Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor
The WolfStore at Western has recently obtained new stock from the brand Adventurist Backpack Co. Adventurist Backpack Co. is co-owned and founded by the wife/husband duo Matilda Sandstroem and Kelly Belknap.
Sandstroem and Belknap have teamed up with Western to sell their minimalist backpacks on campus in an effort to raise awareness about students and families in need. For every backpack purchased, 25 meals are provided to families in need through their partnership with Feeding America.
Their story began while backpacking around the world in 2017. After witnessing many families struggling with hunger, the pair decided they wanted to take action.
“Wanting to do what we could to help, we prepared meals each morning and filled up our backpacks, handing the meals out to anyone in need throughout the day,” they stated on their website. Adventurist Backpack Co. was founded upon their return to the U.S. They were able to fill up their backpacks with 25 meals each, hence why 25 meals are provided to families in need with each purchase of a backpack.
The backpacks have a minimalist design, and are made with high-quality all-weather materials, along with minimalist elements from Sweden — Sandstroem’s home country.
Belknap and Sandstroem, after successfully integrating their backpacks into Urban Outfitters, have begun partnering with other universities around the country by selling their backpacks in campus stores.
“We partner with university hunger programs in order to donate a percentage of net profits from each backpack sale to help provide “meal swipes” so that food insecure students are able to eat at the dining halls on campus and also have access to a mobile food pantry, or to local food banks,” Belknap said.
Adventurist Backpack Co. has a goal of providing over 250,000 meals by the end of their third business year. Nearly 100,000 meals have been provided to families in need across the world since the business began in 2017.
“We aim to be at the forefront of brands using business to do something larger than just provide a great product or service, but to help change the world for the better through entrepreneurship,” said Belknap.
More information on Belknap and Sandstroem’s story can be found in the WolfStore and on their website http://www.adventuristbackpacks.com. They can also be found on Instagram at the handle @adventuristbackpacks, and can be reached at hello@adventuristbackpacks.com for any questions.
Contact the author at rhorrall17@mail.wou.edu
