Let’s celebrate!
Earlier this year, we kicked off our “Beginnings” campaign that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit we share with our customers by showcasing innovative companies that have grown from humble beginnings into some of America’s most iconic brands.
Companies like Gilt, The Knot, Salesforce.com, Shutterfly and TripAdvisor all have very different missions, but they all share a common heritage that began with the ideas and passion of dreamers who wanted to make something good – great and something unimaginable – possible.
Today we continue our celebration of these people and companies who have turned their dreams and big ideas into reality. Our social platform called Your [More] is a destination for them to connect with one another and tell their stories.
We wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of the organizations who took the time to share their stories. Your vision, dedication, and success inspire us all. Here’s a look at a few of the stories we received.
Hyperactivate
Starting with a single product in Tel Aviv, two partners realized the booming potential in social media marketing in the U.S. and brought the company stateside. Today, Hyperactivate provides turnkey marketing solutions that enable fans and followers to amplify a brands message across multiple channels from mobile to online and digital outdoor displays. With these solutions marketers can identify brand advocates and measure social media ROI and the collective impact it has against their business.
Housh Inc.
In late 2005, Will Housh, a third generation member of an HVAC business, decided to take his family-owned heating and cooling company to the Internet. Will opened an online store that sold furnace filters and humidifier water panels. What made his business unique? Integrity. Treating customers like family and making sure they received the best deal on the products he sold. One simple website quickly grew into a family of websites offering a wide range of trade-related products.
Jonas Paul Eyewear
Ben and Laura Harrison launched Jonas Paul Eyewear in response to their newborn son’s rare eye condition. Their son, Jonas was born in March 2013 with visual complications that rendered him nearly blind, and underwent several procedures to improve his likelihood for sight. Knowing that Jonas would soon have to wear glasses, the Harrisons launched Jonas Paul Eyewear to create opportunities for Jonas and other children in need of eyewear, wanting to make children feel cool while wearing frames.
KiSS
Kiss is the acronym for Kinetic Innovative Seating System. KiSS is the result of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to Design a Wheelchair for the Elderly. The inventor wanted to make a better wheelchair for her grandmother. KiSS found an angel investor who had similar visions to help people with disabilities move, even if they are stuck in a wheelchair.
Second Chance Toys
While driving with her mom through neighboring N.J. communities, Sarah Lipton saw many toys being disposed of at the curb, and most of them were as good as new! It got her thinking about how discarding toys was wasteful and terrible for the environment, and that many children would love to have them. As a result of her vision and efforts, Second Chance Toys (SCT) was born and to date over 170,000 gently used plastic toys have been donated to organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally.
To explore even more stories of entrepreneurial vision, see the complete list of companies who are we are celebrating in the Your [More] gallery below:
#DoMore
