When I set out to build a wellness technology company, it was important (and urgent) that it be architected for good. To me, this meant two things: (1) that it exists for good (rooted in purpose and able to deliver real impact), and (2) that it lasts for good (built to last for a long time).

The idea for Maavee was quick to come and quick to evolve. We set out to solve a meaty problem – to connect the world to wellness. That is, to make it easy to discover one’s personal wellness journey and to support that unique journey with the best of wellness along the way (benefiting people, companies and communities alike!).

One aspect of our solution includes a marketplace of highly-curated (i.e., the best of) wellness products and digital services. As we began to curate these offerings from within an almost $5T (yes, that’s trillion with a “T”) wellness market, it was clear that there was no shortage of “stuff” to choose. This led me to really think about the value of curation. This notion of “the best of” is quite subjective. And given that wellness is highly personal, there’s an almost unlimited number of products and services that could resonate with our customers. Along the way (after meeting with countless creators and hearing the stories behind their creations), we had an “ah ha” moment. We realized that our own individual well-being was intrinsically connected to that of the world in which we live. And in this specific point, we found our true purpose. The reason that we exist was clear — to positively impact the world through the pursuit of well-being. 

Sounds nice, but what does that mean?

By the very nature of helping people to be more “well,” we positively impact the world. But our company is anchored in the concept of the network effect. We fundamentally believe that we are better together. So we decided what we really meant by “curation” was that our brand partners, whose products and services we offer, must have a demonstrated and visible commitment not only to the consumer (that’s table stakes), but also to the environment and to society. Essentially, they, like us, also needed to exist for good. So we leaned into this — HARD.

We did not want to recreate the wheel. Our good friend and trusted advisor, Julie Brandt, suggested that we look at the ESG methodology used by firms and investors around the world. It was almost exactly how we envisioned assessing prospective brand partners. We quickly modified it for our purposes and began inviting brands to our evaluation. Before we even had a solution in the market, we were able to get hundreds of brands to take the time to learn about Maavee, hear our vision, preview our solution designs (just mock-ups at that point), and — get this — go through a complete evaluation of their commitments to the planet, to society and to the consumer. By the way, we named our methodology “ESY”: Environment, Society and You (the consumer). 

And with these like-minded and ethos-aligned brands came incredible examples of giving back and doing good in the world. For example: Esker makes a zero-waste plantable candle that can be turned into an herb garden; Shakti Warrior makes a yoga mat that, when you are finished with it, is converted into sandals for the homeless in India; and Indwell provides resources for people of all genders, races and religions to connect with mental health resources that are right for them. There is such incredible power in a community with a laser focus on solving wellness problems and solving world problems. So we leaned into this as well … After all, we built the company upon the premise of the network effect. We decided to harness this community to do even more – together. We call our family of brand partners, The Maavee Brand Collective.

We engineered this collective to accelerate both business and social impact. That is, to grow our businesses faster and to then have more impact in the world as a community. We asked Julie and Alia Zaharudin, another friend, advisor and former McKinsey consultant, to help us build “impact blueprints” that could be used by our brand partners to accelerate their business growth and social impact. These blueprints aim to articulate the challenges that businesses have as they move through the various stages of growth and then align Maavee “impact partners” to help brands tackle these challenges. For example, an early stage growth company needs to find their voice in a crowded market and build content that resonates with consumers. Maavee will introduce Toast Media Group, a vetted and ethos-aligned “impact partner” to inform, educate and even offer their services to help our brands tackle the challenge. Or, on both the business and social impact fronts, brands struggle with cost-effective third-party logistics (a.k.a. “dropship” or “3PL” services). Enter Manifest Commerce, our vetted and ethos-aligned impact partner that offers carbon-neutral pick, pack and ship services. To sum it up, each member of the collective, including Maavee, is inspired and incentivized to help each other get better, to grow, to do more good in the world. This is “for good” accelerated and amplified!

Like I mentioned earlier, architecting Maavee to empower good is also ensuring that it is built to last. After all, the sustainable investing methodology would not exist if there was not a fundamental belief (and proof) that purpose-built business models yield better, long-term results. So, as an employer that offers Maavee to employees or an employee/consumer who uses Maavee, you can be sure that your dollars are being spent well and that you will have a place to experience your personal journey, connect to social responsibility, and watch your wellness story unfold. Join us!

About Maavee
Maavee is a wellness platform built for humans, offered by employers, and architected with purpose. Rather than offering wellness solutions with broad appeal that miss the mark, Maavee allows employers to truly meet the unique needs of their diverse employees through a stipend spent along each employee’s highly personal wellness journey. Maavee’s rich mobile experience is designed to support one’s lifelong aspiration to be well and to discover the best of wellness along the way. Through a combination of content to inform and inspire, community for connection and support, and a marketplace of hyper-curated wellness products and services from brands doing good in the world, Maavee is where wellness journeys unfold for people, companies, and communities. Join the movement.