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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We’ve rolled out a new look and several new features on our site that we’re excited to tell you about. Have you looked around yet?  There are a lot of changes (we even have a new name we’re The Grommet).

Easier shopping - This means we're rolling out bigger pictures, displaying prices right on the picture and the product details can now be easily found. All you you want to see and learn about each Grommet launch is now at your fingertips. Plus with easier navagation, you'll be able to explore the site for your favorite Grommet with more ease.

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Morning mimosas were flowing and we had bloody mary's too!

Company events can be pleasant...or a necessary evil. Luckily, at The Grommet it’s been an opportunity to find out who my fellow employees are outside of work. I've worked in companies where you know what people do but have no clue who they are.

What makes The Grommet unique is that from the founders to the fulfillment team, we all enjoy each others company and care about one another once we leave this space. What’s made this connection possible are the cool events that the company and individual employees have organized: lunch with a full-band, bowling, hoops, running outings, yoga nights, and the list goes on...

Why are events like this great for morale and team spirit? It’s because you get a complete picture of the people in your company, allowing you to de-stress together and build friendships. Recently, we had a company breakfast to honor two colleagues who were leaving us. It seemed more like a family reunion. Several members of our team whipped up a phenomenal breakfast for our 30 + crew. French crepes and mimosas were free flowing, along with a lot of good conversations about weekend plans, travel,  family, and food! Who wouldn't want to work in a place like this?

Our Finance Director & Queen of Fulfillment getting ready for the troops

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