About Us - Company History

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Company History

Fall, 2004 - Annie creates "Wheelchair Heart symbol" for a dorm t-shirt at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With the help of graphic designer Sean Frangella of Viytale Designs, her vision is perfected.

Spring, 2005 - Annie gets the wheelchair heart symbol tattooed on her right shoulder blade by a tattoo artist named "Lunchbox" in Champaign, Illinois.

May, 2006 - Annie and Stevie graduate from undergraduate college. Annie moves to Chicago to pursue a graduate degree in Disability Studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Stevie moves back home to work for the family business.

Summer, 2007 - Annie and Stevie secure legal rights to wheelchair heart symbol and 
incorporate 3E Love, LLC.  Begin selling t-shirts as a means to pay the startup costs.

July 2007 - 3E Love and the symbol are introduced to the disability community at Chicago's Disability Pride Parade. The Original Heart Tee is offered in Blue, Black, and Pink.
January 20th, 2009 - Annie passes away due to complications from a feeding tube placement.

May 2009 - Stevie returns to Lunchbox the tattoo artist to get the wheelchair heart symbol tattooed over his heart.

July 2009 - Dozens of Annie's friends and family march in the Disability Pride Parade to honor her memory.

August 2009 - Stevie decides to pursue 3E Love full-time and expands to bags and a new t-shirt and the LOVE design. The 3E Love Wheelchair Heart Facebook Page is born and 3E Love web store are born.

September 2009 - Hooded sweatshirts are designed and sold for the first time.

November 2009 - Stevie takes 3E Love outside of Chicago for the first time, bringing it to Atlanta for the Abilities Expo.

December 2009 - 3E Love has its first holiday sale season, selling items all over the country and to Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. 3ELove.com is updated and given a professional makeover.

January 5, 2010 - 3E Love buys its own screen-printing equipment.
 
January 20th, 2010 - The International Day of Acceptance is created, in memory of Annie and her social message, asking the world to "wear their heart on their sleeve."

April 2010 - 3E Love announces Project Everywhere, a plan to reach every country and have at least one symbol in every zip code in the United States.

Spring / Summer 2010 - Stevie takes 3E Love on the road, traveling to Los Angeles, Nashville, Houston, and New York for conferences and expos.

Fall / Winter 2010 - The second holiday sale sells over 1,000 orders worldwide.

January 20th, 2011 - The 2nd Annual International Day of Acceptance grows. More and more people embrace the wheelchair heart symbol and the 3E Love message.

Spring / Summer 2011 - Stevie hits the road for the second year in a row, taking the 3E Love message over 10,000 miles with him.

August 2011 - Project Everywhere Update. 3E Love has reached all 50 states, 4% of zip codes, and 20 countries.

November 2011 - The future of 3E Love is born with a brand new web site and dozens of new products and programs. 3E Prints, 3E Diaries, 3E Ink, and Stevie Speaks are born.

June 2012 - 3E Love Headquarters moves out of Stevie's Dad's office and the company leases its own 5,000 square foot warehouse/office. For the first time, everything is done under one roof and new employees are hired.

October 2012 - The 3E Love Halloween Grand Opening Party features a fully accessible haunted house, magician, face painting, pumpkin carving, and dancing! Over 400 local 3E Lovers come to support the event.

December 2012 - Company sales double for the third year in a row! Over 2,500 holiday orders!

June 2013 - The 3E Love print shop outgrows its space and adds on another 3,000 square foot warehouse. Plans for new endeavors and partnerships with local schools begin. The hope is to add new employees with disabilities and create internship programs with local schools.

August 2013 - Project Everywhere update announces that 3E Love has reached 27 countries, 4,800 US zip codes, and more than 13,000 orders!