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I'm not a financial advisor; Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions.Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Jarret: For me, having passion as my superpower is present because I'm so present with what it means for me to be alive at this time, at this converging of storms with the challenges we face as humanity, as a human family and as a global interconnected family of life.In today's episode of Superpowers for Good, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jarret Schlaff, the co-founder and CEO of Pingree Detroit. His company is creating meaningful social and environmental impact while simultaneously crafting high-quality, handmade goods.Pingree Detroit, a worker-owned cooperative based in Detroit, upcycles leather from the automotive industry, crafting beautiful shoes, bags, and other products from materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. But this venture isn't just about sustainability; it's about creating opportunities for Detroiters and veterans to gain skilled trades and meaningful employment.Jarret shared a key insight during our conversation, saying, "Relationships are our strongest currency. We're able to connect with people and create an environment where folks have meaningful work, working with their hands to create something of real value." This idea lies at the heart of Pingree Detroit's mission: providing both economic opportunity and a supportive, empowering environment for its workers, many of whom have faced significant challenges in life.During our discussion, Jarret highlighted the company's commitment to supporting its workers, even when life circumstances create challenges. He explained, "We have a different way of supporting that person...we might say, 'Check in with your battle buddy,' to ensure they have the support they need on tough days."Pingree Detroit is currently raising capital through a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign on Honeycomb Credit. The funds will support the company's growth and help launch exciting new products, including a highly anticipated line of boots.The work Pingree Detroit is doing represents a powerful combination of social and environmental impact, and I couldn't be more excited to share their story with you.tl;dr:* Introduction to Pingree Detroit: The episode introduces Jarret Schlaff, CEO of Pingree Detroit, a worker-owned cooperative in Detroit. The company upcycles leather from the automotive industry to create products like shoes, bags, and wallets, with a focus on providing skilled jobs for veterans and Detroiters.* Business Model and Social Impact: Jarret explains how Pingree Detroit has been profitable while balancing a strong social mission, including providing meaningful employment and creating high-quality, handmade products. The company's approach to pricing reflects the true costs of production and support services for employees.* Worker Ownership: Pingree Detroit is a worker cooperative, where employees can become worker-owners, helping to improve retention, efficiency, and investment in the company. Jarret highlights the benefits of ownership in fostering emotional and financial commitment from employees.* Capital Raising through Crowdfunding: The company is raising capital via Honeycomb Credit to fund key initiatives, including launching a new product (a boot called the Governor), purchasing their building, scaling operations, and investing in marketing efforts.* Jarret's Superpower – Passion: Jarret identifies his superpower as passion, which drives his work toward building a restorative, localized, and equitable economy. He shares stories of how his passion has inspired others to start their own ventures and positively impact their communities.How to Develop Passion As a SuperpowerJarret Schlaff identifies passion as his superpower, explaining that it drives him to create meaningful change in the world. His deep sense of purpose comes from his desire to contribute to a more equitable, sustainable, and restorative future. This passion fuels his daily work and enables him to inspire others, believing that anything is possible when driven by such purpose.Jarret shared a story about how his passion has inspired others to start their own social impact companies after learning about Pingree Detroit. His commitment to the mission of upcycling and creating meaningful jobs has resonated so strongly with people that it has sparked their own entrepreneurial journeys. He also noted the reciprocal inspiration he experiences by witnessing team members thrive despite overcoming immense adversity, further reinforcing his belief in the transformative power of passion.Tips for Developing the Superpower:* Visualize the Future: Imagine the world you want to help create, focusing on what it looks and feels like. Use this visualization to drive motivation.* Identify Your Unique Gifts: Assess your skills and how they can contribute to a larger mission, whether through leadership, support, or creativity.* Stay Grounded in Your 'Why': Regularly ask yourself why your work matters to you and how it aligns with your deeper sense of purpose.* Share Your Passion: Talk about your vision with others to inspire them and create a ripple effect of positive change.By following Jarret Schlaff's example and advice, you can make passion a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileJarret A Schlaff (he/him):Co-founder and CEO, Pingree DetroitAbout Pingree Detroit: Pingree Detroit, founded in 2015, is a worker-owned, triple-bottom-line design and manufacturing cooperative that hand-makes footwear and home, pet, and fashion accessories in Detroit with leather and other materials upcycled from the auto industry. Website: www.PingreeDetroit.comCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/PingreeDetroitOther URL: invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/Pingree-DetroitBiographical Information: Jarret Alan Schlaff is the Co-founder and CEO of Pingree Detroit & Founder of Lectric Boil. He lives on Detroit's east side and is committed to fostering neighborhood resilience and developing opportunities for sustainable, community driven job creation accessible to his neighbors. He is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program, was one of 90 leaders selected from across the U.S. as a 2015 Young American Leadership Fellow with Harvard Business School, named an Emerging Leader by the Detroit Chamber of Commerce in 2015, 20/20 Detroit Person of the week in November 2017, in 2020 was awarded the Oakland University, “10 Under 10 Alumni” for outstanding achievements and impact within ten years of graduation, and most recently was given the 2024 Michigan Recycling Coalition Award of Excellence.X/Twitter Handle: @Planit4planetPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/jarret.schlaff/Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jarret-schlaff-4931b120/Instagram Handle: @pingreedetroitMax-Impact MembersThe following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support to keep us operating:Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Sheryle Gilihan, CauseLabs | Add Your Name HereUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on September 17, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.* SuperCrowdHour, September 18, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, we host a value-laden webinar for aspiring impact investors or social entrepreneurs. At September's webinar, Devin Thorpe will provide an in-depth answer to the question, “Can I Beat the Stock Market with Impact Crowdfund Investments?” Free to attend.* Superpowers for Good Live Pitch, September 25, 2024. The Live Pitch will stream simultaneously to the e360tv network, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube and Superpowers for Good. We hope for an audience of thousands! Watch the pitch and invest in the best!Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events* Community Revitalization, Thursdays, 10:00 AM Eastern.* SEC - CfPA Webinar, September 17, 2024, at 11:00 AM Eastern.* Community Capital Alternatives for Outdoor Recreation Challenges, Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better speaking at American Trails, October 3, 10:00 AM, free.* Main Street Skowhegan and NC3 Entrepreneur Finance Workshop Series, September 17 - November 19, 2023.* Power Your Passion: Funding Social Enterprises Through Crowdfunding, September 19, with Paul Lovejoy, Logan Fahey, Eve Picker and Devin Thorpe.* Crowdfunding Professional Association, Summit in DC, October 22-23* Asheville Neighborhood Economics, November 12-13.If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 8,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here.We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe
Pingree Detroit is a worker-owned, triple-bottom-line design and manufacturing cooperative, co-owned by veterans and Detroiters. Pingree creates hand-made footwear as well as home, pet, and fashion accessories using leather and other materials upcycled from the automotive industry. The project will help activate Pingree's community-focused footwear and leather goods training studio in Detroit.The Cutz Lounge project combines a 4.9 rated barbershop with a high-quality café to offer and serve the community with a place to relax, get a haircut, and eat good food.
Jarret Alan Schlaff is a maker and solutionary. He doesn't self identify as a chief or an executive so he serves as the creator, engineer, and organizer (CEO) of Pingree Detroit, a worker-owned, community based design and manufacturing cooperative co-founded in January 2015. In Pingree's Detroit workshop 10 Detroiters and US veterans are paid a living wage to handcraft bags, accessories, urban utility sneakers, pet accessories, and home goods using luxury-grade car seat leather upcycled from the American auto industry. Pingree Detroit, founded in 2015, is a worker-owned, triple bottom line design and manufacturing cooperative that hand-makes footwear and home, pet, and fashion accessories in Detroit with leather and other materials upcycled from the auto industry. He has a great story to share. Hope you enjoy it. I also want to mention the workshop we are launching on September 9th, specifically for US Veterans and their Spouses. Please share this with any veteran. or the spouse of a veteran. https://www.pminj.org/21-mtg/09njvet.mr Thanks for listening and good luck.
Full-page ad blasts GM CEO Mary Barra as racist, 3 Whitmer kidnap plot suspects headed to trial even as 1 charge dismissed, Pingree Detroit's handmade $349 sneakers sell out through 2021, and Ex-Michigan congressman David Bonior's Catholic faith defines his first novel.
On today’s Daily Detroit: Indoor bars across the lower half of Michigan have been ordered closed because of the coronavirus uptick. Plus: A conversation with Jarrett Schlaff, co-founder of Pingree Detroit. Their worker-owned business has some big news from a pivot - one of the recurring themes of these Coronavirus times - and they’re expanding. He joins us for more. And Journalist Tiffany Esshaki of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle brings us the wild story behind Bloomfield Township leaders suing social media platform Nextdoor… as well as some of the township’s residents.
On today's episode, we hit the vault to re-tell a story originally aired in May. We’re taking a look at a company that’s making high-end leather goods right here in the city of Detroit, putting Detroiters and veterans to work. We’re talking about Pingree Detroit, based just about a block away from the well-known Shinola. Pingree is a worker-owned company formed as an L3C — a special type of company that puts both the bottom line and the social mission of the company first. And when there are profits, 77 cents of every dollar is shared with the workers. Pingree just made their 100th pair of Mayor sneakers. Why Mayor? Because the company is named after shoemaker and former Detroit mayor and Michigan governor Hazen S. Pingree. Considered Detroit’s best mayor, he has a fascinating back story. But back to the present day. The company is based out of an old Albert Kahn bank building, and that’s where we met Pingree Detroit founder Jarret Schlaff. Pingree founder Jarret Schlaff and our Sven Gustafson toured the facility and talked about the project, the sacrifices made to create a worker-first company, the ups and downs of business and the optimistic view Jarret has for the future. The company was founded after meeting jobless veterans in the city. On Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942?mt=2 On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Yhv8nSylVWxlZilRhi4X9?si=U6qjJ6_mQG2yY43pH5EUMQ Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit
Good shoes take you good places — at least according to renowned shoe designer Aki Choklat. In this episode, Danialle learns about Aki's experience in the fashion industry as well as his involvement in the Detroit community. Plus: She gets to know the inspiring men behind Pingree Detroit, a manufacturing company that employs U.S. veterans to create upcycled leather goods from auto materials. Aki Choklat Today world-renowned shoe designer Aki Choklat tells Danialle about his experience in the fashion industry, his work at the College for Creative Studies and shares what surprised him the most about Detroit, the city he calls home. (Spoiler: He wasn't planning on staying long.) For more about Aki, visit akichoklat.com. Follow Aki Choklat on Instagram and Facebook. Jarret Schlaff and Nathaniel Crawford II of Pingree Detroit Next, meet Jarret Schlaff and Nathaniel Crawford II, two of the inspiring men behind Pingree Detroit, where U.S. veterans are paid a living wage to craft bags, urban utility footwear, and accessories using luxury-grade car seat leather upcycled from the American auto industry. The worker-owned, community based manufacturing company, which operates out of its workshop on Woodward and Milwaukee, was co-founded in January 2015. Hear how Jarret's public policy and non-profit background meshed with Nate's military service to form Pingree, which strives to improve the lives of people in our community. For more information visit, pingreedetroit.com. Follow Pingree Detroit on Instagram and Facebook. Read more about Pingree Detroit on SEEN.
One Bootstrapped his way to Tech viability, the other is empowering veterans to pull themselves up by their bootstraps…by literally sewing straps on boots. The possibilities for metaphors are as endless as the conversation! Brent Yax, CEO at Awecomm Technologies, and Jarret Schlaff, Co-Founder and CEO of Pingree Detroit jump into the booth today. David and Nolan talk with the group about the importance of sustainable work for Veterans, competitive advantage of tech for small and mid-sized companies, hidden gems in the neighborhood, and our best stories of our troubled youth.
Today we’re taking a look at a company that’s making high-end leather goods right here in the city of Detroit, putting Detroiters and veterans to work. We’re talking about Pingree Detroit, based just about a block away from the well-known Shinola. Pingree is a worker-owned company formed as an L3C — a special type of company that puts both the bottom line and the social mission of the company first. And when there’s profits, 77 cents of every dollar is shared with the workers. Pingree founder Jarret Schlaff and our Sven Gustafson toured the facility and talked about the project, the sacrifices made to create a worker-first company, the ups and downs of business and the optimistic view Jarret has for the future. The company was founded after meeting jobless veterans in the city. You can find out more about Pingree and shop their shoes, bags and other stuff at their website. Love what we're doing at Daily Detroit? Support us on Patreon. Having reader support allows us to tell the on-the-ground stories like this other so often media misses.
Jarret Alan Schlaff is cultivator, engineer, and organizer (CEO) of Pingree Detroit, a worker-owned, community-based manufacturing company co-founded in January 2015. In Pingree's Detroit workshop, Detroiters and U.S. veterans are paid a living wage to handcraft bags, urban utility boots, and accessories using luxury-grade leather upcycled from the American auto industry. Jarret Schlaff lives on Detroit's eastside and is committed to fostering neighborhood resilience and developing opportunities for sustainable, community-driven job creation. Since 2007, he has launched four nonprofit projects currently making an impact in the youth mentorship, environmental justice and food access arenas across Metro Detroit. He has 10 years of experience in management and organizational development. Jarret was a Global Leadership Fellow by the Hesselbein Leadership Institute, he was a Young American Leadership Fellow with Harvard Business School, and he was named an Emerging Leader by the Detroit Chamber of Commerce. And, in 2017, Jarret was named 20/20 Detroit Person of the week in November 2017. He is a born and bred Detroiter and graduated with a B.A. in Public Administration and Policy from Oakland University.
Jarret Schlaff, co-founder of Pingree Detroit, has started a workers cooperative to help veterans enter the manufacturing world of leather high-end boots, sneakers and bags. We talk to Army and Air Force veterans employed with Pingree Detroit. They are earning a living wage and becoming owners in the business. This is a story of how a community supported a crazy idea that now has legs and helps veterans get their feet back on the ground.
Pingree Manufacturing of Detroit It is all about veterans on this episode! We hear from Jarret Alan Schlaff who is the founder and the main visionary over at Pingree. He shares how the whole idea began and, even, how the name came to be near the end. You won't want to miss it! Stay tuned until the end when we share another great Detroit artist with you. http://bonfiresofsocialenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/pn2.jpg () For the full transcript – Click below Read Full Transcript Introduction Welcome everyone, this is Romy, and I am excited to tell you about Pingree Manufacturing today! It is all about veterans on this episode! So, we will hear from Jarret Alan Sheff who is the founder and, I would surmise, the main visionary over at Pingree. He shares how the whole idea began and, even, how the name came to be near the end. You won't want to miss it! Stay tuned until the end when we share another great Detroit artist with you. What is happening in our Fun Fuel for today? Luke, what do you have for us? Fun Fuel Hi! This is Luke Trombley, and I am bringing you the fun fuel for this episode. The company name, Pingree Manufacturing, actually came from the Detroit mayor that served four terms, Hazen S Pingree. Hazen S Pingree was a businessman with no political experience. The Maine native fought for the Union in the Civil War and was a POW at the Confederate prison at Andersonville. Pingree decided to move to Detroit after the war and become a shoemaker. He decided to run for office in 1890 and held office until 1901. He even claimed the nickname “the idol of the people.” I hope you enjoyed this fun fuel. Enjoy the episode! Transition Thanks Luke! Okay, let's drop in on the conversation with Jarret and see what is walking in and out of Pingree in Detroit. Main Interview Romy: Okay. Well, cool. We're here at Pingree. It's Pingree Manufacturing of Detroit? Jarret: Yeah. Pingree Manufacturing. Some know us as Pingree Detroit. Some know us just as Pingree. Romy: Okay. Well, tell us about Pingree. Jarret: Yeah. We're a social impact startup committed to creating living-wage work for veterans that are overcoming homelessness or unemployment by building some exciting accessories, gear, and footwear using reclaimed leather and other materials from the auto industry. Romy: Yeah. Wow, okay. I want to really dive into all those, but where originally did the idea come from to even get into this? Jarret: Yeah. We started probably a little differently than most companies do. We started more from the impact side where there was a veteran that was living and squatting in my neighborhood. Talking to the man, he was a Marine not too much older than me and was just looking for an opportunity. He had overcome his own addictions. He was just looking for gainful employment. That same week I met another, happened to be a Marine ... A big part of my upbringing was a Marine Corps drill sergeant ... Meeting another Marine who was walking on the street going business to business looking for work. Got to know this guy, he had a master's in engineering and a JD and was sleeping in his car. That, to me, just ... It shook me. It was like this back-to-back moment where I literally remember saying, "Someone's gotta do something about this. It's unacceptable." When I said it out loud, "Someone's gotta do something about this," really, I kind of, my core was like, "I can do something about this." At that time, I stepped away from my past job and started on this three-month exploratory, I guess, journey talking to veteran's organizations, nonprofits, businesses, veterans in my family, in my circle of support, my friends, saying, "Hey, what's the current gaps in the space? Why are there men and women like Mike and these different folks who aren't getting the support they need? What are the gaps? What are the needs?" Across the board, this huge gap was between the provision of basic needs where people's...