This article is part of a series on Women in Tech. Read the series here.
________________________________
Regardless of the industry you’re in, you’d probably be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t attended an event and left holding physical items (a.k.a. SWAG) they’re not entirely sure what to do with. As Linsay Moran the cofounder of Unwrapit notes, there’s research that suggests that sometimes, receiving unwanted items can be detrimental to a brand, especially if it doesn’t resonate with the recipient.
“We believe that in some cases, well-intentioned event organizers, sales leaders, and HR managers are creating a mismatch between their brand, the gift, and sentiment they hope to convey,” she says. “The Unwrapit platform ties all of these elements together in a convenient digital way that creates surprise and delight for the recipient.”
Here’s how it works: organizations can work with Unwrapit to deliver digital gifts to event attendees, team members or clients. A recipient is then invited to visit the platform to “unwrap” their personalized present, which they get to select from options curated by the gifting company. Every facet of the reveal process is fully customizable and branded, and most of the options are experiential or charitable to save on waste and packaging.
“It may seem small but we feel that shifting away from physical gift giving to sustainably-minded gifts like this is low hanging fruit when it comes to the total decarbonization of business activity required in the coming years,” she says.
“Whether companies are committed to change or not, the next decade is going to require a reconsideration of how they do business. Consumers and employees alike are more aware of the climate crisis and it’s a priority for many. Companies can’t afford to ignore it.”
The general concept for Unwrapit was developed by Linsay’s co-founder Peter Deitz before she joined the team in 2020 alongside fellow co-founder Taylan Pince. It was through Peter’s relationship with Heather Crosbie, a senior advisor at ventureLAB, that Linsay became acquainted with the organization’s Tech Undivided program for female entrepreneurs.
“I am fortunate to have her mentorship,” Linsay says of working with Heather and ventureLAB’s other advisors as part of the initiative’s 2022 cohort. “Having never stepped foot in the physical space as a result of COVID, I can say the organization has created a really strong sense of community - even virtually.”
Community is key for entrepreneurs, Linsay says, as is being resilient in the face of any disappointments faced. It’s also important for business owners to surround themselves with team members who share the same “north star.”
“We all are committed to creating a social purpose business that will directly and indirectly, accomplish social and environmental goals. We are working to nudge the multibillion-dollar global corporate gifting industry to an environmentally friendly alternative.”
She adds: “On a personal level, we are all committed to doing something that matters. We all feel strongly that there is no point in even starting a business if there isn’t a strong social impact focus.”
About Tech Undivided
ventureLAB’s Tech Undivided offers a comprehensive 6-month program to enable women-led tech companies to scale their businesses. The program creates a support ecosystem of resources and networking opportunities for women founders focused on key pillars of raising capital, commercializing technology and IP, attracting talent, and acquiring customers. Applications for Tech Undivided are open now! Apply today to access mentorship, peer-to-peer support, strategically aligned partners, and opportunities to pitch.
About ventureLAB
ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP, and customer acquisition have enabled thousands of companies to create over 4,500 jobs and raise more than $200 million in investment capital. At ventureLAB, we grow globally competitive tech titans that build-to-scale in Canada, for global markets.
