Dec 1, 2018 | Blog, News From the Frontlines
From establishing his own non-profit in El Salvador, to being a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, teaching at the University of San Francisco, creating global charity ‘Not For Sale’ and social enterprises Z Shoes and Rebbl, David Batstone has done it all. But no matter where he has gone, success has followed.
Why? Batstone believes it’s his acceptance of failure and constant desire to learn. But we wanted to delve a little deeper. So we asked him to complete the Red Bull Wingfinder test. Here’s what we discovered.
With confidence you have the self-belief to take the lead, try new things and meet challenges head-on. And that’s exactly what Batstone has done throughout his long and varied career. After starting a non-profit in conflict-ridden El Salvador in the 1980s, he became a tech journalist, before switching again to a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. A few years there gave him the business acumen to co-found Business 2.0 magazine.
But then, just as that adventure began to take off, Batstone read an article on human trafficking and felt compelled to take action. He downed tools to travel the world and investigate. Five years later, Batstone has created ‘Not For Sale’, and is changing lives in Thailand, Peru and Romania by providing housing for those in need. His life has been defined by self-belief, so it’s no surprise that Red Bull Wingfinder has highly confident as one of his main strengths. And Batstone’s approach to failure is what truly solidifies that.
Nov 26, 2018 | Blog, News From the Frontlines
REBBL is a company that was born from a cause, rather than a company that went out looking for a cause to support. In 2000, ethics professor David Batstone discovered a human trafficking ring at a restaurant in his San Francisco neighborhood. He and photojournalist Mark Wexler went on to start the nonprofit Not For Sale (NFS) to raise money to build housing for children who had survived trafficking in Thailand. Eventually, as the organization’s outreach expanded, they realized that the standard nonprofit loop of fundraising and donating just wasn’t working, and that they needed to find something self-sustaining to solve this complicated social and ecological problem.
REBBL’s organic plant-based super-herb protein drinks and elixirs are that sustainable solution. They are a market-based way to prevent exploitation in vulnerable countries across the globe, by supporting growers to earn a living wage, have access to health care, water, and education, uphold their labor rights, and pursue regenerative agriculture to keep their land healthy. We started with one grower community to develop a line of beverages using local plants and herbs—we now work with growers in 39 countries.
Read more about REBBL’s CEO and Not For Sale’s impact here: https://underdog.nyc/sheryl-oloughlin
Nov 21, 2018 | Blog, News From the Frontlines
REBBL launched a new integrated marketing campaign titled What’s Your Elixir? that connects consumers to the transformational power of super herbs and adaptogens, the company says. As the brand continues to expand into targeted conventional retail stores across the country, the new campaign aims to reach a wider audience, allow REBBL to get to know its REBBL community on a deeper level and help consumers better understand how super herbs benefit the body, it adds. The campaign features multiple waves. The first wave focused on the taste and packaging design of each of the company’s 14 offerings. The second wave introduced consumers to the functional benefits of REBBL’s products. Lastly, as the campaign progresses, REBBL’s messaging will strive to educate consumers about the larger impact story that is at the company’s core, it says.
Read more about REBBL here: https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/91610-beverage-brands-continusously-roll-out-new-campaigns-to-coincide-with-sports-holidays
Nov 13, 2018 | Blog, News From the Frontlines
REBBL, creator of organic, super herb elixirs, proudly announces the addition of Ruby Rose, actor and activist, to its REBBLious family. Serving as an advisor and investor in the brand, Rose will join the purpose-driven company on the mission to make adaptogens and super herbs more accessible to all through nourishing, functional beverages. She will also join the effort to co-create a future without human trafficking alongside REBBL’s non-profit partner, Not For Sale.
“To me, it’s not only imperative that people grasp the efficacious and functional power of adaptogens and super herbs, but that they learn about REBBL’s impact story—discovering and understanding why, when, how, and where REBBL sources its certified organic ingredients from,” states Rose. “REBBL is far more than a company or a brand, it’s a human rights movement, and I am humbled to play a role in this journey.”
Ruby and REBBL’s relationship is an organic love story: Ruby discovered REBBL while shopping at her local Whole Foods Market. With an underlying passion for herbs and plants used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Eastern medicine practices, Rose would travel all over the world to source the ingredients she sought to fuel her body. However, when she stumbled upon REBBL and tasted the decadent flavors like Turmeric Golden-Milk, Reishi Cold-Brew, and Ashwagandha Spicy Chai, she immediately knew the coconut-milk elixirs needed to be more than just a staple on her grocery list. With rows of REBBL in her refrigerator, and a determination to become involved, Ruby took matters into her own hands and contacted REBBL headquarters directly.
Read more about REBBL and it’s socially conscious impact here: https://www.bevnet.com/news/2018/ruby-rose-joins-rebbl-as-advisor-and-investor
Nov 10, 2018 | Blog, News From the Frontlines
Zak Batstone is looking to change the world through sustainable footwear company Z Shoes. We take a look at his Red Bull Wingfinder results to see which traits helped to create a successful start-up.
There aren’t many 25-year-olds who can say they’ve started their own successful business and even fewer that are actively helping the world at the same time. At an age where most of us were still having fun and finding our feet in the world, Zak Batstone co-founded organic footwear company Z Shoes.
Along with his father, David, Batstone created Z Shoes to offer an organic option when it comes to footwear. His shoes are produced from organic cotton and rubber sourced from indigenous communities in Peru, with rubber extracted from trees using a sustainable process that enables the tree to continue to grow and supply more rubber to the surrounding communities.
With a fair wage paid to all the people involved in the creation and manufacturing process, Z Shoes offers something you can truly feel good about wearing, and it’s little surprise to see that innovation is one of the driving forces behind Batstone’s personality.
Check out this piece on Not For Sale’s partner Z Shoes here:
Nov 6, 2018 | Blog, News From the Frontlines
REBBL, creator of organic, super herb elixirs, proudly announces the addition of Ruby Rose, actor and activist, to its REBBLious family. Serving as an advisor and investor in the brand, Rose will join the purpose-driven company on the mission to make adaptogens and super herbs more accessible to all through nourishing, functional beverages. She will also join the effort to co-create a future without human trafficking alongside REBBL’s non-profit partner, Not For Sale.
“To me, it’s not only imperative that people grasp the efficacious and functional power of adaptogens and super herbs, but that they learn about REBBL’s impact story—discovering and understanding why, when, how, and where REBBL sources its certified organic ingredients from,” states Rose. “REBBL is far more than a company or a brand, it’s a human rights movement, and I am humbled to play a role in this journey.”
Ruby and REBBL’s relationship is an organic love story: Ruby discovered REBBL while shopping at her local Whole Foods Market. With an underlying passion for herbs and plants used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Eastern medicine practices, Rose would travel all over the world to source the ingredients she sought to fuel her body. However, when she stumbled upon REBBL and tasted the decadent flavors like Turmeric Golden-Milk, Reishi Cold-Brew, and Ashwagandha Spicy Chai, she immediately knew the coconut-milk elixirs needed to be more than just a staple on her grocery list. With rows of REBBL in her refrigerator, and a determination to become involved, Ruby took matters into her own hands and contacted REBBL headquarters directly.
Read more about the awesome impact of Not For Sale’s partner Rebbl here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ruby-rose-joins-rebbl-to-fight-for-social-justice-300744785.html
