November 14, 2014 | Stefanie Dion Jones - Neag School of Education

UConn Alum’s ‘Charmed’ Life at Alex and Ani

As VP of Alex and Ani’s Charity by Design division, former field hockey All-American Nicki Maher brings her winning streak to a different kind of team.

For every Charity by Design bangle sold, Alex and Ani donates 20 percent of sales to a designated charity — from the American Heart Association to Living Water International, which is working to supply clean water to communities in
developing countries around the world. (Photo courtesy of Alex and Ani)

This article was first published in the Fall 2014 print edition of UConn Magazine. To access more stories like this, visit s.uconn.edu/fall 14 or download UConn Magazine’s free app for iPad.

While at UConn, Nicki (Castonguay) Maher ’00 (SFS) set records and earned acclaim as an All-American in field hockey – a team that just this past year won its third national championship. Today, Maher maintains her own winning streak as the leader of a very different team.

Since 2010, Maher has been thriving as vice president of lifestyle brand Alex and Ani’s Charity by Design division. Named one of the nation’s 100 fastest-growing private companies in 2013 by Inc. Magazine, Alex and Ani has seen revenue skyrocket from a million dollars in 2010 to $288 million last year.

"When I was told, ‘You can’t have it all,’ it made me want to push harder," says Nicki (Castonguay) Maher ’00 (SFS), vice president of lifestyle brand Alex and Ani’s Charity by Design division. (Photo courtesy of Alex and Ani)
“When I was told, ‘You can’t have it all,’ it made me want to push harder,” says Nicki (Castonguay) Maher ’00 (SFS), vice president of lifestyle brand Alex and Ani’s Charity by Design division. (Photo courtesy of Alex and Ani)

As Maher can attest, however, her focus in Charity by Design reaches far beyond jewelry sales. Charity by Design produces an Alex and Ani collection of customized, symbolic charm bangles that support select nonprofit partners nationwide. For every Charity by Design bangle sold, the company donates 20 percent of sales to the designated charity – while also offering support to thousands of additional nonprofits through sponsorships, volunteerism, and more.

In just four years, Maher’s division has achieved upwards of $30 million in revenue and has coordinated donations in excess of $12 million to more than 1,500 charitable organizations – from the American Heart Association to Farm Aid.

“The smarter we are as a for-profit business, the more we can give back each year,” Maher says.

With a corporate philosophy centered on such principles as positive energy, spirituality, and empowerment, Alex and Ani seems the perfect fit for Maher and her own can-do attitude. “I have a confidence in life, a faith that everything happens for a reason,” she says.

For every Charity by Design bangle sold, Alex and Ani donates 20 percent of sales to a designated charity – from the American Heart Association to Living Water International, which is working to supply clean water to communities in developing countries around the world. (Photo courtesy of Alex and Ani)

“Life is so short, and we, especially women, have so many things in life that are expected of us – to be friends, daughters, mothers, wives, as well as career women – that sometimes we hold back or are afraid to ask for more.” But, she adds, “When I was told, ‘You can’t have it all,’ it made me want to push harder … Everybody’s ‘have it all’ is different. Why hold somebody back from their potential dreams?”

Visit s.uconn.edu/alexandani to see how UConn alum Nicki (Castonguay) Maher ’00 (SFS) and Alex and Ani’s Charity by Design division are inspiring and educating their customers – while supporting causes that are bettering the world around us.