The thought of having a piece of fine jewelry that is passed on from mother to daughter, daughter to granddaughter is something that always gives me a fuzzy feeling. A feeling of a piece of heritage that has a story behind it, is meaningful, timeless and precious. In my culture, a piece of jade is often gifted to a newborn baby as a necklace or bangle. Urban legend has it that the stone “grows” with the child as the color of the stone matures by the years it has been carried. Each piece of jade tells an intimate story about the owner, every heartbeat every stage of life makes each piece uniquely theirs.
Our Stellar today Stephanie is the founder of With Purpose. A fine jewelry brand that brings the meaning of fine jewelry to another level. Each piece of jewelry gives back to the community and helps a specific cause. When we pass on a piece from With Purpose, we don’t only share our family story with the next generation, but the story about our society and people: about a specific important historical event and what connects us together as a community – our values to help each other out. A precious reminder of what makes us complete as human beings.
Stephanie has spent her career learning from the masters, working for important fine jewelers such as Harry Winston (a.k.a “The King of Diamonds”) and the bespoke fine jeweler Anna Sheffield.
She wanted to expand her impact by bringing her know-how, creativity into something that was personal to her and had meaning. To do that, she built With Purpose where she works with a group of talented women all based in New York, creating a connection with her community from inception to execution where all pieces are sourced sustainably and hand crafted locally.
We catch up with Stephanie to tell us more about her brand and the meaning behind it!
Tell us a bit about what With Purpose.
With Purpose is a NYC based fine jewelry company dedicated to giving a portion of the proceeds from every purchase to organizations that directly support individuals, families, and communities whose lives have been forever changed by adversity. Each unique collection is inspired by a meaningful cause, and every piece tells a story.
Our cause-based collections feature delicate and minimal jewelry that evokes everlasting luxury. All of our pieces are ethically crafted and made to last a lifetime.
What matters most to us is simple: sharing our stories, strengthening our communities, and raising awareness by creating everyday fine jewelry that gives back.
What inspired you to start a fine jewelry brand with a purpose?
With Purpose is inspired by my father, a first responder on September 11th. As a native New Yorker, I felt my community in need. From here our Hero’s Collection was born. It includes ruby which represents FDNY and blue sapphire for NYPD. This collection gives back to Tunnel2Towers – a donation directly impacts and honors the families of fallen first responders.
With Purpose was founded on the belief that fine jewelry can be about something bigger than ourselves.
Looking back at the journey so far, is there anything you would like to tell your past self that you wish you knew back then? A tip for the entrepreneur that is still thinking if they can do this!
Although our journey has just started – I wish I had started sooner and asked more questions about building a business.
I learned early on that I needed to figure out my strengths and weaknesses as far as building a business from the ground up. Then I looked for entrepreneurs to help me on topics I struggled with, it helped move the ball much quicker.
We met when you were literally launching. Tell us a bit about how you are progressing and what are your future goals with With Purpose!
With Purpose launched in July 2020. The launch included a shoppable website and first collection of jewelry. Our goal is to launch new collections quarterly while partnering with a cause, charity or foundation. Additionally, constant education on sustainability is at the forefront of our mission.
With giving back at the heart of everything we do, With Purpose is a brand built, inspired, and sustained by community.
Stephanie Arocena, Founder & Creative Director of With Purpose
Finally, what part of being in the Myth community would you look forward most to?
I’m looking forward to being part of and learning from a community of like-minded businesses and entrepreneurs who understand the power of sustainability and positive mindful impact. The values Myth shares speak to our core mission of giving back to our community, to our world.
