Helen Chen

The women-led campaigns featured below are raising money for products and projects meant to help people create healthy lifestyles, choose low-impact housing, access non-dairy butter and gluten-free cannabis recipes, and understand money. Check out these 5 women-led crowdfunding campaigns: 1. Gentle Life Reminders from an App (via Kickstarter) The Business: Aloe is an online self-care community built by Amber Discko, the New York-based social media whiz who founded popular online community, Femsplain. They also served as a creative strategist for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Discko founded Aloe in 2016 after the presidential election as a simple checklist survey that provided a reminder to subscribers to take care of themselves with small acts like brushing their teeth and drinking water. Discko now aims to build a free app based on the popular survey. The app would offer both reminders and rewards for small acts of self-care, as well as interactive features that let users do things like plant and groom virtual plants in a digital community garden. The Money: The campaign has raised $29,583 of its $40,000 goal with 8 days left to go. The money raised will primarily go toward developing and designing the app, with some funds directed toward administrative, research, art and copywriting costs. 2. ‘Herbal’ Baking Kits (via Indiegogo) https://vimeo.com/229664158 The Business: Baking Supply Co. is a mail-order recipe company that delivers healthy baking kits designed to incorporate cannabis. Cofounder Ali Francis is launching the venture’s flagship kits via an Indiegogo campaign. Each kit will include high-quality ingredients for gluten-free recipes free of refined sugars to the doorsteps of customers. Francis says she wants to change the way people approach marijuana consumption by creating healthier, tastier options for making and enjoying edibles. In particular, she and her team plan to cater to people suffering from cancer, migraines, seizures and other diseases who may have restricted diets. The Money: The campaign has raised $7,167, of a $22,000 goal with 24 days left to go. The money raised will go toward the up-front costs of ingredients included in the kits, some bought directly from farmers, as well as shipping expenses. 3. A New, Non-Dairy Butter Alternative (via iFundWomen) https://vimeo.com/223150463 The Business: Dawn Catherine Pascale founded Om Sweet Home in Cliffside Park, N.J., after she was laid off from her job at the global bank Citigroup. She decided to start up after struggling to find a palm oil-free vegan butter alternative, and used her newly found free time to make her own. Her signature product made out of coconut milk is an effective substitute for regular butter, she says, because it spreads like the original and can be used in recipes that call for butter. Her invention, however, is vegan, soy-free, palm oil-free, and vegetable oil-free. In addition to this butter alternative, Pascale’s venture sells desserts, breads and more that use the product and are also vegan and gluten-free. Om Sweet Home’s butter alternative is already available in stores throughout the Garden State -- now she wants to sell it nationwide. The Money: The campaign has raised a $3,100 of a $15,000 goal and still has 39 days remaining. The money will be used to hire staff, purchase additional machinery and create more product. 4. Shipping Container Homes and Offices (via iFundwomen) https://vimeo.com/189003789 The Business: Wanona Satcher started nonprofit urban-design company ReJuve Corp. based in Atlanta to help communities affect environmental change through architecture, urban design and city planning. Its flagship project is Plug-in Pods, in which upcycled shipping containers are repurposed into affordable office and housing spaces. Satcher aims to create these spaces using cost-efficient, environmentally friendly methods, while also working with the surrounding community on a range of local initiatives. This crowdfunding campaign is part of just the first phase of Satcher’s plan, which starts with creating a Plug-In Pod prototype and ends with building them across the country. The Money: The campaign has raised $12,225 of a $20,000 goal, and 131 days are left before it ends. The money will be used for marketing initiatives and to build a fully functional prototype. 5. Breaking Down Money Matters on a Podcast (via Kickstarter) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866533394/moneysplained-the-financial-education-you-wish-you?refrecommended The Business: Ally-Jane Grossan is a freelance journalist who is starting a free podcast called Moneysplained designed to break down personal finance for the layperson. Grossan intends to make her podcast easy to understand and informative, thanks to interviews with experts who will help define complicated concepts like stock options and retirement funds. Her target audience is beginners who want to understand basic financial terms and issues -- like taxes and healthcare. The podcast will balance out the financial information with interesting facts unrelated to money. Grossan has already recorded her first season, and has plans for two more. The Money: Grossman has already exceeding her $1,500 goal by raising $4,726, with 7 days still to go. She will use money for audio equipment, software, travel costs, digital domain fees and the creation of music and art. Want to be featured in The Story Exchange's Crowdfunding column? Drop us a line and tell us about your campaign at info@thestoryexchange.org.

Helen Chen

Posts by Helen Chen

5 Crowdfunders to Watch – Making Improvements Big and Small

A Shared Sweet Tooth Leads Two Female Founders from Stage Lights to Sidewalk Tours

How a Mother’s Grief Inspired a Mission

5 Crowdfunders to Watch – Touring the World Through Food and Art

5 Crowdfunders to Watch – Designing the Future

The Story Exchange

Helen Chen

Posts by Helen Chen

5 Crowdfunders to Watch – Making Improvements Big and Small

A Shared Sweet Tooth Leads Two Female Founders from Stage Lights to Sidewalk Tours

How a Mother’s Grief Inspired a Mission

5 Crowdfunders to Watch – Touring the World Through Food and Art

5 Crowdfunders to Watch – Designing the Future

The Story Exchange

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