It's almost summer here at The Grommet and we're gearing up for some really exciting things happening in the next few months. One of our favorite things to do each month is get to know some great crowdfunding campaigns and decide which we think have good potential for long term success.

We're starting the season off right by investing is some majorly kick-ass crowdfunding projects. We've done a lot of research for this month's products and decided on these to name just a few. We can't wait to see them come to market and hope you are just as excited. Do you support projects on Kickstarter and Indiegogo that you think might make it big? Follow along with our series here to see which projects we invest in monthly.

Kuli Kuli

Kuli Kuli

$45,324 raised of $50,000

Days to go: 16

While in the peace corp, the founder of Kuli Kuli discovered a nutritious plant made in West Africa called Moringa. It helped her to fight off the possibility of malnutrition and she decided to bring the plants benefits to the U.S. So she started a company to produce these gluten free, raw snack bars called Kuli Kuli. She now needs your help to get these bars into production.

JamStik

JamStik

$143,430 raised of $100,000

Days to go: 6

JamStik  is a modern-day, technology-charged version of the traditional guitar. When learning to play, you typically need to worry about tuning, disturbing neighbors and transporting the heavy instrument. This is a super-cool, portable digital guitar that connects to an iPad or iPhone. It uses light to scan a players fingers as they press strings, then sends that information over to a smart phone in real time. The smart phone helps you make cool music and helps you to learn more quickly.

Brck

Brck

$106,544 raised of $125,000

Days to go: 13

The idea behind Brck was created out of a local problem in rural Kenya: providing reliable internet connectivity where power and electricity are not always present. Brck is easy to use and can connect to the internet through an ethernet, cellular data or open wifi channels. It's portable, easy to set up, can support up to 20 devices and is able to provide wifi for multiple rooms. The team likes to say "If it works in Africa, it will work anywhere."

Keyprop

Keyprop

$17,552 raised of $30,000

Days to go: 9

Keyprop dubs itself as "the world's smallest tripod and stand". Yet we don't think that phrase does it justice. Keyprop is a smart way to keep your keys and your phone together, while at the same time creating a handy stand for your smart device. It's also pretty cool looking! Want to take a picture and use a timer to take the picture from afar? Now you can. Want to sit back, relax and watch a video on your phone without holding it? Now you can. You can even adjust the angle of the stand by propping it higher or lower.

Blackprints

Blackprints

$69,617 raised of $50,000

Days to go: 30

Founder of Blackprints, Sabrina Chun, loves cars. She loves driving them, admiring them and thinking about how each is different. That's why she's created Blackprints, an inverse black and white illustration of beloved classic cars, in print form . These prints are sleek, beautiful and will look great in your home or office; plus they'll help you day dream about your favorite car.

 Which campaign is your favorite? 

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Our Discovery team spends many hours per week looking at potential Grommets. In fact, we get more than 100 product submissions per week! It's then our job to test the products, ask questions and ultimately decide if they are "Grommet-worthy". We have high standards, as we only choose and sell the best. Yet there are many products out there that could be FANTASTIC future Grommets, if only they had a little help with how to pitch our team. We've decided to divulge some (not-so-secretive) information that anyone should have in their front pocket when they're getting ready to launch their product to the world. Another quick-tip: Watch the show on ABC called Shark Tank. While our team isn't exactly like the mean sharks on the show, we have had several products that have been on the show as well. They know a thing or two about pitching their company!

1. Make your product not only presentable, make it SHINE: Be able to define its value - quickly! When you're pitching your product, make sure you've got your elevator pitch, or 30-1 minute spiel down pat. Talk about the problem/solution. Show it in action if you need to. What makes this product different from competitors? How is it innovative? You're looking for the light bulb look - "oh I get it now" should be written across the person's face. Put your best sample forward or make sure that prototype shines!

2. Be able to articulate your growth strategy: Help us help you. Taking an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses and how you plan on maneuvering those areas will communicate to investors (or Grommet!) that your company can thrive. We're here to advise you on your growth, but need to understand your overall goals for your company.

3. Know your numbers. Be ready to discuss your pricing and distribution goals and know what will work for you. How fast can you move inventory? How quickly can your team make more? Knowing where you stand in relation to your goals will inform your conversations with potential partners.

4. Know your audience, and do a little research to understand theirs. For example, the Grommet has an audience of early adopters, ready to provide product feedback and purchase your product. What will they value about your product and your story? Know who will be purchasing your your product and adjust accordingly.

5. Be yourself. Who you are is important to your company. Don't change who you are because you think that's what a company wants to see. Good people doing interesting work really does make a difference for us!

What other tips do you have on how to pitch like a pro? 

This past Sunday, some Grommet team members ventured into Boston to stroll through the "Public Art Walk" where you have the ability to walk freely in and out of people's personal art studios and exhibitions.  There were many beautiful pieces of art, rich with colors, textures and stories. One exhibit stood out to us, as it touched on the important subject of education and the artist did a particularly good job of detailing his passion for the issue throughout his exhibit. Above the Standard is an art exhibit created by Boston Public School Teacher, Ari Hauben. His solo art show depicts the detrimental effects of the increasingly standardized and mechanized worlds of education and society. Read more about Ari and his exhibit here and view some of his most beautiful pieces below.

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Last year we shared the story of Project Repat here on The Grommet. This company is on a mission to turn textile waste into fair-wage job opportunities in the U.S. Founders Ross Lohr and Nathan Rothstein are doing much more than just repurposing your old worn t-shirts.  If  you're not familiar with Project Repat, be sure to check out our video and the story here.

Although it's be a while since we last shared an update from Ross and Nathan, we stay in touch with our Partners and work with them long after their launch day. Launch day is just the kick-off to a great relationship and there are many great things ahead for Project Repat (including a new Kickstarter campaign we're eager to share with you).

Grommet: Nathan tell us, what's new with Project Repat?

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3 Generations of Coffee Farmers

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Recently, The Grommet launched TRIVE Farmers Coffee, a truly disruptive company that offers a new option for farmers to earn 5 - 10 times more than Fair Trade. They helped to educate us about a massively popular beverage that many of us consume every day, yet ironically  know such little about. We recently caught up with Christine Macrenaris, Director of Marketing & Communications of THRIVE Farmers coffee and we got carried away talking coffee (of course!). She shared some fun facts about coffee that we found fascinating.

Read on to discover 7 Fun Facts about coffee that you may not have known!

1. Coffee is actually NOT a bean, but comes from a fruit! It is grown on a tree or bush that produces cherry fruit. The bean is the seed inside the cherry.
2. Coffee is the world’s second most popular drink after water.
3. Years ago, in Turkey, if the husband did not provide their wife with enough coffee, it was grounds for divorce.
4. It takes one tree to make one roasted pound of specialty coffee and each berry has to be hand-picked.
5. There are 4,000 roasted beans in one pound of coffee. (Source: Rob Tuttle, Barista and Thrive Farmers VP of Operations)
6. The price of a tall latte in America is a day’s wage for many of the farmers who harvest it in South America.
7. What makes Thrive Farmers unique is that they are selling coffee directly to the consumer, providing world class coffee and giving farmers the opportunity to THRIVE in an industry where many farmers are unable to survive.

 sources for fun facts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6,

How many of these facts did you know about your favorite morning drink?  

If you're an enthusiastic follower of The Grommet, you'll know that we live and breathe for the makers in the world. They are our lifeblood. Without them and without the beauty of the craft and ability to "make" we wouldn't be who we are today. We spend so much time working with our partners who are some of the best makers out there, that our team often forgets to look at and appreciate all the wonderful makers we have in our very own office. Today we decided to do just that. Our team is growing by the day and wer'e filled with smart, creative and wonderfully talented makers of our own. Check them out below and give them a shout out. They deserve it.

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Below you’ll see some great news from the MAX'IS Creations team.

 Thanks for the updates, Jennifer (Jennifer is Max's mom)!

Product Launch, Entrepreneur Spotlight Product pitch, crowdfunding, new products

Last year we launched ReFleece here on The Grommet. We shared the story of Sam Palmer and Jennifer Feller who create products using a new kind of upcycled felt they call ReFleece. If you're not familiar with ReFleece, be sure to check out our video and the story here. Although it's be a while since we last shared an update from Sam and Jennifer, we stay in touch with our Partners and work with them long after their launch day. Launch day is just the kick-off to a great relationship and there are many great things ahead for ReFleece (including a new Kickstarter campaign we're eager to share with you).

Above: Sam and Jennifer visit The Grommet HQ and catch up with Joanne.

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Grommet: Jennifer, tell us what's new with ReFleece?

Jennifer: So much has been happening here! Polartec has come on board, sending us scraps that would otherwise have to be melted down, and Patagonia continues to send us clothing returned by customers through their Common Threads program. We've had some wonderful publicity, including a spread in Money Magazine, and Forbes Top Ten Accessories for Travelers list. We launched the iPad mini sleeve, and now, we are really excited to launch our Kickstarter Campaign. We are getting the word out about re-use by inspiring people to send in their old jackets, sweaters, baby blankets, or whatever is too worn out to wear, and have it turned into one of our beautiful new covers or accessories! In response to customer comments, we're also launching the 4square organizer, a desk-tray or art organizer, for those who don't need a new cover for their tech device but want to participate in the mission of re-using old stuff. And we've just decided to expand the campaign, adding WOOL to the list of materials we will take back for re-use (can't wait to see the moth-eaten sweaters that come our way!).

Thanks Jennifer for sharing the latest with us!

We're very excited to share the ReFleece Kickstarter campaign and help them meet their goal. They only have 20 more days  to raise a total of $25,000. What do you say Grommet community, can we help them get there? Please check out their campaign page and help spread the word. Let's see these new ReFleece products get their wings!

As exciting as it is to launch a new product here on The Grommet, for us, it gets even better when we get to see how the world reacts to these innovative ideas and passionate entrepreneurial stories. For our partners, a Grommet launch is just the beginning of some well deserved attention.

Here’s the most recent press for our Grommet partners:

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The Grommet loves watching the innovation pouring out of crowdfunding and we follow the crowdfunding space very closely. In fact, as a company we actually invest in ideas that we think have real, long-term potential.

Crowdfunding platforms can be a great feedback mechanism for consumer demand. The feedback product creators receive from the community is so valuable as they iterate their concepts and designs. Five of our Product Pitch participants launched Indiegogo campaigns after their big day at Fenway last month (quick, check them out, funding deadlines closing soon!) and they have received great feedback from the community.

Once crowdfunded products are ready for retail launch, we love introducing their story to the world and actually helping them to sell on our site and off-site through our retail placement partners.

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