The firm was featured on Good Morning America.
Carolyn Rafaelian, founder and CEO of Cranston, RI-based Alex and Ani, hopes to expand the company to 100 stores by this year.
Alex and Ani’s website currently lists 94 stores worldwide, along with dozens of shop-within-a-shop locations.
Rafaelian was recently interviewed on ABC’s Good Morning America about her company and its charity efforts.
The segment talks about Charity Design, an Alex & Ani program that creates unique charms for the company’s four-dozen nonprofit partners. Part of the revenue goes to the charity.
“What we represent as a brand is positive energy,” Rafaelian said.
The company has donated over $48 million to charity, according to the story.
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Earlier this year, Rafaelian landed at No. 18 on Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. Her net worth was estimated at $1 billion, which makes her “America’s only jewelry billionaire,” according to the magazine.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
