Hybrid holiday enterprises…causes that are novel and noteworthy
Hybridity is about bringing unrelated things together to allow something new and extraordinary to emerge. It can show up as hybrid identity, hybrid companies, and even hybrid causes or activities.
This holiday season, I’m excited to share three organizations that I know intimately, and they inspire me daily. These organizations are focused on new solutions to pervasive problems, and I think you’ll enjoy seeing what they’re up to.
When I was getting ready to publish the book More Than My Title, I wanted a portion of the proceeds to benefit a cause that aligned with the book topic. Project Glimmer was my pick.
Project Glimmer is an organization that focuses on a population that often gets overlooked, especially during the holidays—teenage girls who are homeless or in foster care, crisis care, and youth services. During the holidays, they offer a program called Gifts + Goods where they distribute curated gifts that are age appropriate for these girls when so many holiday gift drives collect toys and items for young children.
At other times of the year, Project Glimmer offers an assortment of empowerment and confidence building programs such as Days of Empowerment and Empower Hour. They do this to eliminate inequities and show these young women that they have the power to create their future and achieve the career of their dreams. Their work is located across the United States.
I’m so delighted about Mercantile for Good because it was co-founded by a dear hybrid friend of mine just in time for the holidays. As their tagline states, they make it easy to do good in the world through the act of shopping. All of the products offered in their store are connected to global causes like human trafficking and homelessness, and some are even made by refugees.
They’ve done the hard work of finding social impact businesses and placing them into one marketplace. You can be assured that every purchase whether it’s jewelry or home goods is making a difference. They have a great selection, and definitely look at their monthly mercantile boxes.
www.doitbetterish.com/themeetcart
I was so impressed when I met Emily, founder of Betterish. She was someone who attended one of my talks about hybrid professionals and immediately felt resonance because she knew she was one. I completely agree.
Sure enough, Betterish, and her signature program The Meet Cart, are some of the most hybrid offerings I’ve seen. The Meet Cart used to be a physical experience she’d lead with groups, but with COVID, Emily adapted it into an online activity to great acclaim. She’s seen demand and interest skyrocket in the past few months.
The problem Emily is solving with the Meet Cart is helping strangers make new connections, especially in a time when social distancing is a necessary. She has a fun, new, and engaging way of doing this that her participants say is “extra special.”