10 inclusive brands to champion at Expo West
Learn from these 10 brands how you, too, can foster inclusion in your company.
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Founded by Ibraheem Basir, A Dozen Cousins was born out of the desire to share the delicious and nutritious flavors of southern, Caribbean and Latin American food from Basir's childhood, from spiced Cuban black beans to chickpea curry. Its foods are rooted in wholesome ingredients and inspired by traditional Black and Latino recipes that nourish the body and soul. A Dozen Cousins also recognizes how challenging it is for underserved communities in the U.S. to achieve a healthy lifestyle, so it provides a yearly grant to nonprofits working to eliminate socio-economic health disparities.
Lisa Curtis founded Kuli Kuli after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger. It was there she discovered the nutritional power of the moringa tree's leaves and its ability to provide women in West Africa the chance to earn a sustainable livelihood. Today, Kuli Kuli sources all moringa for its products from small farms and women's cooperatives all over the world, driving economic growth, supporting women's empowerment and improving sustainable agricultural development in these communities. Kuli Kuli is a JEDI Collaborative pilot company, developing a commitment around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that is meaningful and actionable.
Organic and fair-trade, Numi Organic Tea is committed to a high quality supply chain—from sourcing the best ingredients and developing eco-responsible packaging to making sure all workers in the supply chain are treated fairly. Inclusion is at the core of the brand, and it truly shines with the Numi Foundation. Through it, the brand gives its global farming communities access to clean, safe drinking water. It also provides educational opportunities to low-income students in Oakland, California, and orphans and war victims in Iraq, the home country of the Numi Organic Tea founders.
Looking to create a solution for human trafficking in Peru, REBBL co-founder Dave Batstone developed the brand as a way to use local Peruvian ingredients to create sustainable economic development, reducing the risk of trafficking. Today, REBBL is not only committed to using only pure, meaningful ingredients, it's also focused on making sure all workers and farmers are treated fairly and have access to food, water, health care and education. REBBL strives to build sustainable, resilient communities globally, so it has also partnered with Not For Sale, a non-profit fighting human trafficking, to donate 2.5% of net sales. REBBL is a JEDI Collaborative pilot company, developing a commitment around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that is meaningful and actionable.
When Brazi Bites founder Junea moved to the U.S. from Brazil, she missed the delicious, centuries-old snack of her childhood: Pão de Queijo, or small, bun-like cheese bread. So, she decided to bring it to the masses with her husband, Cameron, using only simple, wholesome ingredients. It's been over a decade since Brazi Bites was first born in Junea's kitchen, and it's since expanded to bring various Brazilian-inspired products to market including bite-sized empanadas and Cinnamon Churro Brazilian Cheese Bread. Through the Brazi Bites website, Junea educates consumers on Brazilian culture, sharing everything from traditional Brazilian recipes to travel recommendations.
Dr. Bronner's is the personal care product company we all know and love, committed to producing only environmentally and socially responsible products while securing equitable supply chains. But, its focus on high quality goes beyond its products; Dr. Bronner's treats its employees like family, ensuring everyone receives the same benefits, offering health insurance that requires no out-of-pocket costs and covering half the cost of employee childcare. Making sure everyone in the Dr. Bronner's family is taken care of, no matter a person's title or rank in the company, is at the heart of the brand. Dr. Bronner's is a JEDI Collaborative pilot company, developing a commitment around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that is meaningful and actionable.
Thai-American brothers and Dang founders Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn have created Asian-American, plant-based snacks inspired by their mother's original recipes ("Mama Dang"). Their products feature diverse flavors from Eastern and Western ingredients in bars, sticky rice crisps, coconut chips and keto snacks. As a Certified B Corp, Dang follows rigorous ethical standards, including sourcing all coconut from family farms in Thailand. Vincent is also a member of the JEDI Working Group, committed to creating an equitable, just and fair society, leading the way within the natural products industry.
Nona Lim, after its founder of the same name, is a certified women-owned business creating nourishing broth-based products—from heat-and-sip broth cups to ramen—with Asian flavor profiles, a nod to Lim's Singapore roots. While she's not concocting Asian-inspired meals fit for busy lifestyles, Lim focuses her efforts on the F Project, a social-impact initiative aimed at raising the profile and economic success of female founders, of which she's a founding member.
Dave's Killer Bread isn't just championing certified organic, delicious bread. It's founded on the power of second chance employment, giving employment opportunities to people with criminal backgrounds and those who are looking to make positive changes. While there's stigma and perhaps hesitation around hiring this part of the population, Dave's Killer Bread is on a mission to break that stigma and educate other brands about employing people with criminal histories through the Dave's Killer Bread foundation.
The Real Co prides itself as being "the world's first single origin food company," ethically sourcing from and supporting small-scale sustainable farms around the world. Its products include rice, sugars and salts, all packed in Portland, Oregon, by learning- and physically disabled adults. The Real Co focuses on a sustainability model from start to finish, and with each product sale, a child in need receives a healthy meal.
The Real Co prides itself as being "the world's first single origin food company," ethically sourcing from and supporting small-scale sustainable farms around the world. Its products include rice, sugars and salts, all packed in Portland, Oregon, by learning- and physically disabled adults. The Real Co focuses on a sustainability model from start to finish, and with each product sale, a child in need receives a healthy meal.
Massive change is on the horizon for the natural products industry.
The launch of the JEDI Collaborative in 2019 demands more justice, equity, diversity and inclusion throughout our industry, and co-founders Lara Dickinson and Sheryl O'Loughlin are leading the charge. This doesn't mean just starting conversations around these important topics; it means taking positive action to improve the natural products industry ecosystem so everyone—regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, class, size, ability and more—has a seat at the table.
Not surprisingly, there are brands that are already leading by example and practicing what it means to be an inclusive company. Here are 10 inclusive brands worth checking out at Expo West 2020.
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