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Welcome to Good Market Info! Click the logo to return to the Good Market global app.
Welcome to Good Market Info!
Click the logo to return to the Good Market app
Welcome to Good Market Info! Click the logo to return to the Good Market global app.
Welcome to the 55 social enterprises, cooperatives, responsible businesses, and voluntary organizations that became Good Market approved in September 2020! This month’s roundup includes new community members from Colombia, the United States, Senegal, Nigeria, Zambia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Georgia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, and New Zealand. More than 1,526 enterprises across 55 countries are now part of the Good Market community. 
Austin, Texas, United States
Care2Rock offers one-on-one online music lessons through an award-winning video conference platform designed for learning music. For students, Care2Rock is an easy, affordable way to access vetted music teachers and learn music from anywhere. For music teachers, it’s an opportunity to connect with students nationwide and support young people in need. Every lesson purchased through the Care2Rock platform helps provide free instruments and consistent music mentorship to children in foster care throughout the United States. The platform was started by a former juvenile prosecutor who saw many young people going through the system without community support. In 2009, she started Kids in a New Groove (KING), an Austin-based nonprofit, to enrich the lives of children in the foster care system through music. The program had a 100 percent high school graduation rate for youth in care over a 10 year period, compared to the national average of 50 percent. After seeing how music lessons gave consistency and joy to hundreds of kids in foster care and helped them enter into adulthood with a set of learned skills and a sense of self-worth, she started Care2Rock to expand the program’s impact. The online platform enables youth in foster care to continue with their lessons even when they move, which can happen up to 6 times a year. Care2Rock is a member of the Social Enterprise Alliance.
Dakar, Senegal
Global Ecovillage Network Africa is working towards the re-emergence of a sustainable and abundant Africa growing out of an alliance of self-empowered and resilient communities. As a solution-based network, GEN Africa increases the visibility of best practices, shares education tools and resources, and supports the work communities are doing to transition to energy autonomy, reforestation, ecosystem conservation, regenerative water cycles, healthy soils, organic and permaculture systems, natural building materials, zero waste, fair trade, ethical business, and other sustainable practices. They draw on Africa’s cultural heritage and engage indigenous initiatives and traditional village networks into the global ecovillage movement. GEN Africa is registered as a not-for-profit organization in Senegal but include members and networks from across the continent.
Granada, Spain
Urban Green Club is accelerating the transition to sustainability and a circular economy through urban gardening. They make it easier for people to grow their own healthy, organic produce at home, reduce their carbon footprint, plastic use, and waste, and develop community spaces for connection and relaxation. Urban Green Club specializes in designing, building, and maintaining urban gardens for homes, neighborhood communities, schools, and companies. Their cultivation beds are modular, movable, and produced locally from recyclable wood protected with natural varnishes. They also offer modules for vermicomposting and vertical gardening. Urban Green Club is a member of Leaders for Climate Action.
Seattle, Washington, United States
MovingWorlds is an award-winning social enterprise that helps people scale world-changing ideas. They offer career development programs for professionals, consulting services for corporations, and pro bono support for social enterprises. The MovingWorlds Institute Global Fellowship program helps professionals find more purpose in their work and make a bigger impact with their careers. Drawing on this experience, MovingWorlds partners with corporations to design, launch, and scale social impact and volunteering programs. They also partner with impact investors, foundations, and accelerators to build capacity of social enterprises through pro bono experteering support. Their S-GRID program is specifically designed to help social enterprises connect with global value chains. When corporations are able to form revenue-based partnerships with social enterprises, it accelerates impact and supports the transition to more just, equitable, and sustainable global systems. MovingWorlds has offices in Seattle, United States; Lisbon, Portugal; and Medellin, Colombia. They are a registered Social Purpose Corporation and a certified B Corporation.
Auckland, New Zealand
COGY.net is a network of caregivers, people with less mobility, and engineers around the world who are committed to activating hidden abilities. The network initially formed to increase access and support for the COGY cycling chair. Most wheelchair users have the ability to move their legs, but aren’t able to maintain balance or bear the weight of standing. The COGY cycling chair is designed to be stable, maneuverable, and easy to pedal for many wheelchair users. It can be used for recreation, exercise, therapy, and rehabilitation. COGY.net coordinates trial sessions, fitness instruction, rentals, purchases, free COGY clubs, and regular online meetings. The network’s long term goal is to enable people with disabilities to live a fulfilling life and actively apply their creativity, communication skills, and talents to creating a better world.
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
The Folk Tales specializes in responsible travel and custom designed experiences to help people discover rural India while providing direct benefits to local communities and the environment. They involve village communities in the decision making process related to the tours, and conduct programs with travelers before visits, so they are familiar with local customs, traditions, and beliefs and respectful of their hosts. No plastic bottles, disposable cutlery sets, or other single use plastics are used. The Folk Tales provides reusable bottles with filters to all travelers, prioritizes home stays with solar, supports tree planting, and organizes meals with locally sourced ingredients. This enables travelers to experience local cuisine, helps reduce fuel emissions, and provides income to village farmers. The Folk Tales invests in training and in developing new experiences with village self-help groups and other community stakeholders. In multiple locations, women have been trained and employed as drivers, tour guides, and mountain guides. The Folk Tales does not organize tours to orphanages or locations with caged animals. The only animal care center that they visit is a wildlife clinic that rescues bears, reptiles, and elephants in need of medical care. After COVID restrictions lift, The Folk Tales will be contributing $1 per person per day from all tours to an education fund for children from families that live below the poverty line in Delhi’s slums.
Jinju, South Korea
Lydia’s Loom is a Korean social enterprise that promotes handwoven textiles from women artisans in Guatemala, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They combine these traditional fabrics with contemporary designs to create a unique range of ethical bags and housewares. Lydia’s Loom is committed to fair trade practices and actively monitors impact. Since they started working with their partner cooperative of Mayan weavers in Guatemala, the monthly income of artisans has increased five-fold, and membership has expanded by 80 percent. The women are proud to see their products promoted on Korean television and in exhibitions. Lydia’s Loom has written their social purpose into their articles of incorporation and is recognized as a social enterprise by the Korean government. They belong to their local social economy council and support the social sector in their own community.
Lusaka, Zambia
ReSCOPE emerged from a school permaculture initiative in Zimbabwe in the 1990s. In 2006, the work was expanded to other parts of southern and eastern Africa. There are now Regional Schools and College Permaculture (ReSCOPE) chapters in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They advocate for the integration of agroecological principles into the curriculum at all levels of the education system and provide technical support to teachers, learners, and community stakeholders that want to develop permaculture initiatives. ReSCOPE helps school and college communities create food forests and use their whole land creatively to produce a diverse range of nutritious food and other useful products. These initiatives supplement school curricula, provide opportunities for learning and personal development, serve as resource centers, demonstrate sustainable land use, and contribute to food sovereignty, community resilience, and healthy ecosystems. ReSCOPE is a member of the Global Ecovillage Network and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Charity Charms creates custom logo charms, jewelry, and accessories for social enterprises, nonprofits, community fundraisers, and awareness campaigns. Their mission is to help organizations with a social or environmental cause develop their brands, share their stories, fundraise, and engage with supporters, volunteers, and employees. Since 2004, they have worked more than 500 nonprofits worldwide. Charity Charms is committed to sourcing ethical, environmentally responsible materials. Charms are made from recycled pewter and silver and work is outsourced to partner nonprofits that benefit women, people with disabilities, veterans, and survivors of sexual abuse and assault. Charity Charms uses 20 percent of proceeds from their “Have a Heart” line of products with their own heart logo to support custom charm programs for charitable organizations. They also launched the “Key to Strength” campaign to raise funds for Arizona nonprofits through partnerships with local businesses. Charity Charms is a member of One Percent for the Planet.
Tbilisi, Georgia
My Sisters is a social enterprise that supports women artisans in rural Georgia. They help connect village craftspeople with designers in Tbilisi, work with them to develop new products, increase access to national and international markets, and share their stories. Products include felted wool slippers, knit bags made from secondhand sweaters, resin and wood jewelry, and other accessories and housewares. These initiatives provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to women in Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Imereti. My Sisters sells the products online, through shops in Tbilisi, Svaneti, and Borjomi, and through international partners. A portion of all sales is reinvested to improve artisans’ working conditions and provide training to more sisters.
Colchester, England, United Kingdom
Chosan specializes in natural baobab and hibiscus based food and drinks that support African food producers. The founder is from the Gambia and the name Chosan means cultural heritage in Wolof. Normally baobab is sold in health food shops in powder form. Chosan sources sustainably produced baobab directly from women farmers’ cooperatives in Africa and uses it in their superfood drinks, jams, and spreads. They also offer a range of hibiscus drinks and sorbets. All products are vegan friendly and gluten free with no artificial coloring, preservatives, or other additives. A portion of sales goes to support women farmers and food producers in the Gambia.
San Francisco, California, United States
Utopia is an urban innovation group focused on emerging cities and slums. They are creating a network of urban venture studios called CITYLABS across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to support entrepreneurs who are developing urban startups and solutions. While formal cities can be calcified and slow to change, emerging cities and informal slums are often highly decentralized and adaptive. They provide an opportunity to rethink the future of urban living. Utopia brings together design, technology, prototyping and marketing. They provide space to create, find basic seed funding, connect with mentors, and catalyze urban innovation related to transportation, housing, energy, connectivity, education, healthcare, food, water, sanitation, governance, culture, public spaces, public safety, economic systems, financial services, infrastructure, and more. The San Francisco “Mothership” provides platform services to the network of urban venture studios. Initial CITYLABS are located in Kathmandu, Nepal; Lagos, Nigeria; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Utopia is registered as a public benefit corporation.
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Coppre links talented designers with skilled traditional metal artisans in Maharashtra to create beautiful contemporary designs, sustain and enhance artisan livelihoods, and ensure that these heritage crafts will be passed down to future generations. Coppre offers Tamrajal carafes and tumblers for copper charged water, as well as a wide selection of handmade copper and brass tableware, lamps, and other household products. Each piece is made to last from recyclable materials and gentle processes that reduce energy and water consumption. Coppre supports their artisan community through grants and soft loans. They provided monthly stipends and rations during the pandemic lockdown and invest in improvements to the artisans’ traditional workshops. Coppre is Craftmark certified and part of the Aspen Institute Artisan Alliance, Creative Dignity Collective, Hand for Handmade, and Nest Artisanal Alliance.
Buttala, Sri Lanka
Bush Loft offers safari camp experiences in Sri Lanka’s Kumana and Yala national parks that provide an opportunity to connect with nature while protecting the environment and supporting local communities. Guests are able to avoid the crowded safari circuit and enjoy nature walks, river baths, cooking lessons, campfires, and stargazing. Camps are staffed by the local community. They may not be fluent in foreign languages, but they have a deep knowledge of the land and the wildlife in the area. Fresh produce is purchased from local farmers, camping tents are locally manufactured, and furniture and equipment are sourced from welders and carpenters in nearby communities. Bush Loft is a plastic-free company. Meals are served using areca leaf plates, wooden cutlery, glass water bottles and reed mats. No electricity is used from the grid. Bush Loft partners with Voice of Wild, a local environmental organization, on reforestation initiatives and environmental conservation programs with the local community. They plant trees after every camping experience to compensate for the emissions from transport, lanterns, and bonfires.
Calabar, Nigeria
BlankPaperz Media amplifies the voices and stories of young African social entrepreneurs, creatives, and writers who use their words and actions to address the societal issues that affect them. Their online platform includes writing and digital media from a growing community of contributors across Africa. Offline, they collaborate and partner with others to organize writer and blogger meetups, book giveaways, and masterclasses on personal development, storytelling, communication, social media, and more. They serve as media partners for youth events and literary events and are constantly looking for new ways to support young African creatives and changemakers. BlankPaperz has a remote team and a minimal carbon footprint.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Khaalisisi is a digital waste management platform that connects waste sellers with waste buyers and increases the volume of waste that is recycled in Nepal. There are about 13,000 collectors in Kathmandu alone. Khaalisisi partners with these local waste entrepreneurs and provides uniforms and ID cards. City residents and businesses with waste contact the Khaalisisi team through their digital platform, social media, and phone apps, and the waste entrepreneurs make house calls to purchase the waste. Recyclables are sold on the market and Khaalisisi gets a commission. The waste entrepreneurs come from marginalized communities, and through the platform, their income has increased by 32 percent on average. Khaalisisi also markets recycled paper pencils and stationary and has started a scholarship fund for the children of waste entrepreneurs.
London, England, United Kingdom
GiveMeTap was started to make clean drinking water available to everyone. When people purchase a GiveMeTap reusable bottle, it gives them access to a network of shops, cafes, bars, and fountains that offer free water refills. This not only reduces plastic waste and protects oceans and landfills, it also provides clean drinking water to others. Twenty percent of all bottle sales are used to fund community water projects in Africa. GiveMeTap works with experienced local partners and has supported drinking water projects in Ghana, Malawi, and Namibia. Their co-branding service makes it easy for companies and events to reduce waste and multiply their impact. GiveMeTap is a member of Social Enterprise UK.
Puerto Lopez, Colombia
Consejo de Asentamientos Sustentables de América Latina (CASA Latina) is a multicultural and inclusive network of communities that practice and promote regenerative lifestyles in harmony with the earth. They organize gatherings and network events, provide training on ecovillage design, nonviolent communication, participatory leadership, sociocracy, and other topics, offer consulting services, and provide scholarships for courses, workshops, and festivals. CASA Latina creates a community of learning and practice for sustainable settlements working on permaculture, zero waste systems, ecological design and construction, and economic alternatives. Network members participate in the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), Transition Network, La Red de Semillas Libres, La Red de Reservas Naturales de la Sociedad Civil, and Local Futures. CASA Latina is registered as a not-for-profit organization in Colombia but include members and networks from across Latin America.
Singapore
VSStory is an award-winning storytelling and strategy company that shares inspiring business solutions and increases the visibility of visionaries working on systemic social and environmental crises. They support the transition to a new type of communications strategy centered on vision and purpose, driven by community and connected ecosystems, and powered by video storytelling. VSStory is a certified Women Owned Business, a Singapore Champion of Good, and a certified B Corporation.
London, England, United Kingdom
Rare Tea Company aims to redefine what good tea means. For generations, tea has been an exploitative industry. As big brands aim to offer the lowest prices, quality drops and marginalized farming communities are forced into ever deeper poverty. Rare Tea Company sources and supplies the world’s best tea, directly from farmers and their tea gardens. They partner with tea farmers that have unique terroir, follow organic principles, and handcraft tea in small batches. This benefits both the people who craft the tea and the customers who drink it. Rare Tea is free from pesticides, herbicides, additives and the industrial bleaches, glues, and microplastics present in tea bags. They supply loose leaf tea in recyclable and reusable tins to reduce waste and improve quality. Rare Tea Company donates a direct revenue percentage to their sister organization, Rare Charity, to fund educational scholarships on their partner farms.
Leh, Ladakh, India
EcoSage is a Himalayan waste management company that is using smart waste collection and treatment systems to transition to a zero waste circular economy in the region. They are developing waste exchange centers in hill stations, offering incentives for recyclable waste, introducing software tools to increase the efficiency and transparency of waste supply chains, breaking the silos between urban local bodies, and providing standard benefits to informal waste workers to ensure ethical sourcing of waste. EcoSage aims to increase resource recovery in the mountains, reintroduce recycled waste into supply chains, and eliminate the use of virgin materials.
San Diego, California, United States
GreenDreamsWomen is an all-volunteer nonprofit in the United States that provides livelihood training and micro-business support to disadvantaged women, with a particular focus on serving women-headed households in post-conflict Sri Lanka. Their resource center in Jaffna town provides a safe space for women to come together and access resources, as well as a showroom where they can market their products. Priority is given to locally sourced, environmentally responsible materials including coconut shell, palm leaf, and handmade paper. GreenDreamsWomen is known for their quilled stationery, greeting cards, and other paper products. The paper is strengthened with fiber from invasive water hyacinths and colored with marigolds, turmeric, beetroot, kohomba flowers, and other plant-based dyes. Volunteers in the United States sell these handmade products online and through community markets. They also donate cards to be used in local charity fundraisers to support homeless shelters in San Diego. GreenDreamsWomen is registered as a 501(c)3 organization.
Gonawala, Sri Lanka
Syntrex started as an engineering and building solutions company and has expanded their services to promote sustainable living in Sri Lanka. Syntrex Solar installs photovoltaic systems for homes and businesses and offers loans and payment plans to remove the investment barrier. They help families reduce their monthly electricity bills, lower their carbon footprint, and contribute to the national grid. Syntrex Hydroponics specializes in affordable home garden systems for urban households in Sri Lanka. They supply the hydroponic unit, seeds for local vegetables and herbs, and technical support. This makes it easier for people to grow their own fresh vegetables at home even in small spaces. The goal is to increase fresh vegetable consumption and food security, reduce food miles and food waste, and conserve energy, water, land, and other resources.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Dochaa specializes in handmade shoes that celebrate Nepali culture and benefit Nepali artisans. Their Buna line uses handwoven Dhaka fabric, Mang uses Syama fabric which is woven and worn by Tamang communities, and Nakha uses handwoven Lawa fabric worn during Newari festivities. Dochaa offers an alternative to imported fast fashion, provides employment opportunities for local women and marginalized communities, and partners with other local initiatives. They source upcycled bags from a women’s group in Kathmandu Valley, partner with Antigode.Go, a platform that promotes reuse, work with the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, which advocates for indigenous communities throughout the Asia Pacific region, and donate to Sahay Sewa Sadan, an elders home for people in need.
Leh, Ladakh, India
Little Green World provides environmental consultancy services, awareness training modules, and experiential learning tools to schools, village panchayat, mountaineering institutes, and government agencies across the Himalayan region. They work with these groups to develop and adopt sustainable practices related to waste, water conservation, land use, climate change mitigation, and environmental monitoring. Their mission is to help people in the region transition to zero waste, sustainable lifestyles that are in harmony with nature. Little Green World knows the local context and adapts their services to local conditions. They offer sliding scale fees and concessionary rates as needed.
Kottawa, Sri Lanka
Sour Metal sources old, broken, and unused vintage jewelry and coins, repurposes them into one-of-a-kind pieces, and finds them new, loving homes. Handmade metalwork was a trade that was passed down from generation to generation in Sri Lanka, but with modern casting and mass production techniques, these skills are being lost. Sour Metal aims to rekindle an appreciation for traditional handmade craftsmanship and design, support skilled local artisans and silversmiths, and preserve the history and culture of vintage pieces. They recycle old saris to make jewelry pouch packaging that can be reused for storage or as a coin purse. Silver metal waste is recycled and reused in manufacturing.
Weligama, Sri Lanka
Beatroot offers hostel accommodation, healthy cafe options, and daily yoga in Weligama on Sri Lanka’s south coast. They are committed to providing a safe place for solo female travelers and promoting a culture of respect for women. Beatroot’s cafe focuses on healthy food and drinks made from fresh produce and locally sourced ingredients. Ninety percent of their menu items are vegetarian or vegan. The hostel space features murals from local artists and upcycled furnishings. Beatroot avoids single use plastic and participates in weekly local beach cleanups.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
KIKU Colombo is a cafe and community space with a Japanese inspired menu. They make their sauces and baked goods in-house from natural ingredients, edible flowers, and colors like matcha, turmeric, hibiscus, beetroot, and charcoal and offer a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options. KIKU hosts DIY workshops on topics like ikebana flower arranging and lantern making and events related to wellness, community, and sustainability. They have provided space for yoga, guided meditation, discussions on waste, climate action, and more.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Commercial Bank is committed to enabling and facilitating the transition to a more inclusive and sustainable economy. They are integrating sustainability into their culture and operations and supporting customers to do the same. Internally, Commercial Bank is migrating to paperless banking, segregating waste in all facilities, reducing consumption of non-renewable energy, water and other resources, and incorporating sustainability (ESG) considerations into investment analysis and decision-making. They actively focus on services, products, and programs that support financial inclusion and financial literacy for youth, underserved communities, and micro, small, and medium enterprises. Commercial Bank offers Green Development Loans at concessionary interest rates for enterprises that want to invest in energy saving, energy efficiency, renewable energy projects, or improved waste management systems including waste water treatment, air and sound pollution control, and solid waste recycling. They financed Sri Lanka’s first commercial wind power project and the first commercial solar power project. In 2004, Commercial Bank established a Corporate Social Responsibility Trust. A portion of post-tax profits is transferred to the Trust on an annual basis and used to support education, healthcare, and environmental conservation. Commercial Bank is a member of the Sustainable Banking Initiative (SBI), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and the Sri Lanka Business and Biodiversity Platform.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Maya Handicrafts Jewelry was started to help sustain the livelihoods of traditional silversmiths in Nepal and ensure that their skills, techniques, and designs are passed down to future generations. Each of their silver jewelry pieces is meticulously handcrafted. Products include earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, brooches and cuff links. Maya Handicrafts Jewelry is committed to ethical and sustainable practices. As the initiative expands, they plan to invest in improved work spaces and local community organizations.
Tangalle, Sri Lanka
Aga Coffee sources high quality coffee from Sri Lankan forest gardens and roasts locally in small batches. The coffee is available in retail packs and is also served at Aga Surf View cafe in Tangalle. The team is committed to reducing waste in day-to-day operations, raising environmental awareness, and organizing local beach cleanups. A portion of all sales is used to support small-scale coffee farmers in Koslanda, Kothmale, and Haputhale.
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Lazna makes it easier for people focused on health and sustainable living to access nutritious, locally sourced options. All of their products are organic certified, vegan, and gluten free, and they offer a special range for people on a keto diet. Products include organic coconut flour, coconut sugar, roasted coconut chips with cinnamon, ginger, pineapple, cocoa, or coffee, and coconut spreads with cinnamon or ginger. Lazna products are organic certified according to USDA, EU, and JAS standards.
Kuruwita, Sri Lanka
Sowganic works with village farmers to offer Sri Lankan spices and spice blends. They source directly and provide support services to help farmers transition to ecological production practices. Their long-term mission is to make organic and natural agriculture products more accessible and affordable in Sri Lanka and beyond. Sowganic’s initial range includes chili powder, chili flakes, ambulthiyal mix, roasted and unroasted curry powder, garam masala, spicy fish mix, kiri maalu mix, pork curry mix, and spicy meat mix.
Rathmalana, Sri Lanka
The Nut’s Land focuses on providing affordable cashew to the vegan community and local consumers. They source cashew from women home gardeners in Minuwangoda, Gampaha and contribute 3 percent of all sales to a community welfare fund. The Nut’s Land is committed to soil conservation and sustainable agriculture practices. They have developed training materials on mulching, cover crops, crop rotations, and other topics.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Iris Garden offers healthier personal care options for men and women. Most commercially available products contain synthetic ingredients with known health and environmental risks. Iris Garden is committed to raising awareness and developing alternatives using gentle, plant-based cleansers and natural, cruelty-free ingredients like Fuller’s earth clay, shea butter, rose oil, sandalwood, turmeric, and virgin coconut oil. In order to make natural products more affordable and accessible, Iris Garden maintains lower margins and works with a network of local salons, bridal shops, and boutiques. A portion of profits is used to support SOS Children’s Villages in Sri Lanka.
Bopitiya, Sri Lanka
Eco.lk manufactures affordable environmentally responsible bags and crafts. Their mission is to raise awareness about how single-use plastic bags harm soil, water, animals, and human health and provide biodegradable and reusable alternatives. Eco.lk bags are made from unbleached cotton amu redhi, cane, reed, natural jute, burlap, and invasive water hyacinth.
Kottawa, Sri Lanka
Samsara offers silver jewelry that is handmade with responsibly sourced Sri Lankan gemstones. The initiative was started to support skilled local artisans that were affected by the decline in international tourism due to the pandemic. Traditionally, natural gemstones are associated with wellness and spiritual healing. Samsara focuses on rough and uncut gems from small-scale mines in the Ambalangoda and Rathnapura areas that meet stringent government standards for social and environmental responsibility. Waste materials from gem cutting facilities are also used. Responsibly sourced local gemstones include ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, cymophane, alexandrite, spinel, garnet, tourmaline, topaz, zircon, amethyst, rose quartz, agate, citrine, and moonstone. Samsara is testing recycled silver options and is committed to ethical and sustainable sourcing practices.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Old Town Cafes serves village-style rice and curry and other traditional Sri Lankan foods made from local, sustainably sourced ingredients. They use suwandel, madathawalu, rankahawanu, and heenati organic heirloom rice from Gajaba Farm in Medawachchiya, free range chicken from Amiron Farm in Batticaloa, and fish from local fishermen in Negombo. Vegetables and other ingredients are sourced from home gardeners in Medirigiriya, Polonnaruwa. Old Town Cafes is working with these producers to transition to organic practices under a local organic participatory guarantee system. They also provide training and employment opportunities for young chefs from these areas. Five percent of sales is allocated to expanding services to rural suppliers in marginalized communities.
Dehiwala, Sri Lanka
Dunhinda started as a small family-owned roadside cafe in the outskirts of Colombo and became known for its herbal drinks, traditional Sri Lankan sweets, and healthy, vegetarian food. They offer kola kenda porridge, bottled herbal drinks, and sweets made with heirloom rice flour and natural kithul palm sweetener. The focus on traditional, local ingredients means that nearly all of their products are vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free. Dunhinda started two herbal conservation gardens and maintains them with the support of children in the surrounding area. They focus on hiring and sourcing from marginalized rural communities.
Wattala, Sri Lanka
Mindful Living Ceylon emerged from the Neerogya Ayurvedic Center and specializes in wellness products made from natural Ayurvedic ingredients including Bhringraj hair care, herbal hair oils, herbal detox teas, and other herbal drinks. The founder’s mother is a registered Ayurvedic doctor focused on helping people transition to healthier lifestyles. The Center employs people with disabilities, maintains accessible facilities, and provides a percent of all sales to support traditional Ayurveda families in rural areas. Mindful Living Ceylon aims to engage a new generation of urban Sri Lankans and promote herbal wellness, healthy lifestyles, and environmental sustainability.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Big Mighty – Tropical Deli & Cool Spot provides healthy deli-style food delivery and retail products in Colombo. Their goal is to offer fresh, local alternatives to expensive imported products. Sandwiches, soups, salads, breads, pickles, sauces, and other condiments are produced in-house from natural ingredients. Cold brew coffee is made from locally grown and roasted Tusker Coffee. Big Mighty offers training, meals, and accommodation to staff. They are committed to maintaining sustainable, responsible practices as they expand and operating in ways that are good for customers, workers, their community, and the environment.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Fleasy is an online flea market that started in Sri Lanka to fuel a circular economy and celebrate the preloved, restored, repurposed, and reimagined. They operate on partial-blind bids, which means bid values remain confidential between Fleasy and the customer. This encourages people to focus on how much they feel the item is worth and how much they are willing to pay rather than on competing with others. Fleasy is developing a network of finders who source unique items and sell them in the market and creators who produce unique artwork from preowned items or sustainably sourced materials. They aim to develop supplemental income streams for finders, designers, and artists and help build a community of people who love art, creativity, and sustainability.
Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka
Twins Cafe aims to provide a healthy, responsible alternative to international fast food chains in Sri Lanka. They make panini and other sandwiches from sustainably sourced organic, natural, and free range ingredients. Most supplies come directly from local farmers and other Good Market community members. Their fresh-baked bread is made with whole grain local kurakkan. The Twins Cafe founding team works collectively and shares profits equally. In the future, they aim to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Ms. Wood’s Homeware was started to create value from scrap wood and provide alternatives to plastic household goods. They are based in Moratuwa, an area known for timber and woodworking, where scrap wood is readily available. When a tree is cut, it continues to store carbon, and Ms. Wood’s Homeware aims to ensure that off-cuts are fully utilized. Irregularly shaped scraps are transformed into wooden cutting boards, plates, bowls, cups, spoons, boxes, trays, and more. They have started a tree planting program with staff and family members and are looking to expand partnerships with volunteer groups working on reforestation. Ms. Wood’s Homewares also provides training and employment opportunities to people with disabilities and people from poor urban communities.
Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka
Cocoloom uses handwoven fabric off-cuts to create colorful bags, cushion covers, and other accessories and housewares. They aim to promote traditional Sri Lankan handloom weavers, reduce the use of plastic bags, and provide flexible livelihood opportunities for single mothers and other women that are unable to pursue traditional employment due to family responsibilities. Cocoloom is committed to paying a living wage to workers and fair trade prices to suppliers.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Thrift Net collects donated second hand clothing, jewelry, footwear, and books and sells them online in an effort to promote thrifting and break the stigma around rewearing and reuse in Sri Lanka. All proceeds are used to support community projects and people in need. Thrift Net uses their online platform to raise awareness about the social and environmental impact of fast fashion and the importance of conscious consumption. They make it easy for people to donate, volunteer for a cause, and purchase affordable pre-loved items that are charitable and sustainable.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
CeyBucha is a kombucha microbrewery that produces fermented tea in small batches from local ingredients. They aim to provide Sri Lankans with a natural, healthy alternative to fizzy drinks. Kombucha is probiotic and contains antioxidants, B vitamins, and low levels of sugar. CeyBucha uses reusable glass bottles to reduce waste.
Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka
Kaju Flavours aims to raise awareness about the health benefits of cashew and expand sustainable rural livelihood opportunities in Wanathavilluwa, Puttalam. They cultivate cashew on 80 acres and process them locally. Cashew production is highly labor intensive. Each fruit produces a single nut, which needs to be manually cut, peeled, and cleaned. Kaju Flavours provides protective gear and shares profits with workers both on the farm and in the production facility. Value-added products include oven-baked cashew, burnt cashew, deviled cashew, garlic cashew, cashew kurutta, and kithul caramel cashew. Kaju Flavours donates to the Sarvodaya elders’ home in Ratmalana.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Miris by Islandmom was started to celebrate local varieties of naimiris chili in Sri Lanka. They specialize in fiery chili condiments made from all natural ingredients with no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or other additives. Priority is given to sustainably sourced local produce and spices.
Nawala, Sri Lanka
LU Crafts works with Sri Lankan artisans to create modern accessories and housewares using natural materials and traditional techniques. They provide a local alternative to imported, synthetic lifestyle products. Hats, clutches, bags, baskets, mats and other products are handmade from palm leaves, reed, cane, and wetakeiya. Some of the materials are invasive plants that block local waterways. Harvesting these plants has added environmental benefits. LU Crafts supports women artisans in Hambantota, Galle, and Anuradhapura and helps ensure that production techniques are safe and environmentally responsible. Most craftspeople are using dyes that are available in their local markets. LU Crafts hopes to work with them to transition to plant-based natural dyes like palu, weera, hibiscus, turmeric, beetroot, and weniwelgeta.
Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Healthy Divine aims to minimize food waste and benefit local producers through value-added condiments and snacks. They source seasonal fruits and vegetables directly from farming communities in Puttalam and use them to create products like starfruit jam, pumpkin jam, and sundried tomatoes. A portion of sales are used to purchase school supplies for children in these communities. Fresh spices are purchased directly from spice farmers, and whole grain rice flour, rice flakes, kurakkan flour, and gram flour is sourced from local mills. The flours are used to produce healthy cookies, biscuits, and nutri balls. Healthy Divine uses solar electricity for their operations and is committed to expanding employment opportunities for low-income families in their local area.
Polgasowita, Sri Lanka
Sweet & Fit develops healthier versions of snacks and desserts from natural, whole food ingredients. They use natural sweeteners like kithul palm syrup, jaggery, and bee honey and source directly from local suppliers whenever possible. Popular products include kithul flour pudding, mocha semolina, mango sago, whole grain cookies, and energy balls. Packaging and displays are made from paper, cardboard, wood, and glass. Biodegradable food waste is composted, and plastic and glass waste from suppliers is reused or recycled. Sweet & Fit aims to create job opportunities for women trying to enter or reenter the workforce. They allocate 5 percent of profits to a local children’s home.
Dehiwala, Sri Lanka
Fairy Dust offers tarot card reading with a focus on creating change with every interaction. They do not claim to predict the future. Instead, they offer a personalized, safe, and confidential space for people to identify, understand, and deal with the challenges they are facing and find opportunities for personal, social, and environmental transformation. Fairy Dust aims to contribute to spiritual, mental, emotional, social, and physical harmony. The founder studies counseling and psychotherapy and has been providing tarot services for more than 8 years.
Ragama, Sri Lanka
Ceycraft makes it easier to find handwoven, environmentally responsible accessories, packaging, and housewares from skilled women artisans in Sri Lanka. They offer bags, boxes, baskets, containers, trays, and mats made from palm leaves, sesame leaves, and reeds. Ceycraft aims to increase livelihood opportunities in low-income rural communities and protect the environment by offering alternatives to plastic products.
Pelpola, Sri Lanka
Fertile Earth produces value-added food products in order to increase livelihood opportunities for local farmers, promote sustainable agriculture practices, prevent food waste, and provide alternatives to imported products. They focus on dehydration techniques that preserve nutrients while improving shelf life. Products include sundried tomatoes and powdered local superfoods like gotukola, moringa, garcinia, and kohila. Fertile Earth cultivates their own land in Horana, provides fair trade prices and support for small-scale farmers, and works with government agencies that promote sustainable agriculture practices.
Know an initiative that’s good for people and good for the planet? The application is currently available in English, Sinhala, Tamil, Urdu, Spanish and Japanese and started in Nepali: www.goodmarket.global/apply
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