His neon green “beater” sunglasses received an overwhelmingly positive response, and what started out as a night full of close friends and good music quickly escalated into a full-fledged passion project with sunglasses.

After months of research it soon became clear that the market needed a mid-priced eyewear option with the same cool factor as leading styles. That revelation was the moment Blenders was born. Chase believes in the hustle, he started a grassroots effort buoyed by social media and his SDSU network, selling shades out of his backpack while doubling as a surf coach. He leveraged his background as a sponsored athlete to develop sunnies with scintillating style and adventurous spirit. It’s been this steadfast self-determination—and the combined efforts of the San Diego-based company’s 35+-person team—that’s established Blenders as one of America’s fastest-growing sunglasses brands today.