Lokai is a
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
-based jewelry brand that markets itself as a "socially responsible lifestyle brand." The company is best known for its bracelets that include materials sourced from natural landmarks such as Mount Everest and the Dead Sea. The company donates 10% of net profits to charitable organizations.
Background
The brand launched in 2013 after Founder & CEO Steven Izen was on vacation with his family and received news that his grandfather had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
The name "Lokai" was inspired by the Hawaiian word "Lōkahi," meaning the blending of opposites.
Lokai.com officially launched in June 2013 with the Classic Lokai and has since grown to include several different product collections, which are meant serve as a reminder of balance.
Awards and recognition
The brand was a 2017 New York Winner of Smart CEO's Future 50 Awards.
CEO Steven Izen was a finalist in the 2016
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, was named in the 2017
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
30 under 30 list and is a member of the
Make-A-Wish National Board of Directors.
Charity partnerships
The brand has partnered with a wide variety of charities to produce a collection of different colored bracelets. $1 per bracelet sold is donated back to the charity in question. Since 2013, Lokai has donated over 8 million dollars to charitable organizations.
List of charity partners
*Charity Water
*WWF
*Susan G. Komen
*
Save The Children
The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide.
The organization raises money to imp ...
*
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is a nonprofit voluntary health organization that focuses on Alzheimer's disease care, support and research.
History
Jerome H. Stone founded the Alzheimer's Association with the help of several family support groups ...
*Make-A-Wish
*Oceana
*BCRF
*(RED)
*NAMI
*The Nature Conservancy
*International Rescue Committee
*National Pediatric Cancer Foundation
*Autism Speaks
*Ditch The Label
*It Gets Better Project
*Humane Society of the United States
*Wings For Life
*Can Do MS
Licenses
The company sells officially licensed products of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
,
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
, the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
, the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
, ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'', and over 100 colleges and universities.
Criticism
It has been questioned whether or not the beads actually contain water from Mount Everest or mud from the Dead Sea. In response to such criticism, wearers resorted to cutting apart their bracelets to see if there is actually anything inside, and some claim to have found just empty beads.
Brand evolution
In May 2019, the company launched Elements, wellness drinks made from
adaptogen
Adaptogens, or adaptogenic substances, are used in herbal medicine for the purported stabilization of physiological processes and promotion of homeostasis. The concept of adaptogens is not accepted in mainstream science and is not approved as a ...
s.
References
{{reflist
Jewelry retailers of the United States