SFU alumna Julia Kreutz and her two business partners have reached the semifinals of the Start Something with Alesse competition with their non-profit startup, the East Side Sock Club.
The East Side Sock Club aims to support local Vancouver artists as well as help the homeless population in the Downtown Eastside by donating socks to its inhabitants.
The non-profit plans to buy designs for socks from local artists, manufacture the socks, sell them to local retail partners, and, for each pair sold, donate a pair to local organizations. These organizations will then distribute the socks to the homeless population of Vancouver.
Kreutz, who graduated SFU in 2013 with a Bachelor of Education, is a curator at the Gam Gallery, which she started in 2009. Along with Colin Cej, a graphic designer who rents studio space at the Gam Gallery, and Tarah Hogue, her co-curator at the gallery, Kreutz entered the competition. The three entrepreneurs have been best friends since high school.
Kreutz explained that the impetus to enter came from Cej. He “saw [the competition ad] on the side of a bus in Vancouver. They had a billboard on the bus and he was like ‘Oh, that’s awesome,’” Kreutz told The Peak. “He was the one who actually came up with the idea.”
On how the project benefits the community, she said, “I think it speaks to the area of the Downtown Eastside. [The area] holds the largest number of studios and artists, but it’s also the home to many [single room occupancies] and homeless people who find shelter there, find help for their addictions, and find community there.”
Kreutz elaborated on how the project fits the collaborative spirit of the DTES. “It’s kind of a community that thrives off one another because artists have to always find the cheapest rent for their studio spaces and the same with people who are less fortunate,” she said.
The Start Something with Alesse competition is now in its fifth year of fostering both non-profit and for-profit startups across Canada. This year, 1,403 ideas were submitted to compete for the grand prize, which includes $5,000 and a mentorship program to help bring the winner’s idea to fruition.
The project is currently only in the beginning phases as the three try to secure partnerships and look into manufacturing. However, Kreutz intends to use the prize money and mentorship should they win to pay the artists, raise awareness about the project, and to move ahead with manufacturing the first batch of socks.
Kreutz spoke about the future of the organization: “We’re starting with socks and I guess we’re hoping it will grow to different clothing or things. We are just putting one foot in front of the other, trying our best to represent the artists in a positive way and give them a platform to present their art.”
The club has already chosen its first artists to be featured: Sean Karemaker, Tyler Robbins, and Ola Volo. Regarding the role of design in the project, Kreutz explained, “[We’re trying] to have them be funky and cool, but at the same time have it not just be about fashion and the art world but also to have it reach people who need help in our community at a more personal level.”
