Our Story

Hello and welcome! We’re so happy to have you here. A little bit about us:

Our Dream

Have you ever had one of those moments where someone asks you a question in passing, and it sends you into a whirlwind of introspection and discovery?

One evening, I was out to dinner with a friend who asked me my life goals. I knew everything I valued and believed in but I couldn’t seem to articulate any specific goals. It was honestly a little embarrassing.

Fast-forward just a few months, and this friendly conversation pushed me to find my true passion and inspired a renewed focus on what I really wanted to accomplish in life—creating a line of shoes for women who love sports and fashion became one of my goals.

If you’re anything like me, you know shoes can make or break an outfit. And game day is no different. While it’s okay to wear flip-flops or tennis shoes to the game, isn’t it more fun to dress it up with a comfortable pair of heels? I guess you can say that’s how Charis & Doxa slowly came to be.

Our Journey

One day, I glanced over at a pop can (some of you might call this a “soda”) that had game-day themed graphics and it suddenly hit me. What if I could translate that same concept into footwear? After sketches upon sketches and what felt like a mountain of legal paperwork, the first set of designs came to life and were patented in 2011 and 2012.

But then, I got stuck. Like really stuck. Turning inspiration into reality—to take an idea from paper to something you can actually wear isn’t easy, or straightforward. I wholeheartedly believe this was a season of preparation for what was to come, which is when I met my husband Phil.

As the old saying goes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Never being one to shy away from a challenge, I started to make the prototype in my garage (yeah, that didn’t work...) Thanks to some real providence, we were able to find a fantastic manufacturer with years of experience. From there, things really picked up, with an official launch in June 2018!

Our World

I’m your typical girl-next-door with strong Midwestern roots. Growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, I was, and still am, blessed to have an incredibly close-knit family with deep Swedish and Irish roots.

It’s this wonderful circle, including my most trusted friends, family, and Phil, who really pushed me to get to where I am today. I look back now, and I’m beyond grateful for all the wisdom, direction, guidance, and prayers I received from this group of beautiful souls.

I thank God every day for bringing me my perfect partner, Phil. Phil believed in me and my dream and helped make it a reality. Without his hard work, patience, business acumen, and willingness to put up with my shenanigans 24/7, this might not have even happened.

Our Impact

We strongly believe that we have a responsibility to make the world a better place. That’s why we’re making it our mission to give back, one pair of shoes at a time.

Charis & Doxa will donate a portion of the proceeds to Shared Hope International for every pair of shoes sold. Dedicated to ending sex trafficking, Shared Hope International uses a three-pronged approach to prevent and educate, rescue and restore victims, and bring much-needed justice to vulnerable women and children around the world.

Because after all—giving back never goes out of style.