Meet GES Delegate: Tom Murray
Name: Thomas Murray
Twitter handle: @MyCuipo
Country of Origin: USA
Organization Name: Cuipo
Organization Website: www.Cuipo.org
Description of Organization
Cuipo is a lifestyle brand whose mission is to protect the world’s endangered rainforests, one meter at a time. Our preservation efforts are centered on the belief that the best way to stop rainforest deforestation is to buy the land and preserve it. With revenue from our product lines and partnerships, we purchase large parcels of land for transfer to our non-profit foundation, One Meter at a Time, for permanent preservation. Every Cuipo product has a unique redemption code that saves a minimum of one square meter of rainforest online at www.Cuipo.org
What Inspired Cuipo?
While on a trip to Panama in 2008, my business partner Gus Hurst and I were taking a helicopter tour and noticed what appeared to be massive golf courses in the middle of the rainforest. Once we realized these huge patches of empty land were actually the consequences of deforestation, we knew we had to act quickly to protect these vital lands. With past experience in real estate, we decided that the only way to ensure the safety of the rainforest that remained was to purchase the land, and set it aside for permanent preservation- with that, Cuipo was born.
Cuipo’s Next Big Step
We are working to expand our licensing and partnerships to further engage with companies who would like save this vital part of our ecosystems with us. Rainforest meters can easily be added to any product or service for any company looking to integrate a green initiative into their business model. Moving forward, we are excited that Cuipo Water, our 100% RPET bottled water, is launching nationally and we are exploring opportunities to partner with airlines, car rental companies, and hotels to help further their corporate responsibility in a sustainable way.
What has been your biggest obstacle as an entrepreneur?
One of our biggest obstacles to date is creating awareness about our mission, spreading the word about Cuipo, and taking our rainforest conservation to the next step. We believe that by expanding our partnerships globally, our story can be shared on a larger platform and safeguard larger amounts of endangered rainforests.
What advice would you give other emerging entrepreneurs?
Pursue something that speaks to you and that you can’t shake out of your head. We saw a problem that we were passionate about, thought of a solution to help end deforestation, and haven’t stopped working towards saving prime rainforest since.
