Business for good, sustainability and fair trade should be principles that guide our every day decisions. We started Laughing Man Coffee because we believe in the power of business for good.
When we teach our children about using business for good, and when these principles become part of our mindsets and ingrained in the way that we do business, then we have really accomplished something. We believe that youth can make a huge difference in their communities and around the world, especially when they work together. We want to inspire the next generation. We hope you are inspired by this story and will join us.
Anissa Patel and Esme Venton, two nine year old girls from Massachusetts, teamed up with nine of their friends this spring to start a small business and use their profits to raise money for causes that they care about. In just one month they raised an astounding $3,300 for charity.
Here's what the girls had to say about their experience:
Esme and Anissa were among hundreds of youth who have joined the Pledge your Profit campaign. This summer, Laughing Man Foundation and One Hen Inc. have teamed up to inspire more youth to start businesses for social good.
Laughing Man was co-founded by actor Hugh Jackman, and entrepreneur David Steingard, to fulfill their vision of using business as a force for good. Profits are given back to causes that they care about via the Laughing Man Foundation. One Hen Inc. is a non-profit that equips youth to start small businesses and inspires them to use their business profits to help others.
The Pledge your Profit campaign challenges youth to:
1) borrow a small loan from a teacher or parent to start a small business;
2) run their business for 30 days;
3) and donate their business profits to support a cause they care about.
We hope that you will join us in the Pledge Your Profit Challenge! When you register here you will get all of the information that you need to start your small business and register your profits.
The Pledge Your Profit (PYP) Prize!
Once you've completed your PYP project submit a one-page blog about the business you developed, the charity you supported, and why it is important to you.
The prize for the winning team will be:
1.Laughing Man Foundation will match the first $500 of the winning team's donation to their charity of choice
2.The winning blog will be posted by Hugh Jackman on his social media and featured on the One Hen website!