Brent Freeman, the founder & CEO of tech startup Roozt.com (www.roozt.com), the world's online marketplace for brands that give back, knew that teaching social entrepreneurship to low-income high school students in his "off-time" would be an eye-opening experience. He didn't realize that one of the biggest issues his students faced was something most people take for granted: hunger. So, Freeman harnessed the power of Roozt's business model to make a difference.
According to Feeding America, the leading hunger relief charity in the U.S., food insecurity affects more than 50 million Americans yearly, with 17 million children.
Roozt has integrated hunger relief into its core mission and has launched its "One Member One Meal" initiative to provide a meal to an American in need for every new member who joins Roozt.com. It's free to join, and the initial goal of this integration is to provide one million meals to Americans in need during the next 12 months in partnership with Feeding America. Beyond this milestone, Roozt will continue the "One Member, One Meal" initiative to help as many hunger victims as possible throughout its business operations on an ongoing basis.
"Roozt's 'One Member One Meal' program is a fundamental integration of Feeding America into the Roozt business model and company DNA," Freeman commented. "We have an exciting opportunity to harness the power of our fast-growing community to directly help Americans who struggle with hunger on a day-to-day basis, and that's something we're very excited about."
As a leader in the Gen Y social entrepreneurship movement, Freeman believes that harnessing the power of a business model to create social impact is the future for all businesses. Freeman launched Roozt.com in March 2012 to create an online platform that democratizes eCommerce and provides national exposure for socially conscious brands while connecting them with everyday online shoppers who want to give back.
"It's tragic that in the 'land of plenty,' over 50 million Americans worry about where they will get their next meal," said Leah Ray, vice president of corporate partnerships at Feeding America. "We're proud to partner with Roozt.com to engage a new generation of shoppers to make a difference without changing their everyday behaviors."
Roozt offers a proprietary storefront technology that enables socially conscious brands to create their own Roozt stores, control products, manage promotions, and track analytics – all while connecting them with an engaged shopping community that enjoys one simple point of purchase for multiple brands.
Since its launch, Roozt has established its leadership in the social entrepreneurial space and attracted funding and support from a growing team of investors, such as Steve Schimmel , who was the 13th Employee at Google and Ryan Scott , the Founder of Causecast.
In addition to its hunger relief efforts, Roozt is committed to fostering the next generation of business leaders through teaching social entrepreneurship in low-income high schools in Los Angeles. Freeman says, "Creating the leaders of tomorrow starts with educating students of today – and Roozt is fundamentally committed to helping inspire and empower these bright young minds to make a difference in the world through business."
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Roozt
Roozt is a free, members-only online marketplace that curates and features the sexiest brands that give back. For every member that joins, Roozt provides a meal to an American in need. One member. One meal. Inspired by the Gen Y social entrepreneurship movement, Roozt offers a unique online shopping experience where everyday consumers can shop from thousands of fashion-forward lifestyle products while making a difference. Based in Los Angeles, Roozt is a proud member of "Silicon Beach," and its team members enjoy heated games of Ping-Pong, white-board wall brainstorm sessions, mentoring young social entrepreneurs, and long walks on the beach.
