In early April, Tieks—a Los Angeles-based shoe company known for activating its customer base around social good—decided that it had to something for Ukraine.
The company held a virtual auction to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees, offering limited edition and one-of-a-kind ballet flats to eager bidders looking to give back. The rare shoe auction raised upwards of $87,000 over four days for World Central Kitchen to support war-affected Ukrainians, which will provide approximately 20,000 free meals to Ukrainian families in Ukraine and across all eight border crossings, from Poland to Hungary. These meals will also support local Ukrainians as they are prepared by local restaurants throughout Ukraine.
Within hours of the auction’s launch, thousands of dollars had been bid on Tieks’ exclusive shoes, including some highly sought-after styles that had never been sold publicly, which drove up the values and prices for a charitable cause. At the close of bidding, one pair fetched $6,500 and several other pairs raised upwards of $5,000 for relief efforts. Aside from the auction, Tieks also held a raffle for a one-of-a-kind pair of shoes named “Mirage” that directly benefited refugees. Other notable pairs auctioned that are no longer available to the public are named “Toscani,” “Arabian Night,” and “Red Diamond.”
At the close of bidding, one pair fetched $6,500 and several other pairs raised upwards of $5,000 for relief efforts.
“Our community wants to contribute to the Ukrainian people in a meaningful way, and I am humbled that my company can serve as a conduit for such a meaningful purpose through this auction,” Tieks CEO and Founder Kfir Gavrieli said. “The Tieks community is very proud to enable World Central Kitchen to provide tens of thousands of meals for Ukrainians braving this unimaginable war,” he added.
The shoe brand has a history of philanthropic giving through its charitable foundation, The Gavrieli Foundation, which is committed to global female empowerment based on the premise that women entrepreneurs “are key in the broader fight against global poverty.”
Gavrieli has previously spoken about how running a business can be a mitzvah. His impetus for creating Tieks was to innovate the women’s shoe industry by creating a foldable, high-quality ballet flat, but the larger purpose was always to empower women. He’s been able to cultivate that passion for social impact through the Gavrieli Foundation.
Tieks is now the largest individual lender on Kiva, a platform that provides micro-loans to women entrepreneurs in impoverished areas around the globe, having made over $10m in loans. Gavrieli credits some of this motivation to his Jewish background, which praises community engagement and giving to those who are less fortunate.
World Central Kitchen has a similar humanitarian focus at the heart of its mission. Chef and humanitarian José Andrés created the organization after a devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and since then, it has served more than 70 million meals to communities around the world.
World Central Kitchen launched its #ChefsForUkraine initiative in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine and recently hit a milestone of one million meals served. The humanitarian team continues to expand its reach and distribution to feed families in over 55 cities as Ukrainians continue to be displaced by the war.
“We’re working hard to ensure that displaced Ukrainians are met with a warm, nourishing meal,” said Erin Gore, from World Central Kitchen. “We are so thankful to Tieks and all our supporters who have come together to show the power that a plate of food can hold in even the darkest times.”
Gavrieli previously stated that he was inspired by #ChefsForUkraine and launched #TieksForUkraine in solidarity with the people of Ukraine to raise funds for refugees.
