33voices, interviews Matthew Manos, CEO of verynice.co.
The benefits of being ‘verynice’
One of the defining characteristics of this entrepreneurial generation is their commitment to social good and benevolent intent. In 2006, Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS shoes after a trip to Argentina inspired him ‘to show how together, we can create a better tomorrow by taking compassionate action today’.
TOMS’ one for one campaign has put shoes on the feet of kids in more than 50 countries and has made contributions to restore the sight of children in 13 different countries. In 2012, Linkedin co-founder and philanthropist Reid Hoffman gave the micro-lending platform Kiva.org $1 million ‘so 40,000 people could help those impoverished via micro finance without spending their own money’.
In 2013, Matthew Manos created be verynice to help entrepreneurs ‘transform their businesses into hubs for viable and impactful philanthropy’. During his sophomore year at UCLA, Matthew started experimenting with a business model for his freelance design consultancy that dedicated over 50% of its efforts towards free design services for the non-profit sector. While many still argue against his approach, he shared with me how he was able to achieve his ten year plan in less than twelve month ——