Because International Corp

WE USE PRODUCTS AS SOLUTIONS TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY THROUGH A FOCUS ON RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT.

THE SHOE THAT GROWS:BECAUSE INTERNATIONAL IS COMMITTED TO THE UN'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 1: END POVERTY IN ALL FORMS EVERYWHERE. WE BELIEVE THIS STARTS WITH EXTREME POVERTY HELPING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE LIVING BELOW THE $1.90 THRESHOLD. PHYSICAL PRODUCTS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MEETING IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND CREATING LONG TERM OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPOWERMENT. (CONTINUED ON SCH. O) WHEN WE TALK ABOUT USING PHYSICAL PRODUCTS AS SOLUTIONS, WE'RE REFERRING TO THE ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE OF THE PRODUCT- FROM IDEATION TO CREATION, FROM MANUFACTURING TO DISTRIBUTION, FROM PROVIDING RELIEF TO THE END USER WHILE PROVIDING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY TO THOSE INVOLVED IN EACH STAGE OF THE PRODUCT LIFECYCLE. BECAUSE INTERNATIONAL BEGAN WITH A SIMPLE IDEA: DURABLE, GROWING FOOTWEAR DEVELOPED FOR KIDS STRUGGLING TO ALWAYS HAVE A PAIR OF SHOES THAT FITS. IN ADDITION TO DISTRIBUTING FOOTWEAR TO KIDS AROUND THE WORLD, WE'VE BEEN COMMITTED TO A PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MODEL THAT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPOWERMENT ALONG THE WAY. 2021 MARKED THE INITIAL PRODUCTION OF A MORE DURABLE, ECONOMICAL, AND FUNCTIONAL VERSION OF THE SHOE. FIELD TESTS PRODUCED ENCOURAGING RESULTS, AND WE WRAPPED UP 2021 WITH A 6,000 PAIR ORDER OF THE NEW VERSION. OUR NETWORK OF PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CONNECTED FUNDRAISING EFFORTS WITH UNMET NEEDS WORLDWIDE WITH SHOES GOING TO SYRIAN REFUGEES THROUGH OUR MONTHLY GIVING PROGRAM AND SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KENYA RECEIVING NEW PAIRS OF SHOES THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH GIRL SCOUTS TROOPS NATION-WIDE. THE SHOE THAT GROWS PROGRAM CONTINUES TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED AND WE ARE EXCITED TO CONTINUE MEETING NEEDS AND ALLEVIATING POVERTY WITH THE SHOE THAT GROWS.

ACCELERATOR:AS AN ORGANIZATION, OUR MISSION IS TO USE PRODUCTS AS SOLUTIONS TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY BY MEETING IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPOWERMENT. ONE OF THE WAYS WE ARE DOING THIS IS THROUGH THE BECAUSE ACCELERATOR, A BUSINESS INCUBATOR DESIGNED TO TAKE IDEAS FOR INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS LIKE THE SHOE THAT GROWS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. AS WE EXPERIENCED CONTINUED SUCCESS WITH THE SHOE THAT GROWS, WE BEGAN CONNECTING WITH AND BEING CONTACTED BY ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAD THEIR OWN IDEAS FOR PRODUCT SOLUTIONS THAT ALSO AIMED TO SOLVE A SOCIAL NEED. (CONTINUED ON SCH. O)AFTER INFORMALLY HELPING A HANDFUL OF THEM WITH THEIR IDEAS AND BUSINESSES, WE REALIZED THAT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO COME UP WITH MORE OF OUR OWN IDEAS FOR PRODUCT SOLUTIONS, WE COULD BETTER ACHIEVE OUR MISSION BY COMING ALONGSIDE OTHERS WITH THEIR OWN PRODUCT IDEAS. IT WAS AT THAT POINT WE DECIDED TO FORMALLY CREATE THE BECAUSE ACCELERATOR - A 10 WEEK PROGRAM FOCUSED ON PROVIDING COACHING, TRAINING, NETWORKING, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS WITH PRODUCT-BASED IDEAS AND BUSINESSES.2021 MARKED THE REFINEMENT OF THE BECAUSE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM. WITH 2 COHORTS RAN OF 11 AND 15 ENTREPRENEURS IN THE SPRING AND FALL COHORTS, RESPECTIVELY, WE PAIRED ENTREPRENEURS WITH BUSINESS NETWORKS AND COACHING ALONG WITH BIWEEKLY TRAININGS, RESULTING IN HIGH-IMPACT BUSINESSES. DRAWING FROM LESSONS IN 2020 WE MORE STRICTLY DEFINED THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES WE ACCEPTED AND WHAT OUR METRICS FOR SUCCESS WERE. AS OF 2021, THE ACCELERATOR RESULTED IN 690 JOBS BEING CREATED WITH 671 OF THOSE JOBS GOING TO PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY, AND A 91% BUSINESS SURVIVAL RATE AT THE END OF THE 2021.