Custom clothing company created to give back
Michael Barkin and Bill Burnett have been friends their entire life. They both have built companies up from the ground floor and have successfully seen their businesses get acquired. For their next venture, they thought they could do more, be more, and most importantly, give more. Their custom clothing business, "Stitch + Heart," launched in September of 2018 with the mission of donating a portion of every purchase to the cancer fighting causes most personal to them and their customers.
It all started in the summer of 2016 when Burnett sold his company to LinkedIn and was available to think about an opportunity to work with his close friend. Tragically, two days after the sale of Burnett's company went through, his mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
"First and foremost, we were looking to create a mission-driven company," Burnett explained. "Unfortunately, cancer affects everyone in some way or another, and watching my mom go through the experience made it incredibly personal to me."
Barkin's background had been in and around the clothing business, "I moved from the traditional corporate world to the apparel world in 2003. Most recently I was co-founder of a business called Trunk Club which transformed the way men shopped for clothes and in 2014 we sold the business to Nordstrom."
While the timing was tough on a personal level for Burnett, he and Barkin decided that it was time to start a clothing company that brought their skill sets together focusing on doing good and giving back. From casual to dress, polo shirts to business suits, Stitch + Heart was created to make clothes for the every-man. Of course, with custom clothing, the product must be exceptional, but what stands out even more is the mission. Every item is stitched with a custom label that says what type cancer the buyer chooses to support. This ultimately gives people the opportunity to not only wear clothes that they love, but clothes that connect with what matters emotionally to them.
In January 2019, a partnership with the American Cancer Society was established and a donation from each item's retail cost (no up charges) will be directed to the cancer type of the clients choosing. Donations focused toward pediatric cancer will be directed to the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation based in Chicago.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with a premier custom clothing company in downtown Chicago - Stitch & Heart. This incredible company has integrated philanthropy into the core of its business by customizing each clothing item to represent the cancer cause that each of its customers want to support, and they are donating 10% of all those sales directly back to the American Cancer Society to fund cancer research - specifically designated for each of its customers," said Peter Steele, executive director for Illinois American Cancer Society. "With more than 100 years of experience and leadership, American Cancer Society is a global force, fighting - all cancers - on all fronts, across the US and around the globe. There is no way we could tackle this enormous challenge without individuals and companies, like Stitch and Heart - that desire to help us make a difference. We thank Stitch and Hearts' entrepreneurial innovation - for establishing a business created to give back, that makes real impact in the world."
In the initial partnership, Stitch + Heart will provide a portion of proceeds on every purchase with a minimum donation of $40,000 in 2019. Stitch + Heart will also be involved in many of the Society's local distinguished events - galas, golf outings and other fundraisers.
ABOUT AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization attacking cancer from every angle. For more information, go to www.cancer.org.