By Rodrigo Luna, Head of Culture and Rocketeer Experience, ServiceRocket
Back in 2013, when I first joined ServiceRocket, my dream was to build a few soccer fields in my hometown, San Salvador.
Soccer/football was a passion of mine growing up there. I’m a decent player. I wanted young people in my community to experience the benefits that soccer gave me: to be disciplined, to not give up, and most of all, to learn to be a team player.
The soccer fields I envisioned would be great for kids, teens and adults alike.
It would be good for their health too. A place where people could escape their woes.
That dream resonated with our CEO, Rob Castaneda. He too has Salvadoran DNA. We put our Salvadoran heads together. After a great deal of thinking and planning, we created APANECA, a brand with the goal of benefitting people's quality of life.
Creating a brand for good
Central America is where a lot of world-famous brands produce their clothes, including El Salvador. We researched how we could produce our t-shirts there. The idea was to create the opportunity for Rocketeers to give back to our community in El Salvador and beyond.
Our efforts could become a case study that inspired other tech companies to follow.
In 2019, after more than a few field trips to meet with different manufacturers in El Salvador, we started production of APANECA-branded Rocket t-shirts.
Meet Jaime (the guy in the red T-shirt)
Jaime runs a small company in RC - Smith S.A. that does serigraphy, or printing with silkscreens. He works with other local small manufacturers who supply him with t-shirts and fabric.
I asked Jaime how his company works and how many people were involved in the production of our Rocket t-shirts. It turns out they pass through many hands:
The power of a t-shirt
While the dream to build soccer fields in my hometown is still in progress, it led to something bigger. For every new t-shirt produced with the APANECA label, $1 USD is donated to The ServiceRocket Foundation. Those funds are dedicated to helping support other small producers around the world through KIVA.org.
That’s why we’re proud to wear our Rocket t-shirts.
Not only do they represent our beloved Rocketeer community, every t-shirt helps to improve the quality of life for 32 Salvadoran families and 140+ small producers around the globe.
I'm a true believer in equality. My work at ServiceRocket has led me to value teamwork and consistent learning in my career. When I was 11 years old, I earned my first customer when my parents asked me to create the logo for their new restaurant. My work as a cartoon artist later funded my education. I never say no to trying new sports, feel passionately about Neapolitan pizza and enjoy the occasional barbeque with family and friends.
Doing good often starts with a dream.
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