SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The RealReal (Nasdaq: REAL)—the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods—and its partners in the company's recent capital raise are coming together to give back to the community. The RealReal is donating $100,000 to the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), which, along with an additional $105,000 contributed by its partners, will help the organization respond to its spike in requests for legal assistance resulting from the rise in violence toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
“We have to watch for and fight against racism. That starts with understanding the issues faced by Asian Americans and it continues with the work organizations like ours are doing to advocate for equity and justice,” said Margaret Fung, executive director of AALDEF. “Providing legal counsel and support for hate crimes is intensive work. This donation from The RealReal and its partners will help us add needed resources to our team so we can serve more people and more communities.”
AALDEF is a New York-based national organization founded in 1974 that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. AALDEF has provided legal representation and counseling to victims of anti-Asian violence for more than 40 years and has advocated for stronger hate crimes laws and victim assistance programs.
Joining The RealReal in its donation to AALDEF are Bank of America, Stifel, King & Spalding, KeyBanc Capital Markets, Cowen, Credit Suisse, UBS and Raymond James.
“We are committed to supporting and advocating for diversity in our communities. We’ve been working closely with our Asians + Pacific Americans Employee Resource Group to support our internal AAPI community and are now working together to extend our efforts to help support communities nationwide,” said Julie Wainwright, founder and CEO of The RealReal. “We appreciate our partners coming together in this collective effort to expand the essential work AALDEF is doing to advocate for the Asian American community.”
To learn more about the important work AALDEF is doing, please visit www.aaldef.org.
About Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
AALDEF combines litigation, advocacy, education and organizing, working with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all. AALDEF focuses on critical issues affecting Asian Americans through programs dedicated to social justice, immigrant rights, educational equity, environmental justice and democracy.
About The RealReal, Inc.
The RealReal is the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods, with more than 20 million members. With a rigorous authentication process overseen by experts, The RealReal provides a safe and reliable platform for consumers to buy and sell their luxury items. We have hundreds of in-house gemologists, horologists and brand authenticators who inspect thousands of items each day. As a sustainable company, we give new life to pieces by thousands of brands across numerous categories—including women's and men's fashion, fine jewelry and watches, art and home—in support of the circular economy. We make selling effortless with free virtual appointments, in-home pickup, drop-off and direct shipping. We do all of the work for consignors, including authenticating, using AI and machine learning to determine optimal pricing, photographing and listing their items, as well as handling shipping and customer service. At our 15 retail locations, including our 10 shoppable stores, customers can sell, meet with our experts and receive free valuations.
AALDEF Press Contact:
Jennifer Weng
Assistant Director
jweng@aaldef.org
The RealReal Press Contact:
Erin Santy
Head of Communications
pr@therealreal.com