EntreprAdmire December 2015 Edition
#EntreprAdmire: A new monthly series that will highlight brands and entrepreneurs that seem do be doing something right. The holiday season is upon us, and everyone's thoughts have turned to parties, gift-giving and, most importantly, giving back. Kudos to these brands I #EntreprAdmire for combining entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
Project 615
Project 615 is a Nashville-based apparel company. Not only are its pullovers, tees, tanks, hoodies, and other apparel witty (not to mention cozy, comfortable, and pro-Nashville), but sales of Project 615 merchandise benefit Set Free Ministries, which helps house and rehabilitate men recovering from homelessness, addiction, and mental illness, and benefit other causes and campaigns. Project 615's wares can be found at various boutiques and local shops in the Nashville, Tennessee area, and on the Project 615 website.
Batch
What started as Batch Nashville in 2013 has now grown to include Batch Memphis, Batch Charleston, and Batch Austin. Batch offers subscription boxes, where the lucky beneficiaries receive every-few-monthly "batches" of locally-made artisan goods. Customers can also purchase one-time gift batches, curate their own batches, or use Batch for corporate gifts or wedding gifts. Proceeds from certain batches benefit non-profit organizations -- for example, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival Gift Batch benefits The Green Heart Project, and the purchase of a Taste of Music City Gift Batch and Nashville Brunch Gift Batch provides meals (40 and 20, respectively) to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. In the fall of 2014, Batch opened a brick-and-mortar store in the Nashville Farmers Market, and the Batch Austin store opened in January 2015. See the Batch website for more information on the goodies you might find in one of Batch's prized boxes.
Button It Up Events
The recently-launched Button It Up Events is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, but its impact reaches worldwide. The self-described "socially responsible meeting + events company" gives back in two ways. For any event planned for corporate clients, Button It Up Events donates five percent of the total it receives from the planning of that event to San Francisco-based non-profit Groundwork Opportunities, which connects leaders around the world and invests in sustainable development and progress in communities worldwide, including Kenya, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Peru. For non-profit clients, Button It Up Events donates five percent of its fee back to that non-profit. To plan a holiday party that gives back, contact Button It Up Events through its website.