After speaking with Eric Schnell, the co-founder of Steaz, one of the most well-known organic beverage brands, it is no surprise that he and his company have just launched a really fantastic program that seeks to help women.
And, I am not just saying this because he is a fellow Bostonian.
Giving back and creating a better world is something that he has been taught his entire life.
During his childhood in the 1970s, he grew up in a house that had solar panels, spent a few years living with his family in an ashram and was fed organic food from the very beginning.
Each year since the founding of Steaz, Eric and his team have tried to do something new and different to promote these same ideals and values.
Previous endeavors include: becoming the first sparkling beverage company to have the USDA Organic seal, switching to all Fair Trade ingredients and operating a carbon-neutral business. The goal this year was to create something very their own and long-lasting.
Hence, the idea for the SEED Initiative.
The program, which stands for Social, Environmental and Economic Discovery, uses a three-dimensional model of giving. Steaz makes grants in the form of cash, products and mentoring to women who have done outstanding work in the community.
Six women, all of whom now form the committee to select future winners, have received the award this year and can direct the grant to the charity of their choosing. Read more »