A pocket-sized personal guide to sustainability
We are on a mission to empower the individual by making sustainability easy. The Sustaio mobile app helps its users transition their habits to be sustainable by learning daily tips, setting goals, and saving useful resources, all in one trusted place. The in-app guided learning experience will make your transition easy.
••The Problem••
We all know there is a global crisis happening—climate change, social disparities, collapsing ecosystems—and we are completely overwhelmed with just how unsustainable modern life is. When it comes to understanding our own personal impacts, it is staggering to learn the true costs of our actions and ALL of our stuff. This realization can make us feel powerless. How can one individual make a real difference?
••Our Solution••
This app will eliminate the decision paralysis that stems from not knowing what the most sustainable choices are. No more endless googling, deciphering blog posts – that’s where we come in. We are providing a tool for the individual to make and take action towards the lifestyle they want to lead.
Our approach will bring sustainability to a grounded level by contextualizing the two "ECOs" together: Ecology + Economy blended with personalization features where you can focus on your values. We can’t sustain long term growth using a short term perspective. Our human-centered design approach will deliver a self-empowering experience through guided learning and tangible metrics applicable to daily life!
We are taking a different approach to sustainability because the sustainable movement needs a total rebrand! We believe one individual can absolutely move the needle. No more all or nothing "ECO" in 50 shades of green. We are rebranding sustainability to be approachable and easy; it needs to speak to the individual in a way that relates to them.
Sustaio goes beyond what other footprint trackers do by teaching the “soft skills” of sustainability in areas of food, clothing, waste, transportation, and more. Sustaio makes it easy for the user to manage what they measure.
••Market Opportunity••
Now more than ever, due to the COVID19 pandemic, people are starting to become not only more aware of their impacts but also interested in making a positive change towards reducing their consumer demand, lowering their waste produced and becoming more conscious of the quality, quantity, and sourcing of the "stuff" they buy.
"Two-thirds of Americans have had an “eco wake-up call” since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A poll of 2,000 Americans revealed 64% have had a moment since the pandemic started wherein they realized they needed to be more eco-friendly.
This might be a result of paying closer attention to their lifestyles—70% said being home more due to COVID-19 made them more aware of their eco-UNfriendly behaviors. These eco wake-up calls included becoming more aware of wasting food (44%), using paper products more sparingly (43%) and being more careful about where they buy meat (38%)." SOURCE
••Our Team••
Seasoned creative and sustainability expert on a mission to use her expertise in human-centered design-thinking as a means to build an innovative sustainable movement. Creative Firm
M.A. Sustainable Design, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
B.S. Cultural Anthropology & Interactive Design; Minor Graphic Design, Portland State University
Global crisis ah-ha(oh-no) moment: Reading The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman and realizing how harmful "stuff" is, circa 2011.
A software engineer, project lead, and manager with over 11 years of experience. Leif's full-stack technological experience and product expertise will enable us to bring our formulated ideas to creation and iterative development.
M.S. Mathematics, University of Miami
B.S. Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Oregon
Global crisis ah-ha(oh-no) moment: Traveling to Asia and seeing single-serving consumption was fashionable beyond US borders.
Sam has an in-depth understanding of the environmental movement and the scope of the problem. Contrary to the typical green branding, Sam is uniquely qualified to ground complex environmental data, delivering messaging in a way that motivates people.
B.A. in History and Mandarin Chinese, Boston College
Global crisis ah-ha(oh-no) moment: Connecting health info from The China Study with the environmental impact of meat made me feel empowered to make a big change with my decisions.
Renny is currently on the journey of honing her creative skills through multimedia exploration. She has brought the Sustaio™ visuals to life, strengthening the brand identity. Using her creative expertise in graphics, layout and color she makes difficult topics engaging.
B.F.A. in Printmaking, Pratt Institute
A.A. in Illustration & Graphic Design
Global crisis ah-ha(oh-no) moment: Moving from Colorado to New York City and noticing the major differences in air quality & litter, circa 2013.
For the people, funded by the people!
With your help, we can take the Sustaio mobile app from ideation to app store launch. We are raising $50k to produce the first generation of the Sustaio mobile app. This includes the creation of sustainability vetted & curated content, the R&D of a soft skills sustainability ecological and carbon tracker, and a mobile experience like never before.
We are so incredibly grateful for any and all contributions to the Sustaio crowdfunding campaign. This is only the beginning, but it doesn't start without YOU. Thank you for taking part in the Sustaio Movement!
With committed excitement,
Olivia & the Sustaio team
