Launching The Conscious Collective - A New Standard for Ethical Corporate Gifting
When I left my career in enterprise technology 3 years ago, just before the pandemic, I had no idea I would be here today founding and launching a company. The pandemic along with the social and environmental reckonings that came with it, taught me that everyone has a role to play in improving our world and reversing the damage we have done. No role is too small or insignificant, but my appetite for change is BIG.
I knew my next move needed to influence meaningful change in how people and businesses consume in their everyday life - for the better health of our minds, bodies and planet. So, when one of my best friends told me she was starting a COVID side hustle to provide corporate teams with virtual team building experiences accompanied by gift boxes with products that supported small local businesses, I came on board to help.
I have been a small business growth ambassador throughout my tech career, which is really what lured me into the role. It certainly wasn’t the money. But what I ended up learning about the corporate gifting and promotional products industry is what has kept me in the space since.
The Problem with Traditional Corporate Gifting
Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent every year in North America on corporate gifting. Unfortunately, most of this money goes towards cheaply made products that produce high emissions during manufacturing and distribution, with low standards around ethical labor. Moreover, much of it is not appreciated by recipients and ends up in landfill.
The Solution: The Conscious Collective
The Conscious Collective is an online marketplace that connects large corporations with small, local, diverse, and ethical vendors, who would otherwise be difficult to reach. We are making it easy for companies to source unique and meaningful gifts responsibly. Our full-service, in-house gift box fulfillment streamlines the process for HR, marketing and administrative professionals to combine gifts from many different vendors into one gift - branded and on message.
We also provide impact reporting to help our clients meet their ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) goals.
Our Commitment to Vendors
We provide a consultative and active community environment for our vendors with regular virtual and live learning and networking events. Additionally, we offer an easy-to-use platform with tips on how to position their products for optimal sales results.
Our Promise to Clients
This thriving vendor community will translate to client value in so many ways, both initially and in the long term as we develop our platform. We promise high quality products, service and variety.
Our Go-to-Market Timeline
We are currently onboarding our vendor community and plan to launch a private beta of our product to a limited client base in June. Our public product launch is targeted for September.
How to Get Involved
If you are a vendor interested in showcasing your products or experiences for corporate engagement campaigns, you can apply to be a vendor here. Membership is free for companies with less than 50 employees.
If you are a potential client looking for a reliable source for unique employee gifts and experiences, you can tell us about yourself here. Someone will be in touch within 48 hours.
If you are interested in keeping up to date with our progress and product launch, you can sign up for our newsletter here and follow us on our social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram).
My team and I are so excited about embarking on this journey with you all! Feel free to reach out to me personally at melissab@consciouscollective.io.