Alumni Emerging Leader Award

College of Arts and Sciences

Julie Chavez ’94 (BA)

Founder, Chavez for Charity

When Julie Chavez founded Chavez for Charity in 2013, she had an ambitious vision. She wanted to create a line of colorful bracelets that would contribute, in a significant way, to some of the most important humanitarian issues facing our world today.

Leveraging her background as the founder and designer of the small, yet highly coveted jewelry line, Marie Chavez, whose fans included A-list celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, and Anne Hathaway, Julie created a brand that is not only unique in its mission, but whose purpose goes beyond profits.

From supporting efforts to bring clean water and sanitation to hundreds of rural and impoverished communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America, to providing funds for pediatric cancer research and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, each of the 10 colors in the Chavez for Charity collection represents a distinct cause. In keeping with the trademark phrase ‘Colors for Causes™’ for every product sold, Chavez for Charity donates 25 percent of the profit to each color’s corresponding cause.

With more 3,000 stores across the United States and Canada carrying Chavez for Charity, in 2017 the company expects to reach over $1.5 million dollars in donations. While this is a major milestone for the company, it’s just the beginning of what Chavez for Charity aspires to accomplish.