INSIGHTS / News

ElephantBranded, a supplier of ethical bags and related products, is going from strength to strength – supported all the way by mentoring and events run by the SETsquared Partnership (localhost/setsquared-live).

From October, ElephantBranded products will be available at John Lewis stores across the UK. It is also currently appearing in the BBC3 series ‘Be Your Own Boss’, presented by Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed.

ElephantBranded has been a regular participant in events organised by SETsquared to support student entrepreneurship. In June, it won SETsquared’s Uni Popshop competition, where it triumphed over five other teams by making the largest profit at a one-day trading event at London’s Spitalfields Market. ElephantBranded also took part in SETsquared’s Deloitte pitching contest in March.

The company’s founder, James Boon, is an architecture student at the University of Bath, one of the five SETsquared member universities. His partner in the company is Tim Mendelssohn, who graduated this year in international management and modern languages at Bath. James set up ElephantBranded after working and travelling in Africa and Asia, where he was shocked by the basic level of school equipment.

In April, Boon was named one of Google’s ‘Zeitgeist Young Minds’ in the company’s annual online competition to find exceptional, motivated and inspiring 18 – 24 year olds from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

James Boon, Founder at ElephantBranded, said: “The support provided by SETsquared, including mentoring and its student entrepreneurship events, has been invaluable in helping me develop ElephantBranded, and in boosting my skills in running a business.”

Graham Harrison, Partnership Director at SETsquared, said: “ElephantBranded shows how it’s possible to start an ethical business and build it from the ground up without compromising your ideals – we look forward to seeing where James and the business go next.”

ElephantBranded sells ethically made, recycled bags and related products. For each product it sells, it donates a school bag and kit to a child in Africa or Asia. ElephantBranded pays fair, competitive wages to the people who make its bag out of locally sourced, recycled materials. It also gives people the opportunity to learn valuable skills that give them a sustainable, effective way to get out of poverty.