Port Arthur entrepreneur turns today’s food waste into ‘tomorrow’ DrinKicks – Port Arthur News

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Kristin Reynolds launches her Drinkix brand as part of the Halcyon 2024 Future Builders Cohort in Washington, DC (provided photo)

Kristin Reynolds lets her imagination run wild with paint as part of the Halcyon 2024 Future Builders cohort in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy photo)

Kristin Reynolds will display Drinkix model shoes at Port Arthur News Media in 2023. (Monique Batson/The News)

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm reviews Drinkkicks sneakers in Houston in 2023 (provided photo)

Kristin Reynolds culminated a whirlwind three weeks earlier this month when she shared on social media that she was the 2024 NFLPA Pitch Day winner.

The honor was recently earned by the Port Arthur eco-entrepreneur who is the founder of the sneaker brand Drinkicks.

Bio sneakers are made from recycled waste and biodegradable materials.

According to information from Drinkicks.com, Reynolds and her team aim to turn today’s food waste into “power for tomorrow.”

“Our mission is that we want DrinKicks to be a platform that inspires and empowers individuals to live sustainable lives,” Reynolds said.

The 30-year-old Port Arthur resident said some changes have recently been made to the completed shoe design, which will hopefully be available to the public by the end of June. But she says nothing is set in stone.

Reynolds and DrinKicks are active on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn and are happy to connect with community members who would like to learn more about their projects.

“Part of that passion comes from being from Port Arthur. We were able to see what so many people in our community were doing from Harvey,” Reynolds said. Told. “So many people in our communities are still unable to return to their homes, and we are approaching seven years. We need to make sure we educate people about what that brings.”

Reynolds said it was great to see her dream come to a successful conclusion.

“This goes to show that just because you come from a small town or a close-knit community doesn’t stop you from making an impact on the world,” she said. “We’d love to open in stores, but we’re very intentionally trying to introduce something like a direct-to-consumer model. We’re still thinking about it a little bit, but we’re trying to intentionally reduce our environmental impact. We want to keep it to a minimum as much as possible.”

recent path

In January, Reynolds was part of Halcyon 2024 Future Builders in Washington, D.C.

The fellowship included eight ventures led by Black women entrepreneurs that solve pressing challenges of the 21st century.

This program is made possible through the generosity of partners including Bank of America, Amazon Web Services, and Goodwin.

Halcyon hailed Reynolds as a leader “determined to make an impact on the world.”

Halcyon officials wanted to provide that boost where viability is proven and scalability is achievable, but barriers may limit the ability to continue business.

Reynolds followed the occasion with a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada as part of this year’s Super Bowl festivities.

She was invited to speak at the flagship event, the 8th Annual NFLPA Pitch Day, on February 7th. The event served as a platform for cutting-edge consumer products and technology companies to pitch their innovations for funding, mentorship, and exclusive marketing opportunities with NFL players. From the NFLPA.

Reynolds later displayed a ceremonial oversized $25,000 check as the “2024 NFLPA Pitch Day Winner.”