About Us
Vision, Mission, Values & Purpose:
Vision: For the world to run on a collective wisdom that inspires hope, peace, regeneration, and higher levels of consciousness.
Mission: To make friendship cord bracelets that bring special meaning to each person, create reflection, inspire positive intentions, remind people to smile, and activate a GIFt (Give It Forward together) in ways that change lives and business for the better.
Values: We at AlikiDesigns value Aristotle's eudaemonic ethic of a flourishing society grounded in Beauty, Truth, Goodness, and Unity. Each of our silver and gold designs are matched with one of these values.
Purpose:
We believe that connecting creative and functional jewelry designs to higher intentions brings more positivity and wisdom into the world. We believe with greater positivity, our thoughts become our actions, and these actions become meaningful, purposeful impact in the world around us.
We believe that wearing jewelry that uniquely expresses that individual, uplifts that person’s spirits and creates a ripple effect.
We also believe that jewelry should have sentimental value and connect people to each other, whether you wear it as a special piece or every day, all the time. And we hope that this jewelry will inspire you to live into your higher purpose toward a legacy which makes you proud.
We believe in the value of organizations behaving responsibly toward building a thriving society.
We believe in promoting social responsibility transparency and accountability.
And we believe that a society grows great when old people plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit under (ancient Greek proverb). So, plant your seeds, nurture your soul, and live with positive intentions. #alikinspire. #alikiwear.
Corporate Social Responsibility:
Giving It Forward Together (GIFt) is an important value with us as we strive to build a higher level of conscious capitalism and #LeadWithGratitude. We believe in the 4Ps of "doing well by doing better" - People, Planet, Profits & Purpose. And we know that organizational development around social responsibility is a journey, a continuous process of self-improvement with an eye on building a culture that drives greater impact in and on the world around us. As our starting point, AlikiDesigns is committed to:
- transparency and accountability: our GIFt program is calculated on the price you pay, not on the proceeds of any given transaction (which are customarily undisclosed to consumers). As an AlikiDesigns customer, we want you want to know exactly how many dollars are being given to our worthy partnership endeavors. We want you to feel like you are a partner on the front-end... and the back-end! Strategically, we make business decisions that keep overhead low. Much of what we do is just-in-time, and we are picky with our business/retail partners.
- the environment: we strive to minimize waste and excessive packaging. Yes, the extra big box -with all the stuffing, wrapping, bows, bells and whistles- does look nice. We agree. But is it worth the cost to the environment when too often all that packaging ends up in the trash and in a landfill? Not to mention, you pay for all that packaging in the price of the product. Our packaging is simple: One card with the essence/meaning/intention of the design, which we hope you keep as a reminder of what you put out in the world; and a small and reusable organza baggie.
- people & society: as we build our staff, we are equity-minded, prioritize inclusion and belonging, and care about merit-based growth.
And as for our partnerships, well, we think they are awesome - impactful, thoughtful, hardworking, efficient and making a difference - right here, right now. We strive to carry three partnerships at a time. Why three? Three is a lucky number. Also, we believe in the power of adding up 1 + 1 = 3. Yes, there is exponential gain when we collaborate to make a difference! We give a percentage of the price you pay for our designs; we do not take any administration fee or percentage share. 100% of the calculated amount goes to our partnerships.
About Denise, Founder/Designer:
Having spent nearly 20 years spearheading global Fortune 500 business, I shifted gears 10 years ago. I went back to school and completed a doctorate in education - organizational leadership, with an emphasis on corporate social responsibility. This led me to my work as an adjunct faculty in a graduate level program for social change and entrepreneurship, as well as consulting for-profits and non-profits. Always having a personal passion for jewelry and supporting business with purpose, I started AlikiDesigns. I believe in leadership that is ethical, intelligent and purpose-driven, cultivating a thriving society for all.*
* If you have a pulse, you can be this kind of leader!
I truly enjoy setting people and organizations in motion to achieve their full potential, and I am so happy that I can also now promote positive intentions through each of the Aliki designs. Mindful of building a business with a GIFt (Giving It Forward Together), each collection has a carefully curated beneficiary who receives a percentage of what you spend. Quite consciously, I want to invite the conversation about how much organizations truly give by making our GIFt transparent to you, the customer. If you look carefully at other organizations, you will find that many of them give a percentage of proceeds (that is, they give a percentage of their profit, netting out expenses. Customers, therefore, don't really know how much money on their purchase amount is given to a cause). I intend to continue this conversation as well as expand the GIFt program into active strategies within the community. Stay tuned!
Want to hear more on my story? Watch this short 4 minute excerpt from a recent interview on Good Morning La La Land!