The Conscious Consumer is Always Right
One movement we are really interested in at Human Ventures is around building businesses for the conscious consumer. This is a movement that can be seen throughout the Human portfolio in companies like Kindred, Lupii, and Tiny Organics. Founders in this space understand that purchasing decisions have become more personal — they are not just about consumption, they are tied to values. Consumers are starting to question the origin, source, ethics and story behind every purchase. As much have things have changed this year, brand ethos has continued to increase in importance.
Earlier this year, we co-hosted a dinner with our partners at the Venture Capital firm Maveron and invited founders and investors to explore this topic further. We asked the group who they thought was doing this well. The answers ranged from the pioneers in this space — like Newman’s Own and Patagonia — to companies like Adidas that are adapting to a new way of thinking and changing their supply chains. The new wave of companies in this space were also discussed — Everlane, Rothys, Oatly, Mejuri, and Package Free.
It’s clear that this is a big opportunity and that the white space is being built out by a diverse set of mission-based founders who understand that in order to create products and services for the conscious consumer, every business decision they make must align with their values. We love that these businesses are becoming the new normal.
