More than seven years ago, we were just an idea for our Founder and CEO, Jasmine Crowe-Houston. Since 2017, that idea has grown into Goodr – a social impact startup using technology and a data-driven approach to feed communities and keep food out of landfills. We are proud to celebrate seven incredible years of innovation, impact, growth, and doing Goodr. As we reflect on our journey, each passing year has been marked by significant milestones that have shaped the company we have become. Join us as we revisit seven moments, one from each year, that have defined our journey and gotten us to where we are today.
2017: C3Spark United Way Atlanta Pitch Competition
In 2016, Goodr was just an idea for our Founder and CEO, Jasmine Crowe-Houston. After researching and planning, it became clear that building technology was the necessary next step for Goodr. To secure the funds for the technology, Jasmine entered her first pitch competition at the United Way Atlanta’s C3 Spark Conference in April 2017. After months of practicing her pitch, Jasmine won first place and $15,000 in prize money. These initial funds helped build the first iteration of our technology. This win paved the way for Goodr to reach where we are today.
2018: Surplus Food Recovery and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
In 2018, we participated in a hackathon with Goodie Nation and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. By sharing the mission and work of Goodr, we received the opportunity to partner with the Atlanta airport to manage surplus edible food waste and support the airport’s sustainability goals. We are proud that our partnership with Hartsfield-Jackson has continued since. We work with various vendors throughout the airport that have signed up to divert their surplus food away from landfills and get it to people who need it.
2019: Goodr Becomes a Certified B Corp
In 2019, our team applied to become a B Corp to ensure our commitment to people, communities, and the planet was certified by one of the most thorough organizations, B Lab. Certified B Corps maintain a high social and environmental commitment, ensure accountability to all stakeholders, and share details about company standards publicly and transparently. By receiving B Corp status in 2019, we joined companies doing well by doing good, like Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. We are proud to share that we have maintained our B Corp status since then.
2020: Rapid Response COVID-19 Hunger Solutions
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, many companies paused all in-person operations. This led to empty corporate cafeterias, hotels, and restaurants – limiting the immediate need for Surplus Food Recovery. At the same time, families saw their economic and food security status change quickly due to the uncertainty. We pivoted from our core focus on Food Waste Solutions to using our logistics capabilities for Hunger Solutions. By the end of 2020, we served groceries and meals to tens of thousands of Georgia families through our grocery delivery partnership with Atlanta school systems and through Pop-Up Grocery Markets with partners like the Atlanta Hawks, Wendy’s, and more.
2021: First Free Goodr Grocery Store
In 2021, our founder and CEO, Jasmine Crowe-Houston, had a vision for a long-term free grocery shopping experience similar to our Pop-Up Grocery Markets but one that families could have consistent access to. From that, the concept of the Goodr Grocery Store was born. The Goodr Grocery Store is a free, easily accessible grocery shopping experience within an existing structure like a school, community center, or senior home. In September 2021, we teamed up with hip-hop artist Gunna to open the first Goodr Grocery Store at a local Atlanta middle school. Since then, we have opened more than a dozen stores in cities across the country. These stores have consistently served thousands of families with partners like Chegg and Paige Bueckers, Memphis Shelby County School, the Atlanta Gas Light Foundation and more.
2022: Goodr Raises $8M Series A
In 2022, we hit one of our largest company milestones with the close of our Series A fundraising round. After five years of scaling, we raised $8 Million in additional funds to help us grow our operations and impact even faster. The round was led by Precursor Ventures and included participation from Collab Capital, Gratitude Railroad, Emerson Collective, Backstage Capital, Innovations For Impact, the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, Hockey Stick Investments, Kimbal and Christiana Musk, and a host of angel investors. We also added our first angel investor and long-time advisor, Jewel Burks Solomon, to the board. The investment has helped us grow the team, scale operations, and strengthen the development of our tech.
2023: Launch of the Mobile Grocery Store
To expand our suite of Hunger Solutions, we wanted to drive food access for rural communities and communities with limited transportation. We came up with the idea of taking our free grocery shopping experience on the road. After years of planning, we launched the first Goodr Mobile Grocery Store in March 2023. The Mobile Grocery Store was sponsored by Amazon, Mailchimp, MARTA, Verizon, Volt Energy Utility, and Wellstar Health System. Fully kitted with refrigerators, freezers, and shelving, the Goodr Mobile Grocery Store is a shoppable 26-foot truck stocked with grocery items. On the truck, families can shop for their free groceries, including fresh produce, milk, eggs, and shelf-stable items. Every aspect of the Mobile Grocery Store is about access – from the wheelchair ramp to the resource room for private health screenings or consultations. Since its launch, we’ve taken the Mobile Grocery Store to communities all around Georgia, feeding thousands of families.
As we commemorate our seventh anniversary, we are so grateful to everyone who has been part of the Goodr journey – our team, partners, shoppers, and supporters especially! As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our commitment to create innovative solutions to end hunger and food waste. We’re proud of all the moments that have gotten us this far, and we are excited about what’s to come. Here’s to seven years of Goodr!
