Our Story

The journey of Bead the Change began in 2015, when founder Ryan embarked on what he imagined would be a two-month backpacking trip to Southeast Asia. As months quickly passed, the trip grew into a two-year whirlwind tour of twenty-plus countries on multiple continents.

During his travels, Ryan stayed at a monastery in India where he met the Dalai Lama, did volunteer work with refugees in Myanmar, and lived with a family in a remote part of Cambodia. Although his travels were incredible, Ryan also saw firsthand many of the most devastating problems that currently plague our planet and its inhabitants. As an environmentalist at heart, he vowed that he would someday do something to help solve these problems.  

After returning home and reflecting on his experiences, the idea to create Bead the Change began to take root. The idea to create 100% recycled bracelets to raise awareness for crucial environmental causes was sparked by two places he had visited: Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia and a village in Western Africa where beadmaking was a part of life. 

At each of the hundreds of temples he had visited in Asia, Ryan received a bracelet that was blessed by a Monk, meant to provide protection and good luck. In an African village, Ryan was inspired by unique and beautiful recycled glass beads made by local beadmakers. Bead the Change bracelets are handmade by artisans in Ghana using recycled plastic water bottles and recycled glass beads. The bracelets reflect five causes Ryan encountered during his travels that he knew needed immediate attention on a global scale. 

When you buy a Bead the Change bracelet, 10 percent of your purchase is donated directly to an organization that supports an important environmental cause. So when you buy and show your support with a bracelet, you are making a direct and significant impact on the future of our planet and its people.