Kfir Gavrieli is a true entrepreneur. As CEO of Tieks, he disrupted the entire shoe industry by producing ballet flats that are fashionable, comfortable, and of the highest quality, then selling them directly to consumers exclusively through an online Boutiek.
Given the wild popularity of the brand, Gavrieli could be content with his success, feeling good about making occasional charitable donations through the Gavrieli Foundation, established in order to facilitate the brand’s ability to give back to the community. Yet, the Tieks CEO sees things differently—for him, charitable giving isn’t the byproduct of successful entrepreneurship—instead, it is the reason for all his entrepreneurial endeavors. He notes, “Supporting women and underserved communities is at the core of Tieks’ ethos.” As such, his financial successes have one key purpose—to ensure that entire communities are lifted up each time the Tieks’ star rises.
Supporting New Entrepreneurs Through Entrepreneurship
To support the values at the core of his business, the bulk of Gavrieli’s charitable efforts are directed towards Kiva, a micro-lending platform through which the Gavrieli Foundation supports “women entrepreneurs, who we [Gavrieli Foundation] believe are key in the broader fight against global poverty.” In this way, such donations give new purpose and meaning to the wild success of the Tieks brand. The foundation notes, “Our contributions empower women to start and grow their businesses. These businesses become reliable sources of income and create independence and opportunity for these women, their families, and their communities. We believe this approach to be the most comprehensive, sustainable, and scalable solution to global poverty.”
And the sustainability of Gavrieli’s support for female entrepreneurs is evident in the numbers. As Kiva’s single largest lender, Gavrieli has contributed more than $10,000,000 to more than 55,000 women entrepreneurs in more than 70 countries. In doing so, he has built up a global community of entrepreneurs who, in turn, will be prepared to pay forward the generosity they received, infusing their own financial successes with the new purpose of strengthening future generations of entrepreneurs.
Power in Purpose
Noting the global impact of his previous charitable donations, Gavrieli has recently sought new ways to support women, investing “in a number of grassroots grant initiatives across the U.S. that empower women and girls in various fields from coding to dance to business.” Feeding into the meaningful force behind his entrepreneurial drive, the Tieks CEO says his grants now “help support young girls [who wish to] attend summer intensive ballet camps, provide literacy grants for business curriculum and leadership coaching workshops, and support the funding of equipment and supplies for a coding summer camp, all of which help women and girls of color.”
Between his support for female entrepreneurs on Kiva and his support for future female entrepreneurs and creators, Gavrieli shows that the financial success he achieves through Tieks is truly just a means to an end. He believes that those who have achieved financial success should provide for those in need because, “When all people are given the same opportunity, everyone wins, and Tieks is committed to supporting causes that promote these values.”
Learn more about Kfir Gavrieli and Tieks here: https://afipo.org/outandabout/kfir-gavrieli-5-questions-afipo-board-member/