Cotopaxi is a nonprofit gear manufacturer that works to improve the plight of children in developing countries/Cotopaxi

Why is an outdoor equipment manufacturer tutoring kids in Tanzania, and donating part of their profits around the world? It's just another day for Davis Smith, the founder of Cotopaxi.

Smith spent his childhood growing up in Latin America with his father, often camping on Ecuador's Mount Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world and the origin of his company name.

Smith later moved to Utah, where he graduated from Brigham Young University, and then on to the Wharton School of Business. In 2001, as adventure-seeking newlyweds, Davis and his wife, Asialene, accepted an unpaid internship in Lima, Peru, and afterwards visited Cuzco and Machu Picchu.

'"Anyone that's been to Cuzco, the first place you go is the main plaza," says Smith. "Right when you walk into the main plaza there are street children everywhere and they are always trying to approach you to sell you finger puppets, jewelry, or postcards, or shine your shoes. We unexpectedly befriended a little street kid - a kid that shined shoes. I had tennis shoes on, but he was so insistent that he wanted to shine my shoes.'

On their last night in Peru, Smith and Asialene saw Edgar and another child huddled in a corner of the plaza sleeping. Edgar had been crying because someone had stolen his shoe-shining kit, and he was afraid to go home.

"It was just a heartbreaking thing to see this kid going through this experience. So we gave him the little money that we had and you could tell that he felt better," says Smith.

Because of Edgar's plight and the hardships of the other children in the region, Smith decided he wanted to start a business that would help disadvantaged children in other countries.

"Just because of where they were born geographically in the world, they have incredibly difficult lives and it doesn't take much to impact them. You know, it's not too late for other children; there are other children, like Edgar, that we can help in a real way, help impact their lives. Cotopaxi is about finding a way we can sustainably give back to the world."

Before founding Cotopaxi, Smith successfully started two other companies: PoolTables.com and an online baby supply site, Baby.com.br.

So when the Smiths returned to the United States from Brazil, they decided it was time to start a different sort of company, to give back to the children of the world.

Their mission statement was to the point: try to make something sustainable that impacts as many people as possible and to change the world, for the one billion people living in extreme poverty. Their two llama mascots, Coto and Paxi, "represent adventure and ruggedness," says Smith. "They're fun, kind, and gentle: I think it represents everything that I want Cotopaxi to be."

Since its launch in April 2014, Cotopaxi has been selling packs, water bottles, and outdoor apparel. The products are made in fair labor factories that pay their employees sustainable and equitable wages. The Cotopaxi team strives to remember their humanity in everything they do, and in every aspect of production the people involved are treated well.

And at least 10 percent of Cotopaxi'™s profits are given back to the people for education, health and clean water. Cotopaxi tells you exactly where the donation is going when you purchase an item, and how it's going to help. Five dollars will pay a child's tutoring for three weeks, for example.

Each pack and water bottle assists those in need in a specific region. For example, a purchase of the Inca 26L will go towards hiring an on-staff educator for children at the Maria Imaculada Orphanage, who go to local schools in Tupiza. The Bangladesh 20 oz. water bottle helps provide water to one person in need in Bangladesh for about six months (the average cost of giving someone clean water indefinitely is about $25). Cotopaxi currently assists children in about 10 developing countries.

Regulated by the FTC, U.S. law requires a tag of origin to be placed inside of every fabric product. Usually it's a small tag that ends up being cut out or fades quickly. Smith decided that he didn'™t want the 'œcreation artists' to be forgotten about or have their work go unnoticed, so Cotopaxi made its own tag. In the new line of jackets, the tags are more than double the size of a regular tag, and are written in the native tongue of the country where it was made, (currently the Philippines and Bangladesh) saying "Proudly Made in [country]."

The Cotopaxi Human Lifespan Guarantee backs every product, too, for 61 years, the average lifespan of a person living in the developing world. Cotopaxi sells directly to the buyer, which eliminates the wholesale and retail markup and so provides for high quality/low price gear.

Each pack is designed for comfort and versatility. The drawstring bag, the Luzon, is made from quality excess fabric that would have otherwise been discarded. The Inca 26L can hold binders and laptops for school, or camping gear. It has extra padding and a perforated back for breathability.

Cotopaxi employees chip in as well. They are required to spend 10 percent of their work day doing something outside the company, or helping someone in need. Employees rock climb, volunteer at the Humane Society, and work in a soup kitchen.

Their central idea is: Give back, and do good.

When Smith launched Cotopaxi he started an event called Questival. It began small, but now is a 24-hour non-linear adventure race in Salt Lake City, Utah, with more than 1,400 participants, who are required to do a list of tasks, including sleeping under the stars, running through splash pads at an outdoor mall, picking up 100 pieces of trash, kissing a llama,  sky diving, eating brine shrimp from the Great Salt Lake, or planting a tree, as examples. Because Questival was prominent on social media, Cotopaxi received more than 20 million views that helped it become one of the most talked about and productive outdoor, gear brands available. And, the more they sell, the better off the world will be.