Media Kit

Media Kit

Because poverty is a problem we can solve together.

Because International's mission is to alleviate poverty by distributing impact products and supporting product-focused entrepreneurs. The Shoe That Grows is our flagship product. Our work with The Shoe fuels our work with entrepreneurs.

About Us

Our founding story

In 2007, our founder Kenton Lee traveled to Nairobi, Kenya after graduating college.

He lived and worked at a small orphanage with some incredible kids. One day, he was walking down a dusty road with all the kids when he noticed a little girl in a white dress walking next to him. As he looked down at her feet, he was shocked to see how small her shoes were. They were so small that she had to cut open the front of her shoes to let her toes stick out. That was the day that Kenton thought:

What if there was a shoe that could adjust and expand its size?
What if there was a shoe that could grow?

And the idea for The Shoe That Grows was born.

Since Because was founded in 2009, more than 700,000 pairs of The Shoe That Grows have been distributed in 120+ countries and it’s being produced in Kenya, bringing jobs to one of the areas where it's distributed most.

More about The Shoe

The Shoe That Grows

Grows five sizes, lasts for years

The Shoe That Grows is a shoe that adjusts in four places to expand five sizes, protecting a child's feet longer than any other shoe can.

Impact of The Shoe

Since it was developed, over 700,000 pairs of The Shoe That Grows have been distributed in 120+ countries worldwide.

Made in Kenya

Since 2019, all pairs of The Shoe have been manufactured in Mombasa, Kenya at Umoja Shoe Company. For every 10,000 pairs manufactured, nine people are employed full-time for one year.

Patented, award-winning design

2018 recipient of The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patents for Humanity Award. Featured in publications including The Today Show, Buzzfeed, Smithsonian, Business Insider and more.

Press

This brilliant shoe grows bigger as kids age.

Finally, a shoe that grows with a kid.

The shoe that keeps on growing: finding solutions to everyday problems.

It's the kind of idea that when you hear it it makes you wonder, "Why didn't somebody think of this sooner?"

Style Guideline Sheet

Click to download the Because International Style Guideline Sheet.

Boilerplate

Because International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty by delivering products that impact lives. Kenton Lee founded the organization in 2009 after being inspired to create a growing shoe while working with children at an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. The Shoe That Grows, the organization's flagship
product, expands five sizes and lasts for years. Since its creation, over 700,000 pairs have been distributed in over 120 countries around the world. It has been featured by major news outlets, including the Today Show, BBC News, CBS News, Huffpost and Buzzfeed, and earned the Patents for Humanity award. Learn more about Because International and The Shoe That Grows at www.becauseinternational.org

Images + Logos

Click to download Because International images and logos.