Tees Eradicating Global Hunger
Tiana Reid — April 26, 2012 — Social Good
References: lightofminetees
Kimberly Robertson is the the Chief Seed Sower at Light of Mine, a t-shirt company that promotes fighting hunger through sustainable development.
Over email, Robertson shared her passion with SocialBusiness.org regarding social justice and creating positive change all over the globe.
Four Questions with Kimberly Robertson
1. How did the idea for the business model come about?
I was first a consumer and then a dreamer, which ultimately lead to becoming a Chief Seed Sower. I was entranced by the One for One movement and couldn’t imagine why every business didn’t take a similar model in their own business plans. If every business had giving at its core, we could eradicate social injustices worldwide. I became passionate about starting a company that would make a true difference in the lives of people who needed it the most. I quickly realized I wanted to give something that could make a lasting impact which lead to the decision to donate seeds. By giving people the tools they need to create sustainable change, we are empowering them to change their life’s path. After all, “if you give a man a fish, you’ll feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you’ll feed him for a lifetime.”
2. How did you decide to join this sector?
I worked in middle management for several years before I decided to start Light of Mine. While the paychecks were steady and my coworkers were great, I wasn’t satisfied. I started to envision my life in 10, 20, 30 years and tried to imagine the impact I would have made and it wasn’t what I wanted to leave as my legacy. I was having a hard time finding meaning in the work and made the decision to leave before I lost my courage. I went back to school, got my MBA, and started mapping out exactly what I wanted Light of Mine to become.
3. How do you get your inspiration?
I have an inspiration wall full of quotes, ideas, thoughts, compliments LoM has received, dreams, etc. It’s a wonderfully visual way for me to see what I want LoM to become, where we’ve been, and provides motivation to continually work towards those goals.
When my inspiration wall doesn’t work I visit www.WPF.org (World Population Foundation) and remind myself just who I’m working for and what our ultimate goal is: to see our theoretical Seeds of Hope become a tangible harvest for the staggering number of people dying every day from hunger.
4. How do you reset yourself to be creative? Do you have any rituals?
I have a two-year-old daughter who challenges me daily to be creative in every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s how to incorporate veggies at mealtime or entertaining ways to make it to naptime, she constantly has me on my toes.
When I’m at an impasse in the creative process I surround myself with people who are way more creative then I am. I am inspired by their generosity to lift me to their level and offer awesome insight to Light of Mine and whatever issues I might be facing at any given time.
As far as rituals, I commonly will people watch and feed off stranger’s energy. I try to tell anyone who will listen about hunger and the ways Light of Mine is trying to fight it. By getting other people excited about what we’re doing, I am able to recharge and get back to the grind.
Over email, Robertson shared her passion with SocialBusiness.org regarding social justice and creating positive change all over the globe.
Four Questions with Kimberly Robertson
1. How did the idea for the business model come about?
I was first a consumer and then a dreamer, which ultimately lead to becoming a Chief Seed Sower. I was entranced by the One for One movement and couldn’t imagine why every business didn’t take a similar model in their own business plans. If every business had giving at its core, we could eradicate social injustices worldwide. I became passionate about starting a company that would make a true difference in the lives of people who needed it the most. I quickly realized I wanted to give something that could make a lasting impact which lead to the decision to donate seeds. By giving people the tools they need to create sustainable change, we are empowering them to change their life’s path. After all, “if you give a man a fish, you’ll feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you’ll feed him for a lifetime.”
2. How did you decide to join this sector?
I worked in middle management for several years before I decided to start Light of Mine. While the paychecks were steady and my coworkers were great, I wasn’t satisfied. I started to envision my life in 10, 20, 30 years and tried to imagine the impact I would have made and it wasn’t what I wanted to leave as my legacy. I was having a hard time finding meaning in the work and made the decision to leave before I lost my courage. I went back to school, got my MBA, and started mapping out exactly what I wanted Light of Mine to become.
3. How do you get your inspiration?
I have an inspiration wall full of quotes, ideas, thoughts, compliments LoM has received, dreams, etc. It’s a wonderfully visual way for me to see what I want LoM to become, where we’ve been, and provides motivation to continually work towards those goals.
When my inspiration wall doesn’t work I visit www.WPF.org (World Population Foundation) and remind myself just who I’m working for and what our ultimate goal is: to see our theoretical Seeds of Hope become a tangible harvest for the staggering number of people dying every day from hunger.
4. How do you reset yourself to be creative? Do you have any rituals?
I have a two-year-old daughter who challenges me daily to be creative in every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s how to incorporate veggies at mealtime or entertaining ways to make it to naptime, she constantly has me on my toes.
When I’m at an impasse in the creative process I surround myself with people who are way more creative then I am. I am inspired by their generosity to lift me to their level and offer awesome insight to Light of Mine and whatever issues I might be facing at any given time.
As far as rituals, I commonly will people watch and feed off stranger’s energy. I try to tell anyone who will listen about hunger and the ways Light of Mine is trying to fight it. By getting other people excited about what we’re doing, I am able to recharge and get back to the grind.
Trend Themes
1. One for One Movement - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Adopting a business model that incorporates giving at its core to eradicate social injustices worldwide.
2. Sustainable Development - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Providing tools and resources that enable individuals to create sustainable change and improve their lives.
3. Social Entrepreneurship - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Starting businesses with a focus on creating positive change and addressing pressing social issues.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrating social impact initiatives into the fashion industry to address social injustices and promote sustainability.
2. Food and Agriculture - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing innovative solutions and technologies to improve global food security and combat hunger.
3. Education - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating social entrepreneurship education and promoting innovative approaches to address social issues within the education sector.
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