by Yasmeen Espinal
The idea started off as a class project more than four years ago for San Diego State University alum Jenny Amaraneni. Since then it has become a fully operating sunglasses business making a difference across the world.
SOLO Eyewear creates sunglasses made from recycled bamboo and for every pair of sunglasses sold, 10 percent of profits go to restoring vision for people who need glasses and eye surgeries. By restoring a person’s vision, he or she is able to live a
fuller life, according to SOLO’s website.
In addition to being made of recycled materials, the sunglasses ship anywhere and are sourced ethically. They also work exclusively with manufacturers and use artisans from Guatemala to create the cases and cords for the sunglasses.
Amaraneni was in grad school completing an International Entrepreneurship course when she got the idea of starting a business while reading Paul Polak’s Out of Poverty. “The statistic that stuck with me the most was 4 out of 5 people have vision problems.” With further research she also found that 80 percent of people’s vision problems can be prevented or corrected.
That’s when Amaraneni decided to start SOLO Eyewear with the help of her colleague and friend, Dana Holliday. However, starting a business was far from easy. “I had so many setbacks. I had to start from square one. I knew nothing about how manufacturing or design worked—I had to learn everything." There was also the funding. I used family loans. I have no regrets about any of it. It forced me to figure it out.”
The SOLO website says that, since SOLO’s launch, they have helped over 15,000 people by providing funds for eyeglasses, cataract surgeries and eye exams.
Amaraneni recalls one of the most impactful moments since starting SOLO and she says, “I was working with the Department of State to go to Guyana to do an eye care clinic and they said, ‘You won this grant so you need to make this happen by March.’ They helped with my plane ticket and lodging but I had to figure out everything else. I contacted optometrists and Guyana’s department of public health. [It was] three days out and we still did not have approval to have our clinic set up. We didn’t get approval until the next day. I had never been more terrified and stressed in my life.
“On our flight going there, I was thinking, ‘is anyone even going to show up?’ We were traveling in the middle of the jungle by boat to get to our destination and when we got there we saw a long line of people waiting outside of this hospital.
“So we set up shop and got to work. There must have been 200 people waiting at least. It really hit me that people were willing to travel through the night and go through great lengths for eye care. It brought tears to my eyes that we were really making a difference. We were working for 13 hours straight and didn’t stop until we saw everyone in line.”
Even though SOLO Eyewear is successful, Amaraneni is not slowing down anytime soon.
Amaraneni is looking into creating ways to help more people with vision problems and possibly even starting another business. “That’s the question that is always on my mind: how do I expand this idea and create this platform of helping more people but in a better way?”
Amaraneni has some advice for anyone looking to start up a business from the bottom: “If you have any business ideas, go for it, because you have nothing to lose. If you are a college student, you really have a golden ticket to try networking and meeting people. All it takes is finding someone you really are fascinated by and reaching out to them and asking them to get coffee. All business owners can relate to being a student. They all had to start somewhere. Trying after you have already graduated from college is not as effective.” Amaraneni also suggests surrounding yourself with smart people who have experience and will also encourage and inspire you.
Lastly, she says, “The greatest tragedy is not trying at all, so go for it.”
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