Live to Give

What Live to Give does

Live to Give is a privately held, founder-owned American e-commerce company founded in September 2019 by Zach Smith and John Wayne Walding, a medically retired Green Beret and Silver Star recipient. The company sells patriotic-themed consumer products — coffee (bagged whole bean and Keurig-compatible single-serve pods, in medium and dark roasts), apparel (American-made t-shirts and trucker hats in multiple fabric and leather variants), and drinkware (ceramic mugs and an insulated PATRIOT Coolers tumbler) — through a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront serving patriotic American consumers who want everyday purchases to support military, veterans, first responders, and their families.

The business model is a hybrid of one-time purchases and recurring revenue: a monthly coffee subscription delivers two 12oz bags per month at $26.98 with free shipping, while individual SKUs are priced between $13.99 (single-serve pods) and $29.99 (the blackout trucker hat). Underlying technology is a standard Shopify e-commerce stack with no disclosed proprietary features, integrations, or AI/ML capabilities. Distribution is exclusively online, domestic (United States), with marketing driven by organic social (Facebook, Instagram), an email newsletter offering a 10% first-purchase discount, and founder-story content marketing on the site itself.

The company's economic engine is partially diverted to charity: 50% of net profits are donated to three core partners — Folds of Honor (educational scholarships for families of fallen and disabled service members), Chive Charities (overlooked medical needs for veterans and first responders), and Task Force Dagger Foundation (wounded special operations personnel and families). To date, the company reports over $300,000 in cumulative donations across cash, product, services, and experiences. The business is bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, a small founder-led team, and a single Shopify storefront as its sole commercial channel.

Name

Live to Give

Legal name

Live to Give

Website

https://livetogive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Live to Give is a US direct-to-consumer e-commerce company founded in 2019 that sells patriotic-themed coffee, apparel, and drinkware through Shopify, donating 50% of net profits to charities supporting military, veterans, and first responders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee & Patriotic Apparel

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942), All Other Miscellaneous Retailers (459999)

SIC

Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)

akta.pro primary industry

Historical & Military Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Greeting Cards, Wrap & Party Supplies Retail (CRALAJAE)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee products
• Patriotic apparel merchandise
• Veteran support products
• Charitable consumer goods
• Subscription coffee service

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct consumer sales of branded products including coffee, apparel, hats, mugs, and tumblers. Revenue generated through one-time purchases and recurring subscription orders for coffee products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Live to Give sells patriotic-themed consumer products through a direct-to-consumer Shopify e-commerce store, including 100% Arabica specialty coffee (whole bean bags and Keurig-compatible single-serve pods), apparel (t-shirts and trucker hats), and drinkware (ceramic mugs and insulated tumblers). The company donates 50% of its net profits to charities that support military, veterans, first responders, and their families, and offers a monthly coffee subscription service with free shipping.

Product overview

Live to Give is a lifestyle products company with a charitable mission, donating 50% of net profits to support military members, veterans, first responders and their families. The product portfolio centers on coffee products (bagged whole bean and single-serve pods in medium and dark roasts, plus a monthly subscription service), apparel (t-shirts, trucker hats in standard and leather variants), and drinkware (coffee mugs and insulated tumblers). Products are primarily made in the USA. The company has donated over $300,000 to supported charities including Folds of Honor, Chive Charities, and Task Force Dagger Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House Blend Medium Roast Coffee
• Up Before Dawn Dark Roast Coffee
• French Vanilla Single Serve Coffee Pods
• House Blend Medium Roast Single Serve Coffee Pods
• Up Before Dawn Dark Roast Single Serve Coffee Pods
• Monthly Coffee Subscription
• American Made Live to Give T-Shirt
• Live to Give Logo T-Shirt
• Proud American Sustainable T-Shirt
• America Strong Trucker Hat
• American Flag Trucker Hat
• Live to Give Blackout Trucker Hat
• Leather American Flag Trucker Hat
• Live to Give Coffee Cup
• Don't Stop Until You're Proud 20oz PATRIOT Coolers Tumbler

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $300,000 donated in cash, product, services and experiences to support military, veterans, first responders and their families.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Folds of HonorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three primary charitable partners. Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members.
• Chive CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three primary charitable partners. Chive Charities supports overlooked medical needs and causes for veterans and first responders.
• Task Force Dagger FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three primary charitable partners. Task Force Dagger Foundation supports wounded special operations personnel and their families.
• PATRIOT CoolersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-branded insulated tumbler product. PATRIOT Coolers also donates a portion of proceeds from each tumbler sale to charitable organizations helping people in local communities across the USA. Allows both companies to fulfill missions of serving those who serve.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Black Rifle Coffee Company: Veteran-founded direct-to-consumer coffee subscription and packaged goods brand with patriotic themes. The closest comparable in business model (Shopify DTC, coffee subscription, apparel expansion), customer base (military-affinity consumers), and mission-driven positioning, though significantly larger and more capitalized.
• Grunt Style: Veteran-founded apparel e-commerce brand selling patriotic-themed t-shirts, hats, and accessories. Highly comparable target customer (military community, patriotic consumers), similar DTC-only distribution model, and similar founder-driven authenticity positioning, though apparel-focused rather than coffee-anchored.
• Nine Line Apparel: Veteran-founded patriotic apparel and lifestyle brand with strong military-community positioning and cause-marketing partnerships. Comparable customer base, founder-driven authenticity, and gift-able product assortment targeting the same patriotic consumer segment.
• Ranger Up: Veteran-owned patriotic apparel and accessories brand founded by Army Rangers, selling t-shirts, hats, and lifestyle products. Closely overlaps in customer persona (active-duty military, veterans, patriotic civilians), DTC e-commerce model, and authentic military-founder credibility.

Broad incumbents

• Trade Coffee: Established coffee subscription service offering curated roasters through DTC e-commerce. Comparable subscription business model and customer experience, though positioned as a premium specialty coffee curator rather than a mission-driven brand.
• Carhartt: Established American workwear and rugged apparel brand with strong patriotic, blue-collar, and military-adjacent customer base. Comparable "Made in USA" emphasis and Americana positioning, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Death Wish Coffee: Established direct-to-consumer coffee subscription brand competing in the same DTC coffee category with subscription model, though without the military/patriotic mission alignment. Useful comparable for coffee subscription economics and customer LTV.

Emerging players

• Combat Flip Flops: Veteran-founded lifestyle brand selling footwear and accessories with social mission funding. Comparable veteran-founder authenticity and cause-driven model targeting similar patriotic consumer segments, though at a smaller scale and footwear-focused.
• Blackout Coffee Co: Veteran-themed coffee roaster and subscription brand with patriotic branding. Closely comparable in mission-driven positioning, veteran affinity, and subscription model, though with a more tactical/aesthetic positioning than Live to Give's charitable-giving focus.
• Article 22: Veteran-founded accessories and lifestyle brand creating jewelry and home goods from repurposed military materials. Comparable mission-driven positioning and veteran founder authenticity, though focused on upcycled artifacts rather than consumables like coffee.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DrinkLiveToGive
• Instagraminstagram.com/drinklivetogive
• Xx.com/drinklivetogive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/live-to-give

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Live to Give