🌎 THE BETTER WORLD WEEKLY #181 💌

​*Read in your browser, here. ​

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Hey y'all,

Happy Monday!

The bean bush here on the homestead has given us the first harvest of the year.

We were able to enjoy some green beans on the side of a couple dinners this last week.

Long ways to go before we can stop going to the grocery store!

But fun first milestone. 🤪

Enjoy this week's newsletter.

-Cory

P.S. - You can connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Our Sponsor ⭐️

🌊 Bodhi Surf + Yoga

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​Bodhi Surf + Yoga the 1st B Corp Certified surf and yoga camp in the world, is located in Bahia Ballena-Uvita, Osa, Costa Rica — a small, still relatively untouched community on the Southern Pacific Zone situated at the footsteps of the Marino Ballena National Park, a place where the jungle, ocean, and mountains meet; a unique backdrop for a place to immerse yourself in nature, become energized, and awaken your mind-body-earth connection.

The word “Bodhi” is Sanskrit for “awareness”, a concept that is central to the activities & lifestyles of surfing and yoga, and an attitude that Bodhi Surf + Yoga shares with those it comes into contact with — students, guests, fellow community members, and businesses alike.

Bodhi Surf + Yoga utilizes surfing, yoga, nature immersion, and community engagement as a way to facilitate memorable learning experiences with the intention of bolstering individual long-term pro-environmental action.

Costa Rica surf + yoga camp offering guests the opportunity to engage with our local community, (re)connect with nature through the "silent" activities of surfing and yoga , and return home having experienced a week of simplicity. Awakening your inner Bodhi begins with Bodhi Surf + Yoga Camp in Uvita, Costa Rica.

​Book your next vacation with Bodhi, here. ​

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Buy Ensemble 🤑

What is a Sustainable Product?

Assessing the sustainability of any individual product or company is a core facet of the work we do here at Grow Ensemble.

For our Buy Ensemble Better-World Business & Product Directory, we see it as our duty to both identify and define what makes for a sustainable product in any industry or category.

If we’re to Buy Ensemble, we’re making purchasing decisions with a sense of the greater “we” in mind. We’re considering how this purchase affects people and the planet beyond ourselves.

In our efforts to actually fulfill that duty, Buy-ing Ensemble, we believe definitions are critically important.

If there’s no agreed-upon definition of “sustainability,” it’s unclear what anyone means when they say their product is sustainable. While this is beginning to be regulated (not yet in the U.S.), I believe we’re unfortunately far away from meaningful consumer protections.

So, for the sake of setting important definitions, here we are asking:

What is a sustainable product?

After assessing 1000s brands and products spanning all sorts of industries for “sustainability,” we’ve come to develop a (working) definition.

With this definition comes complexity and a list of working component parts, but we find that it’s built from three pillars:

🚀 Performance

🌎 Planet

✅ Accountability.

In this latest episode of the Grow Ensemble Podcast, we'll be breaking down each of those three pillars in detail.

​

WATCH HERE

🎧 For the audio version wherever you listen to your podcasts, go to https://www.socialentrepreneurship.fm/245​

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📰 News From Our Partners

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🏄‍♀️ Smile While You Paddle Surf-a-Ton

Our friends at Bodhi Surf + Yoga are holding their annual Surf-A-Thon!

What's a Surf-A-Thon?

A Surf-A-Thon is similar to a Jog-A-Thon, which is a fundraising event where participants set a fundraising goal to jog or walk a certain number of laps around a predetermined distance in exchange for a donation per lap or a fixed donation amount.

Instead of jogging or walking, they will be surfing the waves of Mother Ocean on June 18, 2023 10:30am-12:30pm.

Each participating surfer will catch as many waves as they can during the 60-minute event and solicit donations to support youth leadership.

How Can YOU Get Involved?

🌊 Option 1: Donate

Support a surfer by making a one-time donation to the event.

🌊 Option 2: Buy merchandise

🌊 Option 3: Support the Surf-A-Thon from afar

There are many other ways to contribute to this fun and exciting fundraising event!

• You can sponsor the event
• Share about the event on social media and spread the word on socials: tag photos and posts with #SWYPSurfAThon
• Make a one-time or recurring donation
• Buy event merchandise: show your support by wearing #SWYPSurfAThon merch
• Surf at your home break and share the news!

Where does money raised from the Surf-a-Thon go?

Proceeds from the Smile While you Paddle Surf-A-Thon will support the youth leadership program SELAL in Bahia Ballena-Uvita, Osa.

SELAL’s mission is to first enable youth in Osa and Golfito to better access to employment within the local "green" economy; and second, enact place-based environmental awareness and action through principles of biodiversity and conservation, rural eco-tourism and community sustainable development, and connection and interaction with local environmental leaders.

SELAL takes place for two intensive weeks during vacation periods in January and July.

Students participate in workshops, field trips, and presentations focused on leadership skills, environment and biodiversity conservation, ecotourism, and English.

​--> Learn more about the Bodhi Surf + Yoga Surf-A-Thon here. ​

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🌎 Our Ensemble Partners:

The Better World Weekly, and all our work at Grow Ensemble is made possible by the support of the members of our Ensemble Partners Program.

Our partners are leaders in the work of building a better world. Check out the full list of our current partners, below.

Have a business or organization that might be a fit to join our Ensemble Partners Program? Just reply to this email directly to learn more.

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☕️Dean's Beans - Certified B Corporation coffee company, committed to using specialty coffee as a vehicle for change.

🧥Dhana - Certified B Corporation fashion brand creating cutting-edge circular fashion products and inviting customers into the design process.

🫖Choice Organics- Organic tea company recently acquired by Certified B Corporation, Yogi Tea.

💰Aspiration - Certified B Corporation, green banking alternative. Aspiration is 100% committed to clean money.

🌲tentree - Tentree makes clothing essentials using sustainable materials and plants 10 trees for every item purchased.

🌊 Bodhi Surf + Yoga - Certified B Corporation surf and yoga resort located in beautiful Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica.

🧦 Bombas Socks - Bombas is a comfort focused sock and apparel brand with a mission to help those in need. One purchased = one donated, always and forever.

✈️ Intrepid Travel - Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travelers to discover the world's most amazing places for more than 30 years.

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Thanks for reading!

I'll be back next Monday with another edition of The Better World Weekly.

Let's build a better world, together.

-Cory

CORY AMES - @AmesCory​

Founder & CEO, Grow Ensemble

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👋 Say hello on LinkedIn. 

🎤Check out The Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation Podcast

🎥 Check out our YouTube channel.

📚Check out our courses, workshops, & more.

💌Invite a friend to subscribe to this newsletter at GrowEnsemble.com/newsletter.

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🌍 - Better World Weekly (#181) - 🌍