Not many college students are able to boast about owning their own company, but Penn State juniors Joshua Shikoff and Max Wasserman can.
In April of 2018, the pair decided to revamp Release Sunglasses, initially started back in 2012 by college graduates. After taking over, Shikoff and Wasserman rebranded the image of Release, cleaned up the website and stocked up inventory to sell quality sunglasses to college students who are quite frankly, broke and wild.
Shikoff told VALLEY that the two boys found their motivation to revive Release after watching so many friends lose expensive sunglasses on their Spring Break trip to Mexico in 2018.
“Nothing ruins a Saturday daylong or Puerto Vallarta beach banger like losing a 200 dollar pair of glasses,” says Shikoff.
The Revival
And so, the two became Co-Owners of Release Sunglasses, striving to fix this issue in a stylish and affordable way. Of course, running a business as a college kid must come with a lot of hard work, but they’re up for the challenge. The work that the pair puts in to run the company is extremely worth it when they see people wearing their sunglasses around campus or in their pictures online.
Noting that while running a business on top of being a full-time finance student sometimes does get pretty hectic, Shikoff says that taking over Release Sunglasses has definitely taught him how to prioritize and stay organized, and it is something that he really enjoys doing.
Not many people get to say they have their own company,” says Shikoff. “After I’m done with homework and studying, I love putting in time to improving our site or creative marketing ads.
See The Vision
To Shikoff and Wasserman, Release is more than just a pair of sunglasses – it’s a lifestyle. The two want people to feel confident wearing their shades, no matter what it is they are doing. College students are the perfect demographic because the sky’s the limit for a community of young people who can make so much happen with just a boost of confidence.
“Release the beast” is the house motto at Release Sunglasses. Whether it’s anything from partying at a tailgate to taking a relaxing hike up Mount Nittany, the team at Release wants you to feel the best you possibly can while donning their shades.
“Our vision is to spread Release across college campuses nationwide,” says Shickoff. The two co-owners hope to achieve this by bringing a “Beast” to every Big Ten campus, working as an ambassador to the brand.
While the boys have no idea if Release will ever make it big, they embody the lifestyle of Release Sunglasses by dreaming of a successful future for the company. They know it will take hard work and dedication to get there, but Shickoff and Wasserman will be sure to have fun while doing it.
Check out Release Sunglasses at releasesunglasses.com.
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