PiperWai natural deodorant rocks a crowd funding campaign, hits small screen

No Sweat by William Beisley Jess Edelstein, CEO and co-founder of PiperWai, has a rote but enthusiastic way of discussing her all-natural cream deodorant, which is understandable considering their recent bombardment of interviews. Edelstein, along with co-founder and CFO Sarah Ribner, had four interviews the day before their meetup with Grid, not to mention an

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2 mins read

December: Comings & Goings

Illustration by Kathleen White Philadelphia Becomes the First U.S. World Heritage CityWe’ve always known Philadelphia is a world-class city, but now it’s official. On Nov. 6, the World Heritage Committee, part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), named Philadelphia the first World Heritage City in the U.S. The program honors and

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3 mins read

Wash Cycle’s CEO takes his social entrepreneurship national

Photo by Plate 3 Photography Mr. Clean by Marilyn Anthony When you think of disruption and innovation in business, the gleaming offices of Google may come to mind. But in South Philadelphia, within an ordinary coin-op laundromat at 1611 South Street, a radical business is thriving and expanding nationally. Armed with a seemingly simple market

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6 mins read

Dock Street Spirits brings mezcal love to Philadelphia

Viciously Delicious by Emily Kovach Rosemarie Certo is the owner of Dock Street Brewing, one of the first regional microbreweries to embrace craft beer in the mid-1980s. Along with three business partners, she now has her sights set on another kind of craft beverage: mezcal. Mezcal is considered the “mother of tequila.” It’s primarily made

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1 min read

Three emerging regional beer and spirit purveyors to try this season

Provincial Potables by Emily Kovach   COOPER RIVER DISTILLERSCamden, N.J.cooperriverdistillers.com James Yoakum was working in real estate, bored and searching for a change. A Kentucky native and an avid homebrewer, he had a flash of inspiration. “I’m an entrepreneurial guy, so anything I play with, I think of as a business,” he says. “When I

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Four businesses take on social and environmental challenges

Companies that Care WaterShift_Design Diverting or absorbing stormwater runoff protects our rivers from pollution and prevents citywide flooding. Shift_Design splits its portfolio between environmental design work for local businesses and consumer-based products that combat this issue. Shift_Design uses recycled components made within 120 miles of Philadelphia. One of their products, a living tile, is a

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October 2015: Comings & Goings

Andy Toy Joins Southeast Asian NonprofitAndy Toy, formerly of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, is now the development and communications manager for Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition, Inc. (SEAMAAC), a nonprofit organization serving immigrants and refugees in the Philadelphia region since 1984.  “I’ve personally seen SEAMAAC grow and evolve over the last couple decades,”

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Female entrepreneur builds local soup brand into a cafe in Kensington

photo by Ryan Scott Lovin’ Spoonful by Emily Teel At any successful party, guests might remark over their plates, “This is really good. You should sell this!” While many hosts smile and wave off the idea, Kate Hartman followed through. She started her company, Good Spoon Seasonal Foods, cooking grass-fed beef chili that she served

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2 mins read