With the words "social entrepreneurship" being tossed around like the tea leaf salad at Burma Superstar, crowdfunding campaigns aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Here are some of our favorite Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects begging for your cash in the nicest and most convincing ways possible.
Electroloom: The World's First 3D Fabric Printer
Three SF-based engineers are hard at work designing the NBT in 3D printing—clothes! With a futuristic-looking machine and mesmerizing videos of cloth fibers flying through the air, this Kickstarter is promoting a truly fashion-forward product. Because 3D printed clothes offer the potential to eliminate sweatshop labor and reduce environmental costs of production, donating to this project would allow designers to almost instantaneously produce their latest great idea, and you could save the world while you're at it.
As if bikers weren't already controversial enough, two industrial designers from Toronto are bringing you bike lights shaped like, you guessed it, balls. The product idea might not be so nuts, as cyclists who catch your attention don't get into as many collisions. Their new bike lights are hung from the back of the seat, produce a much greater surface area of light than average bike lights, and have a "party mode" that can be set by "gently squeezing" the balls. Although their kickstarter has already received $60,492 out of a $9,680 goal, additional revenue might allow the designers to research different colors of LED lighting—perhaps blue?
SensorWake: Wake Up Happy With the Smell-Based Alarm Clock
French 18-year-old Guillaume Rolland may have the solution to (almost) all of life's problems. Rolland invented an alarm clock that wakes you up not with blaring, artificial noises that inevitably put you in a bad mood to start the day, but with sweet scents that more gently guide you from your dreams to early morning reality. The clock offers smell capsules in two packs, with themes such as Continental Breakfast (hot croissants and espresso) and VIP Lounge (dollars and ebony luxury) to make you feel like a high-roller. With additional funds, testing will begin for an orange juice and bacon scented pack. The only downside? Waking up just might become the best part of your day.
Imperfect: Redefining Beauty in Produce
Based out of Oakland, Imperfect offers a solution to a hot topic social justice issue: food waste. Imperfect plans to sell otherwise-discarded produce at discounted prices, making healthy foods more accessible and reducing environmental costs of food waste. After all, your apple will still taste the same whether or not it's aesthetically pleasing. Contributing to the Indiegogo can also get you up to six months of free, fresh, slightly ugly produce. Didn't your mother always tell you that it's what's on the inside that counts?
Emergency Funds for Victims of Domestic Violence
The San Francisco based shelter Dream House does amazing work in our community to provide child care, legal fees, counseling, and medical expenses to women seeking a safe haven as they strive to become self-sufficient. Donating to the Dream House provides women with the resources they need to create the best possible future for themselves and for their families. Supporting a local community in such a basic way is one of the most impactful ways to give back, and we think Dream House is a worthy cause.
