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What it is: MyGreenImpact is an automated carbon footprint tracker and calculator. It scores users (either individually or by household) on their overall environmental impact and provides them with advice and resources to live more sustainably.
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Why it rocks: “The user experience is customizable, so you can use the platform if you’re a die-hard environmentalist that wants to reduce their carbon footprint, if you are a new mother that solely wants to find non-toxic products for your child, or if you're just looking save some money on your utility bills,” Colin Rohlfing (pictured right), MyGreenImpact’s founder, said.
What’s in its future: Its advisory board is busy considering the recruitment of two key new positions: marketing/business development and web/mobile development. Launched in April of 2015, MyGreenImpact is currently trying to secure seed-level funding and will launch crowdsourced funding in the summer of 2015.
Why it matters: “The market for social, environmental solutions is growing because we are just now seeing the negative effects that environmental degradation is having on our society and our wallets,” Rohlfing said. “The Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) market is comprised of 41 million US adult consumers that spend $290 Billion per year of social and environmental products. Millennials are poised to enter this market at a break neck rate and are more likely to track their personal data, including their environmental footprint."
What it is: Tip Yourself is a fresh take on budgeting and goal-tracking apps. It encourages its users to take time every day to reflect on their achievements—big or small—and reward themselves with a small tip for a job well done. “It’s about building that positivity into your daily life,” Co-founder Mike Lenz said. “At a functional level, Tip Yourself is about taking money from a checking account and placing that into a ‘tip jar,’ maybe a standard tip jar, or an investment account, or an account to generate some savings.”
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Why it rocks: At its core, Tip Yourself is about eliminating negativity and improving the way people think about finances. “Tip Yourself wants to help people understand your relationship with money can be different than what you expect,” said co-founder Sam Rodriguez. “It doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful or negative. There’s no specific rulebook you have to follow. After you’ve done something good, take a moment for you—you’ve earned it.”
What’s in its future: Tip Yourself plans to have its MVP prototype up and running by September 1. In the meantime, Lenz and Rodriguez encourage anyone interested to enroll in Tip Yourself’s offline pilot program to experience the concept and provide feedback on the design. They’re also looking to grow their team—particularly engineers, but would love to work with anyone who believes in their concept.
Why it matters: An app that encourages financial responsibility, goal setting, and positive outlooks on life? We’re sold.
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What it is: “Single Servings are curated recipe ingredients that revolutionize the way young professionals cook homemade meals,” said co-founders Chad Lieberman and Nestor Lara. “Our recipe ingredients are perfectly portioned, allowing our customers to quickly and easily create culinary masterpieces, freeing up their time so they can pursue their passions.”
Why it rocks: Single Servings was created to help fix a problem that many a single, young professional knows all too well: how do you cook a healthy and convenient meal for one without relying on the frozen food section of the grocery store? “Cooking economically for one person required making large batches of food leading to monotony as we ate the same leftovers day after day,” Lara said. “We tried meal delivery services, but they required us to commit to a minimum of six meals per week, and they were expensive.”
What’s in its future: Single Servings is currently searching for an angel investor with experience in the food & beverage market in order to secure seed funding. Also in its future? A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign prepping for its launch later this summer.
Why it matters: With the massive success of GrubHub, the Chicago food & beverage market has proven to be an industry player. With the right positioning and a little luck, Single Servings might have what it takes to be the next big thing in food.
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