A pinta tortoise who once lived in the Galapagos Islands was (and still is) known as the area's most famous resident and called "Lonesome George" for a specific and sobering reason; prior to his passing earlier this year, he was the last surviving member of his species.  Inspired by a trip to the region, Eduardo Balarezo founded an apparel company bent on making sure Lonesome George isn't just the last of his kind in literal terms, but also in the figurative sense; as a result, Lonesome George & Co. was established as a for-profit brand that directs 10 percent of its sales to Outward Bound Ecuador.   

The social enterprise offers tanks, tees, hoodies, polos and more for men, women and kids, starting at $25.  Balarezo explains his choice to name the company directly after the lone tortoise: "He's our inspiration because there's a deeper message behind him.  It's not 'find a mate for me,' it's not 'reproduce me or clone me.' It's 'don't let this happen again.' Let's inspire agents of change to make better choices so that this situation is avoided in the future." 

Even in the vast sea of causes and charities seeking to solve all kinds of issues, this is definitely one we can place our odds on... because even in the face of setbacks, just like the old story says, the tortoise always wins in the end.