The Artisan Effect
Slow, homemade, one-of-a-kind all examples of the boom in artisan quality products and experiences so many of us desire.
Etsy: A global marketplace for all things handmade.
Community Supported Art (CSA): A clever twist on Community Support Agriculture from Minneapolis
Slowfood USA: A movement dedicated to countering the rush to put food on the table
Know Thyself
We aspire to be better…. better leaders, fitter, faster, more conscientious. These tools help us monitor our progress on the path to our goals.
FitBit: The best known of the fitness tracker industry giving you information and nudges to move and sleep more.
Moment: We want to be more present, right? Moment tracks your digital distractions and helps you pursue your goals.
Water Smart: Born out of the water quality crisis, this app helps you monitor your progress in conservation.
P2P
Technology has made it possible to minimize the middle-man, the bottleneck, the controller. Today, you can make your own choice from a marketplace of opportunities.
Donor Choose: Donors choose to support the projects of teachers across the country who need everything from staplers to books to art supplies to science kits.
Prosper: Who needs a bank when you can find your own lender. $12 billion of loans have been requested and granted through Prosper.
Rover: Rover helps you find a kind person to take your dog into their home while you’re away.
The Gig
Gigs, side hustles, full-time-my-way types… the way we work has changed with the advent of opportunities for on demand service and customers:
UBER: No explanation required.
Fiverr: A global marketplace of freelancers. Need an audio file transcribed, a logo created, SEO optimized? You’ll find it all here - and more - starting at $5.
Udemy: Are you an expert? Love to share you knoweldge? Need some students? With Udemy, you can offer your knowledge to 30m students.
Getting Personal
Generic, universal, and one-size-fits all may become ideas of the past as offerings become more and more customized based on our interests, data, biology and identity.
Stitch Fix: Sleeveless, cap sleeve, v-neck or miniskirt, personal shoppers will send your a box of selected just for you.
Ancestry: Spit in a tube, enter some personal information and your family tree appears with links to original sources and
Eat This Much: Eat This Much creates personalized meal plans based on your food preferences, budget, and schedule.
Ex(tra)perience
Consumers want more and these companies deliver experiences, services and goods that move beyond the average.
Tough Mudder Not just another 5k, a wild obstacle course that requires teamwork, persistence, and a love of mud.
19 Crimes Not just wine, wine with AR labels that tell a true crime story.
Toms Shoes Not just shoes, shoes with a social conscience for buyers who have one too.
Crowded
Crowds can be wise and these platforms help the crowd share ideas and support innovators.
Kickstarter Where great ideas land for market testing and investors.
Xprize XPRIZE creates incentive competitions - through partnerships - to entice the crowd to take action. From cleaning the ocean to sending rockets in space Xprize is hotbed for innovators.
Quirky Have a great idea for a product you’d love to see come alive? A dog drinking fountain, walletsize padlock… and more. Submit your idea, vote on others, and watch them come to the marketplace.
Sharify
Who needs your own when you can share with someone else.
AirBNB A marketplace to rent and promote unused space in your home to guests.
Gravitate A shared workspace for freelancers, entrepreneurs and cool folks who need a cool space.
Cedar Valley Maker Space Taking up residence in a former John Deer plant, this shared workspace allows members access to tools too expensive to put in your garage.
Fempowerment
Women have always been seen as a market, but now we’re honoring their power.
Ban Bossy This video reminds us that girls with opinions aren’t bossy, they’re leaders.
Women Moving Millions A big movement for big change - encouraging women to make gifts of $1 million or more to change the lives of women and girls
US Women’s Soccer Team Using their platform as some of the world’s best athletes to call attention to pay disparity.