When we launched the Orgain Grants for Greater Good program back in February, we were hoping to end up with an applicant pool that included some impressive small businesses that are helping people live healthier, more vibrant lives. But…wow! We were not prepared for just how inspiring the applications would be. We ended up with hundreds of them, many of which are doing work that is as innovative as it is socially-minded, and we are officially blown away!
Whittling the list down to just six finalists was really (truly) difficult. After much deliberation and conversation among our panel of judges, we are finally there, and we are thrilled to announce the six companies who are now competing for a total of three $50,000 grants. After you’ve taken a look for yourself, please head to our Grants for Greater Good page at orgain.com/grants and vote for your three favorites! Voting starts on May 11th through May 25th, and every vote counts toward helping us select the three grant winners!
The Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Aduri
Jesal Trivedi created Aduri – a connected meditation system that includes a meditation cushion, content, and online community – after discovering and committing to meditation as an antidote to his own extreme stress and anxiety. He ultimately left the tech industry to launch Aduri and dedicated his career to making meditation more accessible. In addition to helping others live more mindfully and reap the benefits of regular meditation, Aduri demonstrates its values by using materials that are sustainably sourced. The company is also working with non-profit organizations to provide meditation content to underrepresented communities.
Bissy
Bissy was founded by Zack En’Wezoh and James Swinyard, two childhood friends and former college athletes who were seeking a healthy alternative to coffee. Through Zack’s Nigerian grandfather, they heard about the kolanut, a fruit native to Nigeria that contains 160mg of naturally caffeine, plus theobromine, a vasodilator that helps open the lungs and increase blood flow to the brain and muscles. Zack and James learned that athletes and workers in Nigeria have used the kolanut for centuries to enhance their physical and cognitive performance… and soon the Bissy energy drink was born. Bissy is a Certified B Corporation, which means the company’s success is measured not just by the money it makes, but also by its social and environmental impacts. Bissy uses sustainable packaging and is working directly with several farms in Nigeria to help them to achieve Fair Trade certifications. To learn more about Bissy, visit https://www.bissyenergy.com/.
Charity Miles
Charity Miles is an app on a mission is to “forge a movement of people who walk with a cause in our hearts every day.” It was founded by Gene Gurkoff, a former Wall Street finance lawyer who started running marathons to raise money for Parkinson's in honor of his grandfather. Always wanting to find companies to sponsor him in these races, he launched Charity Miles, which has now become an app that enables users to track activity (run/walk/dance/bike/you name it) and raise funds for a charity of their choice with every mile logged. The miles are funded by corporate sponsorships, as well as individual employers, or friends and family. To learn more about Charity Miles, visit Charitymiles.org.
Hakuna Brands
Hakuna makes plant-based (n)ice cream without any refined sweeteners or artificial ingredients. The company was founded by two best friends, Mollie Cha and Hannah Hong, who are both lactose intolerant, but who nonetheless craved the sweet, creamy fix that ice cream delivers. They decided to create a plant-based “ice cream” that could provide the indulgence they were seeking, by using only plant-based ingredients, and no refined sugar – they sweeten with dates! Today, Hakuna comes in a variety of delicious flavors and formats, and the company maintains its commitment to environmental sustainability by composting their banana peels and by using bananas that are C grade (and would otherwise be food waste). Additionally, all of their products are made without palm oil.
IncludeHealth
IncludeHealth is a health & wellness platform that pairs cloud software with connected and inclusive exercise equipment to lower the cognitive and physical barriers to wellness. IncludeHealth has created the first and only fully accessible functional exercise trainer, a piece of equipment that enables hundreds of exercises to be performed while standing, seated or in a wheelchair. IncludeHealth was founded by Ryan Eder, a design student who witnessed a man in a wheelchair struggle while exercising. Ryan felt there had to be a better way for this person to stay healthy, and that thought, combined with his design expertise, led him to create IncludeHealth. In addition to its inclusive exercise equipment and software, IncludeHealth delivers presentations at conferences and universities in an effort to inspire future change agents. To learn more about IncludeHealth, visit https://www.includehealth.com/.
Pulp Pantry
Upon seeing how much food waste came from juiced vegetables, Kaitlin Mogentale became determined to find a way to make use of these healthy and delicious vegetable “scraps.” Through Pulp Pantry, she is turning them into snackable delights. Pulp Pantry Chips are made from the overlooked, nutritional byproducts of fruit and vegetable processing, and each yummy bag of Pulp Chips provides nearly a full day’s serving of gut-healthy fiber (5g). Through Pulp Pantry, Kaitlin is tackling two problems with one snack: she’s addressing food waste and getting consumers to eat more vegetables and fiber. Pulp Pantry has already upcycled over 100,000 pounds of potential food waste! To learn more about Pulp Pantry, visit https://pulppantry.com/.
Remember, you can vote daily from May 11th through May 25th. We’re counting on you to help us select our three winners! Visit www.orgain.com/grants to vote.
The winners will be announced on June 1st!
