Celebrating Female Founders this International Women’s Day
We at the UnTours Foundation know that women entrepreneurs are powerhouses who not only build strong, sustainable businesses, but also create incredible impact in their communities. In the United States alone, women are launching more than 1,100 new businesses every single day —which is two and a half times the national average—and yet 66% of […]
It’s our 30th birthday!
Dear UnTours family, It’s our 30th birthday! Funny that our “birth” was basically unplanned and surprising, even to our beloved founder, Hal Taussig. How could that be?! Well, the foundation was a last-ditch solution for Hal. Hal lived by his own maxim that “it’s not how much you give away, it’s how little you keep.” […]
2020 Was Bananas! Avocados Too. Fair Trade Numbers from Equal Exchange
We are big supporters of the Fair Trade movement here at the Untours Foundation in Media, PA, the first Fair Trade Town in the US. With inspiration and energy from our founder, Hal Taussig, we have worked locally and internationally to support and further the mission. We have also invested in Equal Exchange and many […]
From the Home Office of Elizabeth: Impact Investing, Shark Tank, Cats & More
Untours Foundation Co-CEO Elizabeth Killough is expanding her influence and growing her impact as a champion for Mission Aligned Investment. We caught up with her recently to learn more about what she’s up to. What investees are you most excited about? There’s simply no “most excited.” We select only awesome investees and love them all […]
Grant Blvd Gets Some Love (and Money) from Beyoncé
Grant Blvd is much more than a sustainable fashion brand. This brilliant Black-owned, Philadelphia-based apparel company make one-of-a-kind pieces from deadstock and upcycles thrift store cast-offs into beautiful clothing. Beyond this, Grant Blvd stands up for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, in its hiring practices, in some of its designs (like shirts that read “end […]
Courting Mr. Wonderful: Kreyòl Essence Swims with the Sharks
We love our investees and are especially proud of smart entrepreneurs like Yve-Car Momperousse and Stephane Jean-Baptiste. Their Kreyòl Essence is a natural beauty brand that sources its skin and hair care ingredients from fairly paid farmers in Haiti. It is a laudable model for its commitment to organic farming and lifting women from poverty. […]
Meet the Investee: Dana Donofree of AnaOno
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, we held a powerful, loving and inspiring conversation with Dana Donofree about her business, AnaOno. The Untours Foundation was an early supporter of this venture. Dana, a breast cancer survivor herself, creates feminine, comfortable undergarments for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and women who want better options. She set […]
Meet the Investee: Rachel Faller of tonlé
We recently hosted a Zoom conversation with Rachel Faller the founder of tonlé, a sustainable fashion label with all the right style and values. Working in Cambodia on a Fulbright scholarship, Rachel saw the impacts of fast fashion first hand, and she struck a new path. Her clothing line is zero waste, though we would […]
Creating a New Normal for Business, With Your Help
Before Kreyol Essence won on Shark Tank, they were winners of the foundation’s UnDreamed Of Award Dear Untours family, Guess what? We’re still here! Brian Taussig-Lux and the Untours team are keeping the home fires burning planning for Untours’ future while I, along with our Board, have been working with our entrepreneurs helping them reach […]
At Untours Foundation, we literally “support” our investees, and we’ve got the photo to prove it!
After a summer heavy rain got Lor Holmes’s flight canceled, she finally made it to sunny Philadelphia. And, lucky me [Olga], I got to host her at my very own home in Chestnut Hill, along with Untours Foundation Director Elizabeth Killough and Board President Heather Van Dusen. Lor leads venture development and capitalization strategies at […]
