- Business name:
- Free Bread
- Claim to fame:
- Free-for-all-suffering-from-gluten-nut-corn-soy-sugar-allergies bread.
- Founded by:
- Karen Freer
- Website:
- freebreadinc.com
The world needs my business because...
These days, figures suggest that, at the very least, one out of every 100 people in the U.S. has a gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance, or celiac disease. At the high end, it's one in 75. Oh, sure, you can find your muffins, your cookies, your fatty-fat-fat cakes, and such, but fresh, flavorful, single-serving gluten-free bread rolls? Corn-, sugar-, soy-, nut-free bread rolls? Nowhere to be found. Until now.
My big idea moment was...
Every day for lunch, I used to go to the market to get my soup or salad. I'd get the salad, the soup, great, whatever. But it was a tired lunch, not complete without its little yummy roll. I have celiac disease; I can't eat any of those little rolls that everyone else gets to eat. I'd look at the wall of bins, all those perfect yummy rolls, and think, "Can't I just have one *&@# bin?" So I made a product to put in those bins.
My greatest challenge so far has been...
Oh, the challenges! The biggest challenge is that my seven-month-old company does not generate enough income to pay me a salary. To pay my personal bills, I need to work a second job. Balancing a robust and growing business, giving it the time it needs and deserves, is excruciating when you can't afford to not work a regular job.
- Business name:
- Apt2B
- Claim to fame:
- Furniture for those with Knoll taste and an Ikea budget.
- Founded by:
- Mat Herman
- Website:
- apt2b.com
The world needs my business because...
Apt2B has a truly unique business model unlike any other online site. We have revolutionized the way customers shop online. You see, Apt2B lives only online, with no brick-and-mortar store, but we operate on a local level in a specific metropolitan city. By selling, warehousing, and delivering locally, we operate as a "virtual store next door." Apt2B really targets a generation of tech-savvy, style-conscious consumers and embodies a culture and voice unlike any other home store. Through FB, Twitter, blogging, and our own high-end website, the characters of Apt2B provide local tips and advice from weekend entertainment to our "just the tip Tuesdays," where one can learn that if you want candles to burn twice as long, just put them in your freezer before using them. Apt2B is not merely an e-commerce site but a lifestyle brand that has huge scalability. We are proving ourselves in Los Angeles with hopes to take it to every major city yet still run it on a local level in those cities.
My big idea moment was...
When I lost my job in the home furnishings business in 2008. As a result, I lost my house in the Hollywood Hills and went from the penthouse to the outhouse almost overnight. I was too old to shop at Ikea but could no longer afford my taste level. I realized there needed to be a place to shop for my apartment and home where I didn't have to compromise my style. That is why I created Apt2B, as we are trying to bridge the gap between Ikea and Crate & Barrel with fun, functional, stylish, quality products all at an affordable price.
My greatest challenge so far has been...
Eyeballs, eyeballs, eyeballs! People love Apt2B.com, and when they get to the website, they do backflips! Our analytics show that these consumers spend more than five minutes on our site and view up to twelve pages per visit. However, we average only around 700 views a day. We need to get 7,000 views and more a day to do the kind of business that we are capable of. The engine is built; we now need the machine to take it to the next level.
- Business name:
- StudyNY
- Claim to fame:
- Well-designed clothes that are too cool for (just) school.
- Founded by:
- Tara St. James
- Website:
- study-ny.com
The world needs my business because...
Study NY has been in operation since fall 2009 and launched its first collection for spring 2010 on the concept of zero-waste pattern design. Since then we have been busy creating two sustainably made and ethically sourced women's wear collections per year. We now sell to more than 25 boutiques in the USA, as well as shops in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Italy. Believing sustainability and fashion can (and should) be cohesive, we produce small, innovative collections that won't be restricted to expiration dates by trend or season. We source our organic fabrics from mills in the USA and our handwoven textiles from fair trade organizations in India and Peru. We produce our garments in New York City's Garment District and have been working with local pattern makers, tailors, and sewers since starting the company. We would like to bring most of that production into our own factory and sample room, one which can also be used by other emerging designers to produce their lines.
My big idea moment was...
Starting Study Hall in 2010. We started Study Hall to teach our interns how to create sustainable fashion collections without compromising design sensibility. During their internship with Study, the interns design and learn to produce items that will be sold within the main collection. They are credited for their designs, allowing them to learn how to launch their own collections in the future.
My greatest challenge so far has been...
Sourcing ethical materials and suppliers is the largest challenge we have in running the business. First we look at which fibers are being used and limit our choices to organically grown, recycled, or naturally pesticide-free options. We then question how and where the fibers are being converted to knit or woven textiles (by eliminating some organic options if too many chemicals, excessive water, or energy are consumed during the production, or if the country of origin has questionable labor practices). If non-organic fibers are being handwoven in a fair trade facility or with ethically sourced labor without the use of electricity, we consider this a valid sustainable option. Manufacturing is another challenging aspect of collection development for emerging designers but one we plan to overcome by creating a stronger and more reliable relationship with the suppliers we've already cultivated. We will tackle these challenges by one, setting up the sample room and factory to cater specifically to helping emerging designers build their brands and employ local tailors, pattern makers, cutters, and sewers. (It will also help new designers learn how to work more efficiently with their production process and give them room to develop, when they would otherwise be turned away at other workshops.) And two, offering mentorship, courses, and guidance to emerging brands to teach them the intricacies of production, ethical textile sourcing, and brand development. This will be done through one-on-one consulting, workshops, and group classes within the sample room space.
MOST INVENTIVE
Apt2B Mat Herman
Free Bread Karen Freer
StudyNY Tara St. James
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