Advertise on podcast: Beyond the Feed

Three winners of Linktree’s Passion Fund are doing their part to make real impact in the world: a student-led society at the University of Glasgow produces 3D printed prosthetic limbs for individuals with upper limb deficiencies, a US-based team seeks to enhance the Arctic’s natural ability to reflect solar radiation out of the atmosphere, resulting in slowing the rate of global warming, and a UK student envisions making a dent in sustainability within trendy fashion. They share ideas on making the most of social media, the importance of linking personal experience with marketing messaging, and why understanding an industry makes so much sense before jumping into entrepreneurship. https://linktr.ee/arcticiceproject https://linktr.ee/handprints.enable https://linktr.ee/rosenambasa

Whether motivated by identity or opportunity, building bridges across culture can be a powerful thing, and it isn’t easy. Two black-owned businesses share a mission to build their own kind of bridges within their own culture: Blu Room Productions (an artist-driven production company founded by actress/writer/producer Crystal Joy, dedicated to building bridges between African Americans and Africans across the continent and global diasporas through a variety of storytelling) and self described Black-Owned Beauty Mecca IFUKNO, YOU KNOW (offering an immersive online retailer that celebrates Black Owned Beauty brands), founded by "Bossbae" Ayanna Combs. Both share how their missions share a common theme of motivating an understanding of one another, working with allies, and presenting the possibility of a bigger picture. https://linktr.ee/_inthebluroom  https://linktr.ee/ifuknowuknow

Storytelling is foundational to building brand, sales, and community, and is at the core of the DNA of several winners of Linktree’s Passion Fund. Three of these business owners, on three continents, include Polite Company Press (a bilingual and environmentally friendly printing press serving artists and community), Storied (a web application to improve our senior citizens' wellbeing in aged care, starting with learning their stories), and El Refugio Mezcal (a small-batch mezcal brand sharing the stories of indigenous communities and using mezcal  a medium for cultivating respect for native Mexican peoples). They offer insights on the important value that workshops, early input, and sharing stories can bring to any business. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linkt.ree/bybelter https://linktr.ee/grilly https://elrefugiomezcal

When a business has purpose and can make an impact, the potential for success can be higher. Canadian fashion designer Lisa Veregin, with her ecommerce site My Higher Frequency, is launching a line of colorful underwear made by women, for women. These carefully curated colorful designs are digitally printed onto a special certified bamboo to ensure environmental responsibility. Lisa is embracing a philosophy of “confidence through comfort” to inspire empowerment, and shares insights on the importance of understanding a market before launching, working with mentors to learn a business, and aligning a business with a message that matters to the target customer. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/myhigherfrequency

What does it take to start scaling a new company? After finding that Reiki, a form of energy healing, dramatically improved her severe epilepsy, South African Nkhensani Rikhotso learned that green spaces also had a centering and healing effect. Nkhesani built HerMerakai, focused on the power of self-healing plants provide, with a mission to impact mental health for others by creating greener indoor spaces. She created a community to share plant care tips which she has scaled to more than 10,000 people, has grown a reputation as a masterful interior plant stylist, and created her own organic plant spray. This winner of Linktree’s Passion Fund shares strategies for growth and scaling a business, building a team to let you focus on your strengths, and how a focus on storytelling can help build an engaged community. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/hermerakai  

Platform for Artists, a digital community based in India, is working towards creating an equitable space that enables artists across the country to collaborate and explore their creativity. Founder Pawan Rochwani , a winner in Linktree’s Passion fund, envisions  India to become the center of the creator economy, and shares insights on important tools for being successful as a creator: from intuition, to copywriting, to maximizing relationships. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/platformforartists

Big ideas come from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), moving the world forward. Teacher and bona fide math nerd Pearl Ubaru saw a way to solve the challenge making sure everyone has an equal chance to apply their minds, or even know there can be a chance, to be a part of these big ideas. She grew her love of tutoring into US-based SiSTEM Tutoring Agency, providing one-on-one and group tutoring administered online or in person, unlocking the true academic potential of all students. A winner of Linktree’s Passion Fund, Pearl shares how she was able to past the toughest moments when she couldn’t pay her team, the kind of determination necessary to grow past the obstacles many face because of gender and race in business, and how she was ready to take on the challenge of "all or nothing". https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/sistemtutoring

Social Cipher, a US-based company with an autistic founder, builds online social emotional learning games for neurodivergent youth and professionals working with them, including a remarkable game that helps these youth see themselves positively, finding their place in the world. CEO/Founder Vanessa Castañeda Gill, a winner of Linktree's Passion Fund, shares the importance of partnering with rightly-skilled team and strategic use of education, content and smart partnerships. It's estimated as many as one in eight people are identified as neurodivergent (someone who thinks differently from the way the majority does, types of which include autism, Asperger's, dyslexia, ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, and more).  https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/socialcipher

On a mission to end the global health crisis of malaria, which kills a child every 2 minutes, Australian social enterprise Borne Clothing developed a line of innovative, mosquito-repellent,  100% organic cotton clothing. The silver level winners of Linktree’s Passion Fund are following a passion for healing and a belief that everyone should be able to live a life free from preventable disease. They share why bonding an essential medicine with everyday apparel creates an opportunity to be a force for good by delivering massive impact on a dangerous health crisis, why staying on narrative and mission are keys to success for any socially focused entrepreneur, and how they also donate half of every dollar of profit to funding public health interventions like mosquito-nets, testing kits, and medications to help put an end to mosquito-borne diseases. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/borne_clothing  

How do you go from a passion to partnering with global brands? In just three years, founder Trina Nicole’s passion has brought the UK's first plus-size dance class, The Curve Catwalk, into position as a platform to revolutionize ideologies that dance is exclusive to one body type. Her passion and smart business strategies have built a community of thousands, classes and support systems designed to improve both the visibility of larger bodies in motion and to showcase them in a joyful state, and an exciting partnership with a major global brand. Trina, a Linktree Passon Fund silver level winner, shares how she went from cultural traditions to a successful business with big plans, the best time to approach brands for partnerships and the techniques she used to get her there, the importance of stats and insights in storytelling, and the importance that boldness and fun of her brand has played in growth. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/thecurvecatwalk

“To move as one” is a mantra of ON3 Studio, a music development and discovery collective based in Melbourne, Australia. Founders Aman Bayatly and Kishnel Chand are determined to bring more diversity to the country, providing workshops and a platform for a community of diverse yet like-minded creators, functioning as an incubator for creativity. The Silver Level winners of Linktree’s Passion Fund share how they are working to elevate the work of established and emerging local artists, presenting their art and stories to a global audience, resulting in creation through collaboration. Plus, what they have learned along the way that that can bring their expanding community the best chances at success. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/on3studio

Hayley Marsten, Australian alternative country music artist and Bronze Winner of Linktree's Passion Fund, opens up about passion, determination, and never giving up. Plus, why she pushed past rejection and decided to produce her own music, how mindset stopped her from nearly turning her back on the music business, and how becoming a winner of the Passion Fund offered her an eleventh hour life raft. https://linktr.ee/beyondthefeed https://linktr.ee/hayleymarsten