Toronto-based entrepreneurs Adam Mintz and Charlie Friedmann have formed apparel brand Athletes Collective, "a line of unbranded athletic basics," such as T-shirts that "come in four colours and are either plain or feature a single sports-related word, such as '#Hustle,' 'Athlete,' and 'Run,'" according to Ashante Infantry of the TORONTO STAR. The company founders "sourced fabric and manufacturing locally and launched online last summer using athletic friends as models." Mintz said, "Our focus is the everyday athlete and we wanted our brand and the clothing to be very relatable. The sports apparel market is very inspirational. The Nike, the Under Armour commercials: fun to watch, but not really relatable. ... We’re not going to be pro athletes. We’d love to be the alternative to what’s out there and say ‘You don’t have to look like that and you don’t have to spend that much money.’” Mintz & Friedman said that with social media and fitness industry events "helping to spread the word, the company broke even in its first year." Their savings "financed the venture," which is "a two-man operation; they work and ship merchandise from their homes, hiring help as needed." The pair "has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to expand the line and promote the brand" (TORONTO STAR, 9/26).
