April is Autism Awareness month, and so this seems a fitting time to introduce you to a remarkable young man and the entrepreneurial business that he has inspired. Eytan Nisinzweig is a 25 year-old man with autism. Although he has limited social skills, he plays the piano better than many people, a skill that he was able to parlay into a part-time job hosting sing-alongs for local area schools.
In addition to his musical talents (and a passion for participating in the Special Olympics) Eytan is a gifted artist who draws with a simple but captivating style, that reflects a childlike wonder of the world. For a long time, his mother Susan, had thought about putting Eytan’s art work on t-shirts and on note cards but the idea never quite seemed to get off the ground.
One day, while admiring Eytan’s work yet again, she began to consider the possibility of pairing Eytan’s drawings with inspirational sayings that celebrate differences, encourage civility and promote respect for others. The more Susan mulled over the idea, the more excited she became.
Combining Eytan’s art with a meaningful message was the “aha” moment Susan had been waiting for, and once her vision came into focus, she sprung into action. As she so eloquently explains on Eytanart.com’s website:
“The thrill, or shiver was unmistakable and the ideas were so powerful that they didn’t disappear down the drain of the shower. I knew that this was one of those ideas that I had to make a reality. I knew that this one really mattered and was what I was meant to do.“
With focus, drive and determination, the pieces of the entrepreneurial puzzle quickly began to fall into place. Although Susan had no prior experience with the retail clothing business, she researched the worlds of shirt manufacturing, online sales and internet marketing. Talking to anyone who would listen, and adjusting plans as she learned, Susan quickly found a printer to produce the shirts, built a website and officially opened for business just a few short months ago.
The reaction to Eytan’s work has been overwhelmingly positive and orders have come in from around the globe. Adding to the joy over their entrepreneurial success, Eytan’s family is delighting in the satisfaction of being able to leverage the business as a vehicle to support meaningful causes and organizations; sales of Eytan’s work have already helped to provide over 12,000 nutritious meals to malnourished children overseas and his artwork has been displayed by organizations that support research for autism.
The future looks bright for this small home-based company that Eytan’s art helped to create. I hope you’ll help spread the word about Eytan’s remarkable story, by visiting the website at Eytanart.com.