Andover Natives Introduce Swellr

It is not news that both local businesses and our education systems are struggling financially. In an effort to bring the two together to create a valuable partnership, Andover natives and lifelong friends Shonak Patel, 26, and Andrew Varley, 27, and Lexington born, Nathan Rothstein, 27, have partnered to launch Swellr.

This community driven startup is focused on combining local e-commerce with fundraising initiatives targeted to local schools and youth related organizations. As the team approaches their goal for a summer launch, they are actively scoping out towns and educational groups interested in becoming a part of this network.

Swellr’s mission is to build a model where small businesses can grow and local educators can thrive. The name was inspired by the idea of a groundswell. Patel, Varley and Rothstein truly believe that each person can be an agent of change and when working together can create a significant impact. Focusing on the needs of our school systems seems, to them, an obvious place to start.

The site is designed so that educators may raise money for their classrooms or projects by encouraging their communities to shop with local businesses. Participating businesses run promotions on the Swellr website and individual consumers designate which project they are interested in donating a percentage of each purchase.

While the challenge of supporting local business persists, the team at Swellr is committed to staying localized and finding ways to drive traffic into the local stores,  at the same time helping our schools.

“We are big believers in local businesses,” Varley said “They are the natural partner to line up with the education system.”

The win-win that Swellr is proposing will not only help to reduce the amount of out-of-pocket expenses that many educators are forced to make, but will also provide a valuable tool for retailers to sell and monitor purchases. Fulfillment of a project via Swellr would allow any number of benefits including things like athletic equipment, travel costs for field trips or books for summer reading, just to name a few.

The young founders of Swellr each share a passion for and an understanding of the importance of educational support. Many of their family members and friends are teachers and they have seen first-hand how difficult it can be to raise funds for the classroom.

Another common thread between the three is their similar entrepreneurial spirit to make a difference in the world around them. For Patel, this desire stemmed from his upbringing, “I come from a family that is very socially minded and selfless,” he said. Both Patel and Rothstein have volunteered with Americorps and Varley has volunteered with hurricane struck communities in the Dominican Republic and South Carolina.

Swellr is currently headquartered in Woburn. Preliminary talks with many businesses, schools, educators, PTAs and youth leagues have resulted in positive feedback and a clear indication of the value that Swellr can provide going forward.

Building trust and an understanding of what Swellr can do for business and schools is paramount for the team. They look forward to testing their model in the coming months to determine its traction, work out potential problems and ultimately prepare to expand into their towns of service.

To learn more about Swellr or provide feedback email hello@swellr.com or visit www.swellr.com.