When Toms launched in 2006, it popularized the one-for-one business model by giving away a free pair of shoes for every pair sold. The model has been popular with consumers and inspired many other brands to adopt it, but critics have questioned how well it works, asking whether it could disrupt local economies (do local shoe manufacturers go out of business if people in a … [Read more...] about Toms made the buy-one, give-one business model famous. Now it’s reinventing it
Business
Airbnb launches new initiative to help displaced people find temporary housing
Airbnb wants to help people find places to live, whether it’s someone on vacation or someone who needs refuge. That’s why the home sharing company announced a new initiative designed to help displaced people find housing solutions. The company launched a new Donations tool that will let Airbnb hosts kick back a portion of their income to organizations designed to help people … [Read more...] about Airbnb launches new initiative to help displaced people find temporary housing
This startup creates new affordable housing—without constructing new buildings
Affordable housing is expensive to build–and that means construction is happening far too slowly to meet demand. In Atlanta, a startup called PadSplit is adding new affordable units more quickly by reusing rooms in single-family homes instead. Rather than building new buildings, PadSplit works with property owners to fix up the houses to a certain standard, and then PadSplit … [Read more...] about This startup creates new affordable housing—without constructing new buildings
New Unilever brand donates all proceeds to give the homeless access to showers
While we usually think of food and shelter as being the main challenges homeless people face, Unilever is bringing awareness to the importance of cleanliness for all people with the announcement of a new brand called The Right To Shower, which believes, as its name implies, every human deserves a shower. The ethically sourced line features all-natural cleansers for the whole … [Read more...] about New Unilever brand donates all proceeds to give the homeless access to showers
Fairbnb is the community-oriented alternative we need to Airbnb
The problem with Airbnb is that more and more full-time, short-time rentals are on the market in major cities, which means that housing can’t be used for someone who actually wants to live in the city. This is only encouraging mass tourism in cities like Amsterdam, Venice, and Paris, and makes a life for locals worse. A small home-sharing cooperative called Fairbnb believes it … [Read more...] about Fairbnb is the community-oriented alternative we need to Airbnb
