A former contestant on the hit TV show The Apprentice, Dan Brody has always loved animals, and he’s always been an entrepreneur. Donald Trump recognized his talent, drive, and leadership skills and cast him on the fifth season of his show in 2006. At first, Brody was best known for choosing to observe a yom tov (and miss the team’s third task), which, as fans of the show know, is a major statement. Eventually, he also became known for his creativity and bold management style.
Now the Bergen County resident has launched his latest venture, Brody Paws, to merge his passions. After developing a patent-pending textile that permits the printing of vivid colors on winter materials for the first time, Brody began manufacturing a unique line of gloves, hats, scarves, and hoodies made of his multi-layered, stretchy fleece-like fabric with colorful graphic designs unlike any others on the market. “In developing this concept, it was important to me that our company have a soul,” said Brody. “I wanted to make this brand about people’s passion for animals.” His website states: “We are a very cool and socially conscious brand that will donate a portion of every sale to the development of a service or therapy animal, and we express our passion for animals by incorporating animal paw prints into every one of our original and vibrant artwork designs. It’s in our DNA.”
Brody’s social consciousness also extends to a deep love of Israel. Instead of organizing a traditional sample sale as other fashion brands do to sell articles that are useable but not commercially ready, Brody Paws Inc. chose to donate its samples, and has delivered hundreds of new gloves, hats, scarves, and hoodies to Israel to be distributed among lone soldiers for the winter. They reached out to the Israel Forever Organization and the Lone Soldier Project to ensure that its warm accessories would reach the soldiers who can most appreciate them. And those samples were received with appreciation. A letter written to Brody stated: “Thank you so much for your generous donation of wonderful, warm, and beautiful clothing for lone soldiers. We received them today in the Jerusalem Lone Soldier Center and have already begun giving them out.”
Donating the samples to lone soldiers in Israel made perfect sense to co-founder Brody. Raising their family in Northern New Jersey, the Brody family has instilled a love of Eretz Yisrael in their children through frequent visits and charitable efforts. Dan’s son Natan took the initiative to help coordinate the donation as part of his chesed efforts for his upcoming bar mitzvah. The charitable synergy is suited to the brand in that Brody Paws is so closely linked to charitable efforts here in the States, including K9s for Warriors to support training service animals for returning US veterans and new partner North Shore Animal League, the largest no-kill animal shelter in the world.
Brody’s entrepreneurial spirit reared its head early. After graduating from Yeshiva University and earning an MBA from Baruch College, Dan and his brother bought Grandma’s Cookie Jar, a retail bakery adjacent to YU. They sold it a few years later and then they started a straw hat business. In the summer of 2005, Dan gained worldwide publicity when he auctioned off the opportunity to provide him with golf lessons. Sure enough, a Florida golf teacher won the auction. Dan flew down to Florida for two weeks of one-on-one instruction, followed by his famous stint on The Apprentice. His current project has attracted much attention including several TV shows that have requested to include his products in segments.
You can learn more about and get involved with the Lone Soldier Project at IsraelForever.org and see the products at www.brodypaws.com.
By Lisa Matkowsky
