Greater Collective Co. is uniquely positioned in a niche market: the intersection of faith and mental wellness. Current Vice President of Membership and rising junior Zachary Walls teamed up with his freshman year roommate, Jack Dooley, during quarantine in order to “keep [their] faith in times like this, but also bring life to mental health awareness” through their heartfelt clothing. When asked about the name of his company, Zach explained that it embodies the brand’s core values stemming from the phrase “I will prevail” and the sense of people overcoming their challenges in order to be something greater than themselves.
This motivational message extends to the clothing through Zach and Jack’s original designs. While these entrepreneurs generated their logo cleverly featuring a cross in place of the letter “t” to emphasize the Christian roots of the brand, Zach is confident that each piece can resonate with anyone. Zach believes that the words used in each creation carry significance to the Christian population, yet are spread in a refreshing nature that enables people of all faiths to connect with them. For example, he enjoys drawing upon Christian ideals of inclusivity and togetherness to incorporate mental wellbeing into the brand. Greater Collective Co. goes above and beyond reflecting this attitude as the company donates a portion of each merchandise drop to a mental health organization including ASFP (https://afsp.org/) and To Write Love on Her Arms (https://twloha.com/).
From a business perspective, it is clear that this brand has promising beginnings. Zach has developed a background in apparel by working at UpMerch alongside fellow brother Karl Tavadia, giving Zach the knowledge and platform to jumpstart his brand. Moreover, when referencing the brotherhood as a whole, Zach explained that PBL was built on entrepreneurial spirit because it began with a small group carving their own path, and this spirit is very much alive today. Although the PBL Founding Fathers are now alumni, seeing the courage of brothers like Jonny, Kevin, and Jonathan (take a peek at previous posts to check them out!) work on their own initiatives has inspired Zach to do the same. To other brothers and future entrepreneurs, Zach says, “Do what you love. It sounds super cliché and vanilla, but there's no reason to force yourself to do something or force yourself into a role.”
At the end of the day, Zach finds Greater Collective Co. rewarding as he is able to connect to his religion and give back, but even more so when brothers such as Adam Liang and Hui Murray along with people not of the faith or people he doesn’t know personally show their support for the brand. Take a look at the amazing products this compassionate company offers when they have their next merch drop soon, and stay tuned later on for a possible LLC and a website that may be in the works! Hopefully Greater Collective Co. will give you the passion to find greatness in your own life.
Instagram: @greatercollectiveco