We believe that stories have the power to change lives, so here's ours.
Our Story
Our Story
We believe that stories have the power to change lives, so here's ours.
Co-Founders Alexis and Corbin began dreaming up a company that would employ and empower women transitioning out of homelessness during their junior year at Vanderbilt. Alexis was on a medical leave of absence at the time and had become interested in the idea while wandering downtown, befriending people experiencing homelessness. After months of market research, she began fasting and praying about the potential to pursue the still-unnamed company after graduation.
Around that time, one of her best friends, Ray, called. A few relevant things to know about Ray: he had been homeless most of his life, and he had terminal cancer. When Ray called, he bluntly told Alexis he was dying and asked her to come. In a conversation that would become their last, Ray shared his life reflections before declaring, "Alexis, I have a duffel bag of money, and I want you to have it when I pass." And just like that, a man who didn’t even own a mattress became the primary “investor” in a company meant to employ other people experiencing homelessness. Corbin and Alexis went full-time with Resera upon graduation in 2018, building the business from dorm rooms and park benches to eventually become the jewelry production facility it is today.
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Alexis by Ray's bedside on the day he told her about his duffle bag of money
Corbin and our first Maker, LC, who we hired from the same transitional home where Alexis had met Ray years prior
Our "studio" in the storage room at CCF. We were so thankful to start making jewelry on real tables instead of park benches!
One of the countless pop-up sales events we did in our first year
Our first space of our own (before our renovations). We moved here after deciding to take a risk and begin a new jewelry manufacturing process that involved pouring molten metal.
Corbin and Alexis knocking out some extreme DIY renovations for our studio. Corbin even built our custom ventilation and metal filtration system by hand!
The final result of our renovations: our new and improved space for our entirely in-house system process of designing with 3D printers, pouring molten metal, polishing, and gold plating.
Alexis tightly gripping a fire extinguisher the first time we tried casting
Corbin's first attempt at pouring recycled sterling silver
How our Makers craft your jewelry
One of the MANY surprise birthday parties we've thrown over the years. Celebrating each other is at the core of our culture, so we'll take any excuse for cake and kind words.
Alexis by Ray's bedside on the day he told her about his duffle bag of money
Corbin and our first Maker, LC, who we hired from the same transitional home where Alexis had met Ray years prior
Our "studio" in the storage room at CCF. We were so thankful to start making jewelry on real tables instead of park benches!
One of the countless pop-up sales events we did in our first year
Our first space of our own (before our renovations). We moved here after deciding to take a risk and begin a new jewelry manufacturing process that involved pouring molten metal.
Corbin and Alexis knocking out some extreme DIY renovations for our studio. Corbin even built our custom ventilation and metal filtration system by hand!
The final result of our renovations: our new and improved space for our entirely in-house system process of designing with 3D printers, pouring molten metal, polishing, and gold plating.
Alexis tightly gripping a fire extinguisher the first time we tried casting
Corbin's first attempt at pouring recycled sterling silver
How our Makers craft your jewelry
One of the MANY surprise birthday parties we've thrown over the years. Celebrating each other is at the core of our culture, so we'll take any excuse for cake and kind words.