CREATORS FOR A CAUSE: SUMMER 2023 INTERN EDITION

August 8, 2023

Creators for a Cause is an internal product series that showcases the Company’s pride of creation culture and highlights the incredible design talents of our colleagues. Creators within Centric Brands design limited edition products available for purchase exclusively by Centric Brands’ colleagues. 100% of the proceeds are donated to a non-profit chosen by the designer each month.

In celebration of the Centric Brands Summer 2023 Internship, Marketing interns Brooke Marbach, Jillian Gaslow, Natalie Bass, and Sarah Milner enlisted help from their fellow interns to create a summer-inspired coaster set. The coasters were created with the intent to remind Centric associates of the summer season and the time they spent with their interns. Additional creators include Ally Berkowitz, Brandon Schwartz, Jenna Silbergeld, Kassidy Fishman, and Kresha Koirala. The interns incorporated a sustainable element within the product, making 50% of the coasters with recycled fabric. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Volunteers of America Operation Backpack campaign, a local New York City nonprofit with the goal of ensuring that every child living in New York City’s homeless or domestic violence shelters has the school supplies they need. 

We interviewed the Marketing interns and their fellow internship class to learn more about the inspiration behind the coasters.

What was your inspiration behind the design?

Our goal was to create a practical and handmade product that Centric Brands associates could keep at their desks as a tribute to summer. Every morning when we make our coffee, we noticed that the cups left a small wet ring on our desks, and we always had to grab a napkin to put under the cup. To resolve this issue, we thought what better way than to make coasters as the next Creators for a Cause product. Not only is this product practical, but it also has a unique design that Centric Brands associates can use to both literally and metaphorically “hold onto summer.” We want our managers and teams to have a reminder of their summer 2023 interns every time they look at the coasters on their desks.

What does supporting causes mean to you?

Since the beginning of this internship program, we have always been given the opportunity and encouraged to volunteer, donate, and give back to the communities around us. It has been something we have all admired and loved about working at Centric Brands. When we were given the chance to be this month’s creators, we were so excited to pick our own organization to give back to. Supporting a cause means getting a passionate group of individuals together and discussing how we can positively impact the communities around us. We wanted to work with an organization where we knew our monetary donation would have a direct impact. We are fortunate to have the resources and opportunities that we have, and it is crucial that we utilize these opportunities, such as Creators for a Cause, to help make the world a better place. 

What does the cause benefitting from the product mean to you?

As students, we understand the importance of back to school necessities. We want to do everything in our power to support and fund Operation Backpack, to ensure that every student has a new backpack each year and all their needed school supplies.