks is the largest Kiva
lender in the entire world.
Gavrieli Donates to the Fight Against COVID-19
Recently, Kfir Gavrieli has also made the news for Operation #SewTogether. Like many people around the world, Gavrieli has spent the last few months watching the pandemic unfold. In March, a friend told him about a hospital that was about to run out of masks. This news shocked Gavrieli into action. Soon, he was doing everything he could to help frontline medical providers get personal protective equipment (PPE).
To achieve this goal, Tieks purchased a fleet of sewing
machines. The company encouraged team members and customers to make masks. Team
members at Tieks were retrained to create masks, so the facility was
transformed into a mask production line. To get customers to take part, Tieks
offered $50 gift cards for every 25 masks sewn.
Thanks to this promotion, more than 636,000 masks have been sent to hospitals in need. As long as hospitals continue to need masks, Tieks and Kfir Gavrieli will keep making them. Through philanthropic initiatives like this campaign, Gavrieli’s company is striving to make the world a better place.
For more on Kfir Gavrieli: https://www.pulseheadlines.com/kfir-gavrieli-charity-work-and-causes/75044/
