Being Evergreen Helped Me Serve A Broader Purpose

F.K. Day and his brother Stanley Day started SRAM Corporation in 1987 with a passion for biking and innovation. The early years were not easy — the Days learned some hard truths about private equity backers and the importance of cultural fit when making acquisitions. Eventually they found their stride, and SRAM became a leader in high-end bicycle components, and a consummate Evergreen company.

But F.K. ultimately would have an even larger impact on the world. Moved by the 2004 tsunami disaster in Indonesia, he wanted to do more than send checks to relief funds — he was compelled to provide tangible aid. He soon found that something as simple as a single bicycle could change a family’s future for the better. Using Pragmatic Innovation, he took what he knew about high-end bikes and created an efficient, scalable model for producing low-cost, rugged bikes. The end result: World Bicycle Relief, which provides bicycles to students, health-care workers and entrepreneurs throughout Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.