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Welcome to the 31 social enterprises, cooperatives, responsible businesses, and voluntary organizations that joined the Good Market community in May 2020! This month’s roundup includes new community members from Japan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the United States, and Mexico. More than 1,334 enterprises across 44 countries are now part of the Good Market community. ❤ See them all at goodmarket.global.
Detroit, MI, United States
Rebel Nell partners with local organizations to seek out women who have struggled to find and retain employment in Detroit, hires them as creative designers, teaches them to craft wearable art from fallen layers of graffiti, educates them on financial management, life wellness, and entrepreneurship, and supports their transition to a life of independence. The graffiti comes from locations across Detroit, Flint, and Chicago where street artists tell their stories. Over time, layers of graffiti begin to peel away and fall from the walls. Rebel Nell collects this fallen paint and gives it new life in their unique rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, cuff links, and tie clips. Each piece is one of a kind. Rebel Nell donates a portion of sales to their nonprofit arm T.E.A (Teach, Empower, Achieve) to help sustain the programming for employees. They provide flexible work schedules, a living wage, micro-loan assistance, legal aid, housing assistance, yoga and wellness classes, team building experiences, and other support services and programs.
Yokohama, Japan
Eco-Temple Community Development Project is an initiative by temples and other religious community centers that aim to manifest holistic ecological standards. At a material level, this includes design, building materials, energy usage, waste management, economic sustainability, gardens, agriculture, forestry, and water management. At a relational level, this includes community engagement, educational activities, and linkages with local organizations, businesses, and government. At a spiritual level, this includes spiritual practice and teachings that relate to ecological issues and grounded human interaction. A key concept is “seed planting,” in which one component of the work becomes a revenue generating social enterprise that can support the rest of the work. For example, revenue from the sale of solar energy can help support other activities. The Eco-Temple Project supports the development of design principles and the exchange of experiences, lessons, and resources. The working group includes participants from Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Europe.
www.goodmarket.global/ecotemple
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) aims to grow the international social enterprise movement and accelerate the transition to a new global impact economy that enables our planet to regenerate and our communities to flourish. Their annual global event is an opportunity for social enterprises from around the world to come together, build connections, exchange ideas and resources, raise capital, forge partnerships, and increase the visibility of the social enterprise movement. The event also engages academics, policy makers, and commercial partners focused on social enterprise and systems change. Inclusion has been a priority from the beginning. The global forum rotates between continents, and sessions are designed to include the voices of youth, women, and people from traditionally underrepresented communities. Concession pricing is available for students, low-income social enterprises, and low-income economies, and bursary support is available for speakers who would otherwise be unable to participate. SEWF is committed to reducing their environmental impact. They purchase verified carbon credits to offset the impact of travel, work with host country partners to minimize waste, and are testing new models for digital events. In addition to the annual global forum, SEWF facilitates policy development, global mapping, sector advocacy and regional forums. They operate out of Scotland as a registered Community Interest Company (CIC).
www.goodmarket.global/sewf
India
Creative Dignity is a collaborative, volunteer-led initiative by India’s master artisans and leading artisan development organizations in response to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on millions of rural artisans across the country. Indian artisans are largely unorganized. They belong to the informal sector and depend on piece work rates. During the lockdown, rural artisans were cut off from urban markets, and unlike farmers, didn’t even have food stock for subsistence. Those that had migrated to cities for work were forced to return to their villages. This loss of livelihoods threatens health and security in rural areas. Creative Dignity is focused on relief, rehabilitation, and rejuvenation for sustained prosperity of Indian artisans. They believe that craft production, when reinterpreted as creative manufacturing, can be the foundation for regenerative economies. 100 percent of the funds raised go directly to the artisans most affected by the global pandemic.
www.goodmarket.global/creativedignity
Ciudad de México, Mexico
Promesa is dedicated to transforming environmental education in Mexico through sustainability programs in schools, homes, companies, and other organizations. For school programs, one of the first steps is segregation and collection of waste for recycling, reuse, and compost. Proceeds from the sale of recyclable waste are reinvested into the environmental education programs. As students engage their parents, the recycling programs are expanded to households and communities. Promesa’s curriculum has already been integrated into nearly 300 schools, directly impacting more than 160,000 students and mobilizing more than 400,000 individuals to address the climate crisis. In addition to working with schools, Promesa provides consulting services to companies and organizations of all sizes to help them transition to environmentally conscious practices, comply with environmentally legislation, obtain certifications, increase recycling rates, prepare environmental impact reports, and join the community of leading environmental companies.
www.goodmarket.global/promesa
St Davids, Wales, UK
TYF Adventure is on a mission to help people fall so deeply in love with nature that it changes the way that they live. They have been offering pioneering low-carbon, eco-friendly adventures, learning programs, and outfitting from coastal Wales for more than 30 years. TYF introduced the world to coasteering and is at the forefront of low-impact activities like kayaking, surfing, climbing, cycling, SUPing, and rockpool safaris. They offer corporate programs, school workshops, and outdoor first aid and beach lifeguard training courses. The TYF retail outlet is a Patagonia Pro store and features a carefully curated selection of long-lasting, ethical, fair trade, environmentally responsible products. They also rent equipment and organize clothing swaps to reduce consumption. TYF helped start the Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group, works with Surfers Against Sewage, and uses renewable energy from solar, biomass, and Good Energy. They are a certified B Corp, Living Wage Employer, and Carbon Neutral company.
www.goodmarket.global/tyfadventure
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kokroma aims to revive traditional Nepali infant clothing and indigenous knowledge regarding baby care with a contemporary design aesthetic. The Kokro Basket is a maternity pack modeled after the Finnish Baby Box. The handwoven cane and bamboo basket acts as a crib and comes with bedding, a mustard seed pillow, traditional Nepali newborn clothing, toys, and basic baby care supplies. Individual items for mother and baby are also available. Kokroma uses high quality cotton fabric made in state prisons. This supports prisoners who have been taught weaving skills and provides them with an income for their families back home. The women tailors who make Kokroma products have fair trade pay, benefits, and flexible working arrangements. Scrap fabrics are recycled to make cushions and pillows and minimize waste. Kokroma works with partners to provide free maternity packs and face masks to new mothers in need.
www.goodmarket.global/kokroma
Panama, Sri Lanka
Parrotfish Collective brings together conservation communicators and educators that create original content and share scientific information in an accessible manner. They use illustration, photography, video, and other creative content to raise awareness, educate, inspire, and mobilize communities towards making conscious and responsible decisions that contribute to the protection and restoration of ecosystems. All funds are reinvested to create new educational content and conduct awareness programs for rural communities with a particular focus on National Park guides and people living in protected area buffer zones. Parrotfish Collective works closely with local conservation and environmental groups including the Fishing Cat Working Group, Oceanswell, the Pearl Protectors, Lanka Environment Fund, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Department of Forest Conservation.
www.goodmarket.global/parrotfishcollective
Bengaluru, KA, India
Industree Foundation builds sustainable livelihoods in the creative manufacturing sector to ensure that underemployed women can have high and regular incomes, decent and equitable working conditions, and the ability to cope with life crises. Their comprehensive approach helps communities assess their traditional skill base, organize into production units, develop products that appeal to modern customers, create consistent demand, improve access to vital working capital, and equitably engage with local and global markets through producer-owned enterprises. Industree has reached more than 60,000 women artisans across India and Africa and tripled the incomes of artisans in non-farm occupations. Examples of profitable, globally compliant producer enterprises that Industree has incubated include Greenkraft, which produces natural fiber housewares for major international buyers, and Ektha, which produces apparel for Mother Earth.
www.goodmarket.global/industree
Detroit, MI, United States
Belle Detroit Creative Solutions provides creative services to nonprofits, social enterprises, and purpose-driven companies. They help clients bring mission to the forefront of their message and engage customers, employees, and supporters through quality copywriting, graphic design, web design, branding, marketing, workplace consulting, social media, communications, and curated design. As a social enterprise, Belle Detroit focuses on bringing diversity to the design ecosystem and creating equitable revenue opportunities in Detroit. They offer income-limited mothers 12 weeks of free digital skills training, free onsite childcare, and a path to employment and worker-ownership. Belle Detroit is committed to ethical and transparent practices and wants to use the voices and talents of underserved mothers to help the world’s most passionate organizations have a greater impact.
www.goodmarket.global/belledetroit
London, England, UK
Better Nature aims to create a food system that is better for people, the planet, and animals by selling nutritious, all-natural tempeh-based food products. Tempeh is minimally processed, vegan, fermented, and packed with protein and other nutrients. Their innovation team has tested tempeh from all different legumes, nuts, grains and seeds and is continuously expanding their product range. Current options include soy tempeh, lupin tempeh, smoked tempeh, and marinated taco, stir-fry, and masala tempeh. All products are certified organic by Soil Association. Better Nature is committed to sustainable and ethical practices and shares regular updates on their efforts to minimize waste and carbon emissions. They currently offset 110 percent of carbon emissions for online orders. A portion of all sales is donated to the Indonesian Tempeh Movement, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes tempeh as an affordable, plant-based protein source to help alleviate protein energy malnutrition which stunts the physical and cognitive development of approximately 100 million children globally.
www.goodmarket.global/betternature
Nairobi, Kenya
Alternative Waste Technologies produces affordable, clean biomass briquettes to mitigate climate change and deforestation while creating employment opportunities for out-of-school youth in urban slums so that they can unlock their potential, develop their skills, and create successful futures for themselves and their families. The briquettes are made from refined and densified agricultural and charcoal waste, have a high combustion efficiency, and are replacing firewood and coal in Kenyan households, schools, hotels, restaurants and industries. This reduces fuel costs, health risks, and environmental pollution. Alternative Waste Technologies offers a social franchise model that enables entrepreneurs in slum settlements to build businesses by selling briquettes directly to their communities and an intensive work-study program that allows youth to earn as they learn basic skills and develop technical capabilities. They also provide consultancy services, train community organizations and non-government organizations to make and sell biomass briquettes, offer licensed distributorships, and sell associated products like energy saving cook stoves and cooking pots.
www.goodmarket.global/alternativewastetechnologies
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Welikande Yoga Retreats offers food, accommodation, and event facilities on 12 acres of land overlooking the Knuckles mountain range of Sri Lanka. The center was developed as a place for people to gather, learn, teach, reflect, grow, relax, heal, connect and celebrate. In addition to offering their own retreat packages, they host yoga teacher trainings, meditation and wellness retreats, dance and music workshops, weddings, and other events. They also lead trekking tours for guests to explore the scenic trails, waterfalls, caves, jungles, tea estates, and grasslands of the region. Welikande Yoga Retreats is committed to sustainability. They grow their own produce onsite, source from the local community, use solar power for hot showers, work to minimize waste, and serve healthy plant-based meals. The center provides employment and livelihood opportunities for many local families.
www.goodmarket.global/welikandeyogaretreats
Bir, HP, India
Deer Park Institute is a center for the study and practice of classical Indian wisdom traditions that strives to recreate the spirit of Nalanda, the great university of ancient India. Courses on Buddhist thought, Indian philosophy, meditation, art, and culture are open to all on a dana basis. Deer Park’s location in a former Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas is ideal for study, contemplation, and a holistic pursuit of life. The center is surrounded by tea gardens, an organic farm with a seed bank and model permaculture practices, and wilderness trails. Deer Park reuses, recycles, and composts the majority of their waste and conducts active outreach programs in the surrounding communities focused on ecology, zero waste, organic agriculture, community media, and public health. They also participate in regional, national, and global networks related to culture, education, and ecology.
www.goodmarket.global/deerparkinstitute
Birendranagar, Nepal
Kopila Valley Women’s Co-operative (KVWC) aims to empower women of the Surkhet Valley to become strong and independent businesswomen. The cooperative emerged out of the Kopila Valley Women’s Center, which was started in 2013 by BlinkNow Foundation. The Women’s Center is a space for women to gather to learn job skills, improve their literacy, receive counseling services, and support one another. Graduates of the training program developed the cooperative to market their handcrafted products. They specialize in shawls, scarves, bags, blankets, and housewares made from handloom textiles. The women also make the student uniforms for the Kopila Valley School, and serve as mentors to the new members of the Women’s Center job skills training program. Kopila Valley Women’s Cooperative has its own retail shop and is developing relationships with national and international wholesalers to expand their impact.
www.goodmarket.global/kvwc
Mill Valley, CA, United States
Humanity Rising represents a movement of people and organizations coming together to take counsel on how to leverage the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic into an opportunity for human renewal and increased resilience to future challenges. The goal of the Solutions Summit is to create an international coalition strong enough to transform conversations that matter into actions that make a difference. Humanity Rising is an online program that is available to anyone with access to technology. Participant contributions are shared 50/50 with promoting partners, and participants that are not able to contribute are still welcome to join. Humanity Rising is hosted by Ubiquity University which offers extended educational opportunities including courses, certificates, and degree programs.
www.goodmarket.global/humanityrising
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Refuge Hot Chocolate is a social enterprise that makes “freedom fighting chocolate” to support survivors of human trafficking in Belfast, Ireland. Many survivors face re-exploitation, homelessness, poverty, mental health issues, and alcohol or substance misuse. Refuge contributes a portion of profits to Flourish NI, a charity that works with local survivors to overcome trauma and rebuild their lives, and engages Flourish’s clients in product packaging and sales. The opportunity to work in a team can help restore peoples’ confidence and their sense of dignity and self-worth. Refuge offers hot chocolate melts, chocolate blends and spreads, and brownie mixes made with fair trade certified chocolate. Vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free options are available.
www.goodmarket.global/refugehotchocolate
Brownsburg, IN, United States
Good.Must.Grow provides strategic marketing services for socially responsible businesses, nonprofit causes, and health and wellness organizations committed to making the world a better place. Their core team is backed by a collective of designers, developers, writers, and other skilled professionals across the United States and is able to assist with strategic planning, communicating purpose, brand identity, lead generation, email campaigns, social media management, public relations, content marketing, website development, and other marketing services. Good.Must.Grow is a virtual firm which reduces overhead costs and allows for more flexible and affordable pricing. They have a sliding-fee scale for smaller social enterprises and nonprofit causes and donate between 50 and 100 percent of profits each year in pro bono marketing services. Specific causes they have supported include homelessness, addiction, human trafficking, disadvantaged youth, the environment, and raising visibility for the social enterprise movement. Good.Must.Grow is a certified B Corporation.
www.goodmarket.global/goodmustgrow
Pune, MH, India
Authentica is an academic program provider for short-term, experiential learning programs in Asia. Their core purpose is to enrich lives by designing and delivering programs that support physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth. Authentica partners with academic institutions in the United States, Canada, and Australia and nonprofits and social enterprises in Asia to offer faculty-led programs, service learning programs and internships. They also coordinate virtual internship experiences that enable aspiring global professionals to work remotely with innovative organizations across Asia. Authentica specializes in programs related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
www.goodmarket.global/authentica
London, England, UK
Sapling Vodka is the world’s first climate positive vodka. They produce in the heart of London from locally sourced British wheat and plant a tree for every bottle sold. Their goal is to reforest areas of the United Kingdom and Morocco and benefit the surrounding communities. In addition to organizing their own planting projects, they donate to groups that are working to reforest London, plant urban fruit trees, expand agroforestry, and develop livelihoods. Sapling Vodka has planted more than 11,000 trees and counting.
www.goodmarket.global/saplingvodka
Colombo, Sri Lanka
KOCA is a sustainable fashion brand based in Singapore and Sri Lanka that focuses on upcycled materials, women’s empowerment, fair trade manufacturing, and supporting small businesses. They specialize in recycling pre-loved garments and fabric offcuts from apparel factories into unique statement pieces and occasionwear. KOCA uses their platform to support disadvantaged women who have difficulty sustaining themselves and their families. Twenty percent of profits are allocated for women and children in need.
www.goodmarket.global/kocabyrn
Colombo, Sri Lanka and Kathmandu, Nepal
Co-Create Tomorrow is a voluntary movement that encourages individuals, collectives, and enterprises of all sectors to adopt a set of ethical, environmental and social values that ensure a sustainable future for all. They support collaboration based on trust, compassion, respect for each other, and our environment.
www.goodmarket.global/cocreatetomorrow
Antwerpen, Belgium
Three By One is a premium organic food and personal care brand based in Antwerp, Belgium and Cambridge, United Kingdom. They specialize in small-batch coconut-based products and Ayurvedic spices from family-owned farms and mills in Sri Lanka. The organic farms and mills employ hundreds of locals and play a vital role in the welfare and wellbeing of the surrounding communities. They pay union negotiated wages, provide health care, welfare services, and school books for workers’ children. Three by One is committed to zero waste practices. Every part of the coconut is used, from the shell to the water used for washing, and products are packed at source in recyclable glass jars and BPA-free cans. Products include EU Organic certified coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut butter, coconut sugar, coconut nectar, coconut aminos, coconut cider vinegar, cinnamon powder, cinnamon sticks, turmeric powder, and handmade soaps.
www.goodmarket.global/threebyoneeurope
Berkeley, CA, United States
Clear View Project provides resources for relief and social change, promotes dialog on issues of socially engaged Buddhism, and supports oppressed and marginalized communities, internationally and within the United States. Their work is based on the Buddha’s teachings of dependent origination and a vow to not live one’s life at the expense of other life. Clear View Project is a 501c3 nonprofit and has worked extensively on humanitarian projects throughout Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India. In additional to providing direct material support, they offer education, training, and resource materials to transform self and society. Clear View Project works with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, the Nagaloka Alumni Network, and the American Zen Teachers Association.
www.goodmarket.global/clearviewproject
Kathmandu, Nepal
AAMO by Aayusha Shrestha specializes in jewelry and accessories that are handmade by local artisans in the old city of Kathmandu. Their mission is to help these artisans sustain their livelihoods and ensure that their traditional skills are passed down to future generations. AAMO assists artisans that are working from home by connecting them with other artisans, assisting with design, providing interest-free loans, and expanding market opportunities. They also work with them to create pieces from lead-free upcycled and recycled metal. Products include earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, label pins, tie pins, and cufflinks. Profits from their Rose earrings are donated to Rose Foundation which provides treatment and support for children with cancer and breast cancer awareness and free health checks. AAMO also supports eye surgery for patients in need, local animal shelters, and other contemporary artists.
www.goodmarket.global/aamonepal
Arth, Switzerland
Art for Hope is a social enterprise that supports marginalized women by promoting their handicrafts. In Tajikistan, they work work with a network of women’s organizations that produces textile housewares and bags, supports the formation of self-help groups for women-headed households, and provides training opportunities, tools, and materials for income generation. In Macedonia, they work with an organization that makes knit accessories, toys, and dolls and supports women with breast cancer. Art for Hope organizes training programs, offers business education and support services, and partners with businesses in Switzerland to expand product sales.
www.goodmarket.global/artforhope
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Argyle Textiles produces cotton bed sheets, pillow cases, towels, and table linens in rural Padukka. More than 80 percent of their workers are women from the surrounding villages. The founder of Argyle Textiles is a professor in textile technology with over 50 years of experience. Their mission is to raise funds to build a small-scale hospital in a rural village in Sri Lanka and to help the cancer patients at the Cancer Institute of Maharagama.
www.goodmarket.global/argyle
Wielątki-Folwark, Poland
ExChange the World is based on the idea that if we want to live in a better world, we all need to become part of the change. Everybody is a potential changemaker, first and foremost in their own lives and then in their surrounding community. This Polish-Italian couple travels the world looking for people who choose to act and make a change for better. They inspire others by collecting and sharing changemaker stories online and through presentations, workshops, and training programs. So far, the ExChange the World expedition has covered more than 36 countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The journey is based on exchange: storytelling and other skills in exchange for accommodation, food, and “pay as you like” compensation.
www.goodmarket.global/exchangetheworld
Matara, Sri Lanka
Sinharaja Herbs specializes in handmade natural soaps and shampoo bars made from local ingredients like coconut oil, turmeric, neem, aloe vera, cucumber, and lime. They use biodegradable packaging material and are committed to plastic free operations. Based on tests by ITI Sri Lanka, Sinharaja Herbs soaps have a total fatty matter (TFM) of over 80 percent, which is among the highest in the country. High TFM is an indicator of purity and quality.
www.goodmarket.global/sinharajaherbs
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Eco Team has been providing authentic, sustainable travel services in Sri Lanka for more than two decades. They started as a pioneering eco and adventure tourism company, and now have more than 10 brands offering customized tour solutions including accommodation in tented camps and tree houses, team building experiences, and corporate events. Eco Team has Carbon Neutral and TraveLife certification and their responsible tourism ethos and values are the same across all brands. They focus on community benefit and partnerships, conservation through tourism, minimizing carbon emissions, and preserving local values and culture. Solar power is used for lighting, water heating, and cooking in the camps, and surplus is redirected to the main grid for national consumption. Eco Team started the Sri Lanka Wilderness Foundation for conservation projects, and in partnership with a local university, established the Academy of Eco-Tourism, Wildlife and Nature Interpretation to develop the next generation of environmental ambassadors. In 2020, Eco Team launched Made in Earth, an ecommerce site with ethical, sustainable products from around Sri Lanka, in order to support rural artisans, farmers, and responsible businesses during periods of reduced travel.
www.goodmarket.global/ecoteam
Kaduwela, Sri Lanka
Kurahan Treats uses local ingredients to produce natural whole food snacks for the local market. Their kurakkan cookies are made from a nutritious local millet that is sourced from farmers in Tissamaharama. Kurahan Treats is committed to using environmentally responsible packaging.
www.goodmarket.global/kurahantreats