Dear Roozt fans,

All of us here at Roozt have so much to be thankful for this year and on the very top of our list of thanks is for all of you!  Thank you so much for being there with us from the beginning and helping us prove that even small deeds can lead to great things.  We are so excited to share our new marketplace with you in the next couple weeks and hope you consider Roozt when doing your holiday shopping this year!  We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with family, friends, food and fun.

  Faithfully yours,

The Roozt Family

There is something very unique and dear about knowing the person who carefully handcrafted the bag or earrings you’re wearing.  It builds a connection to a piece that no mass-produced accessory can achieve.  Well Five Accessories, a Fair Trade, eco-friendly social enterprise is taking that concept to do good – five individuals at a time.

Five Accessories’ mission is to ‘empower and deliver sustainable livelihoods for workers and their communities through the sale of eco friendly and fair trade locally made products.’  Their artisans create handbags, sustainable jewelry and recycled purses that are sold in over 100 stores nationwide.  Their most recent products feature their Cambodia, Bali and Chicago lines.

Five Accessories and Roozt want to share the power of people-to-people businesses by giving away a free Calypso bag and wallet and keychain to three lucky winners!  All the items were created from recycled mosquito nets and the wallets were specially handcrafted by Sophea, chief tailor for Smateria in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  Sophea started working with Five Accessories’ Cambodia partners, Smateria, back in 2005.  She was unemployed at the time and her husband was a moto taxi driver.  She has risen from being a cleaner of recycled mosquito netting used for bags and has now made enough to purchase a house for her family in the countryside where she is from.  Like all of the company’s partners, Smateria uses Fair Trade labor practices to ensure that the workers are treated with respect and paid fairly.

Enter for your chance to win one of these handmade accessories by following the contest rules below!

It’s almost that time of year when children of all ages get to play pretend and indulge in treats.  It’s so easy to get swept up into the gluttony of Halloween so here are 5 tips on how to make this year a year of giving back.

courtesy of Parents.com

1. Find your costume at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army – How many naughty nurses and pimp costumes is too much? This year, think outside your normal Halloween costume supply stores and visit a thrift store to create your own one-of-a-kind, wallet-friendly outfit.  In the process, you’ll also be benefiting others by purchasing from organizations who support those in need.

2. Roast your pumpkin seeds for a natural, healthy snack – It’s fun to decorate pumpkins, but remember that it’s also a vegetable!  For a wonderful fall snack, clean off the seeds from the inside of the pumpkin, lay them flat on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil and salt then bake in a 300 Degree oven for 40 minutes.  You’ll be making double duty of your Halloween staple!

3. Bring Fair Trade alcohol and treats to the party – Now that we are too old to go trick-or-treating, enjoying a good old fashioned Halloween party is a must.  Still, remember to try and support Fair Trade products by picking up a bottle of Fair. Quinoa Vodka or Etica Chardonnay for your friends. For a grown-up treat, also try Coco-Zen Halloween Chocolate bars to make everyone really feel like a kid again.

4. Donate candy to soldiers – Have a ton of leftover candy and need a way to get rid of the temptation?  Operation Gratitude is a wonderful way to support our troops by sending over packages of candy or snacks to those serving overseas.  This year, convince the trick-or-treaters around you to offer some of their candy to Operation Gratitude for the sweetest treat of all.

5. Host a Halloween party for a non-profit – nothing is more fun than inviting your friends over and having a costume contest.  Put a twist to this year’s festivities by opening your party up and gathering donations for your favorite charity.  It’s a great way to meet new friends and also celebrate the non-profit that you support!

Have a safe and socially-conscious Halloween!

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Here at Roozt, we are sipping our free Earth Day Starbucks coffee from reusable mugs and enjoying the lovely sunshine. We know that it is the small changes in our lifestyle that can make all the difference! So we invite you to join us in Earth Day celebrations.

Here are some basic tips to get your started… But think outside the (recyclable) box!

1. Fill a bowl with cold water and wash fruit and vegetables this way, instead of letting water from a faucet run over them.

2. Arrange furniture to take advantage of natural light from windows. Place desks and reading chairs next to windows to cut down on the need and use of supplemental, artificial light during the day.

3. Configure your printer to print on both sides of the paper!

4. Bring your own bags to the supermarket. Not only are you saving plastic, but reusable grocery bags are usually bigger and sturdier, anyway.

5. Hit the light switch when you walk out of the room!

6. Turn off the oven ten to fifteen minutes before cooking time runs out; don’t worry, food will continue to cook without using the extra electricity.

7. Pay as many bills as possible online to reduce paper use.

8. Fix those leaky faucets.

9. Limit the time you spend in the shower to just a few minutes.

10. Turn off your computer when you’re not using it (even setting it to “sleep” mode still uses power).

***

ROOZT EARTH DAY PROMO – tell us how you’re celebrating Earth Day!

1. Go to facebook.com/rooztdeals and post on our wall what you’re doing for Earth Day. No action is too big or too small: be creative, have fun, and be green! (Bonus points for uploaded pictures and/or tagging “@Roozt.com” on your own Facebook wall)

2. As a reward, we will be giving away (1) $40 Roozt.com gift card for the most impressive action, as well as (3) $10 Roozt.com gift cards for the top 3 people with the most voted “likes” on their Earth Day posts or pictures!

3. So spread the word, tell your friends to help you win, and get green! We’ll be accepting posts through next Friday the 29th.

How could light bulbs and coffee possibly be related? Well, they are both making headlines with connection to global warming… and your choice in light bulbs might just affect how you start off your mornings.

"Lightbulb" image courtesy of Matthew Hardingham

Are you a coffee connoisseur? Do you need a cup o’ Joe to start off your day? If so, you will likely be saddened by the fact that heat waves and unpredictable rain in Latin America have destroyed much of this year’s harvest. The culprit? Global warming.

Few countries in the world have the right climate to grow coffee, and it doesn’t take rocket science to see that a drastic change in the rain patterns poses a serious danger to coffee production. This will mean a lower supply of quality coffee beans this year, and maybe even rising prices at your local coffee shop. Better stock up on it while it’s there!

While you are shopping around for coffee, you may also notice some changes in the light
bulbs being sold at the store. The good news:  law makers are working hard to brighten your day, by passing stricter
regulations to increase the efficiency of light bulbs, so you can get more light with less energy. Small
changes like this can make a big difference, and potentially help stop climate change! Something coffee
and tea enthusiasts alike can celebrate.

-GB with the Roozt Crew

Roozt.com & NFTE Partner to Teach Social Entrepreneurship!

In Los Angeles, in Mr. Jaquias’ 10th grade class at Downtown Magnets High School, there are a group of 35 students that are out to change the world — through business. These elite students were specially selected to take part in the first ever Social Venture Competition where they will learn the fundamentals of starting their own business through the lens of a social entrepreneur that is committed to making a difference in the world as well as a profit. Pretty amazing feat for a group of 14 and 15 year olds!

When I founded Roozt.com, I wanted to do something that made a positive impact on the world and helped inspire others to do the same. So when I was introduced to the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), it was a match made in heaven. An established national organization that goes into low-income communities from all across the U.S. to teach entrepreneurship to youth, I saw an opportunity to harness their infrastructure, established programs, and inspiring student base to modify the curriculum to integrate social responsibility into the student’s everyday learnings and business models. The idea I proposed to the NFTE Chapter of Greater Los Angeles was simple: let’s make social responsibility a forethought instead of an afterthought. Let’s integrate it directly into everything that the students do, learn, and practice so that as they become entrepreneurs with their own companies or intrapreneurs within existing organizations, they will incorporate responsible business practices all along the way. The Executive Director of NFTE here in LA, Estelle Reyes, could not have been more excited and supportive of the idea and immediately we began the planning process.

The students spent the entire first semester of their year studying the basics of marketing, identifying opportunities in the market, learning how to develop a clear business concept, and going over the basic laws of supply and demand — all through the eyes of a social entrepreneur who is focused on people, planet, and profit.

Mr. Jaquias' 10th Grade NFTE Class at Downtown Magnets High School in Los Angeles with Roozt Founders Brent Freeman & Norma LaRosa (Center)

The second semester (which just began) is where it gets real exciting! We will be taking the students through a Social Venture Competition where they identify a problem in their community and develop a for-profit business model around helping solve it. Each student will write a business plan about their social venture, from concept statement to financial projections, then create a pitch to present to a panel of experienced social entrepreneurs and investors. To make this competition something real for the students, Roozt and its corporate partner, MyCorporation.com, have teamed up to create a Social Venture Launch Kit for the Grand Prize winner that will help eliminate some of the major barriers of entry to actually starting their business. This Launch Kit will include:

1. Free LLC or Incorporation filing (including state fees)
2. Corporate Name availibility check
3. TAX ID Number for the business
4. Business Consultation with a MyCorp & Roozt Business Professional
5. Elite Corporate Kit and Seal (with customized documents & certificates)
6. Free Logo Design
7. Free Domain Name
8. Free QuickBooks Simple Start
9. Free Website
10. Small Business Book Set
11. Company & Product Feature on Roozt Website, Email, and Blog

The Launch Kit for the winner of the Social Venture Competition was designed to break down the barriers of entry the students to turn their business idea into a reality at the end of the semester, so we are very excited to see where this goes! The whole idea behind this entire program is to teach, inspire, and mentor the young social entrepreneurs of Downtown Magnets High School here in LA to make a difference in the world through business. To make this happen, I personally join Mr. Jaquias and his 10th grade class once a week to help teach the students the fundamentals of using business as a vehicle to make the world a better place. Each week will be a new challenge, new lesson, and new step forward.

We are extremely fired up to see what this upcoming semester holds, the ideas that the students come up with, and the social impact that they will make on their community.

Each week of this semester, I will chronicle a step of our journey in the DMHS Social Entrepreneur Pilot Program on the Roozt Blog, Roozt Twitter, Roozt Facebook, as well as the NFTE National blog for you to follow. We hope you enjoy reading about the amazing things these students are up to and that you become inspired by some of their incredible stories and ideas. I know I am. These students are the business leaders of tomorrow. These students are our future. I could not be more excited for what’s in store!

Enthusiastically,

Brent Freeman
Founder / CEO, Roozt.com

To learn more about NFTE, go to www.NFTE.com or donate directly by clicking here.

Now is your chance to get cool shoes and be a humanitarian in the process, so mark your calendar and start 2011 right!

Oliberté "Rovia" Shoe in Navy

This Friday 1/14 – Sunday 1/16 only, 1% of every purchase made on Roozt.com will be donated to GiveRunning.org, an inspiring organization that puts shoes on children in need from all around the world!

This weekend’s Roozt Daily Deal will feature Oliberté Footwear. An incredible company that makes premium leather shoes for guys and girls, the company combines the heritage of African artisans with forward-thinking design and technique. All footwear is made in Ethiopia with 100% natural leather and constructed with over 1,000 stitches by men and women that are paid and treated fairly – all part of their belief that Africa is full of pride, power and liberty.

ROOZT DEAL: $100 value Oliberté Footwear gift cards will be sold for just $45. A savings of 55%!

Give Running is an inspiring nonprofit that collects, cleans, and donates new & gently-used running shoes (plus a set of brand new socks for each pair of shoes!) to disadvantaged youth both in Third World countries and inner city communities here in the United States.

• In many Third World nations, it is required for children to wear shoes to attend school. Many children miss out on the opportunity for a quality education, solely because their families cannot afford to buy them a pair of shoes. Give Running changes that.

Give Running Founder Greg Woodburn distributes shoes in Mali.

• Even in America, finances cause many living in the inner cities to miss out on the joys, freedoms, and opportunities that running brings. A member of the USC Track & Field team, Give Running Founder Greg Woodburn understands the healthy outlet that running can provide, and works hard to provide quality running shoes to disadvantaged youth and teens here in the U.S., as well as abroad.

• Read People Magazine’s feature on Give Running in its “Heroes Among Us” column here

• Read Reader’s Digest feature on Give Running here

• Watch Give Running’s Founder Greg Woodburn give shoes to the small village of Sikoro, Mali here.

Because Give Running’s mission is so closely aligned with Oliberté’s, providing hope, sustainability, and a better future for all Africans, we are thrilled to announce our Roozt Deal and urge you sign up and partake by buying the deal!

How You Can Make a Difference with Your Dollars Everyday:

1. Sign up for Roozt.com’s Deal Alerts by clicking here.
2. Purchase a $100 value Oliberté gift card for just $45 (saving 55%), from Friday 1/14 to Sunday 1/16. Exclusively on Roozt.com!
3. 1% of your purchase will be donated to Give Running’s efforts to improve the lives of disadvantaged youth in Africa and the U.S.  It’s easy as 1, 2, 3 (literally)!

So tell your friends, tell your family…heck, shout it from the top of a mountain if you want. The important thing is that, through your savvy purchase of Oliberté footwear, you will be making a material difference in the lives of so many children who need it.

See you this Friday 1/14/10 at Roozt.com!

No, they haven’t been featured in yet another nostalgic Coca Cola commercial (although we love watching polar bears and penguins frolic and drink carbonated beverages together as much as the next person).

If we were just given our own designated "protection area," we'd celebrate with a relaxing swim too.

Rather, this news is of the more long-term, sustainable variety: the Obama administration has recently designated an extensive “polar bear protection area” off the northern coast of Alaska.

Approximately 187,000 square miles, this special zone is comprised mainly of sea ice in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas: the critical element of a polar bear’s habitat, that in recent decades has been extremely threatened by the melting polar ice caps.

While the bears are currently listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Endangered Species Act, it is estimated that unless some changes are made to stop global climate change, 2/3 of the world’s polar bear population could be gone by 2030.

The Chukchi and Beaufort seas stretch from Siberia, across Alaska's northern coastline.

The new protection area is contained in a scarcely populated region of our 50th state that makes its living through oil and gas exploration. Opposition groups are arguing that the zone will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and revenues for the state, as well as “disproportionally impact Alaska Natives,” the primary residents of the area.

Various interest groups, the White House, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are currently at odds over the extent to which the new ruling will slow job growth and economic recovery. As of now, economic development is not completely banned in the region, just required to analyze the impact on polar bears  before it can be approved. But regardless of one’s political views, it is great news to see strides being made that will help ensure the survival of this incredible species.

And that’s something we’ll all crack open a Coke and toast to!

What does it mean to build healthy relationships in the world?

I think it’s safe to say that we all look for meaning in our lives in some way.  We try to build relationships with other people that will ultimately bring meaning, purpose, and hopefully love into our lives.

NightLight offers intervention for those who have been exploited, and hosts programs to help them rediscover their dignity and value in the world. The organization works one-on-one with every woman and child, and helps them realize their true potential.  One such example is teaching the women in the program to make handcrafted jewelry as an economic alternative to prostitution.  With each ring, bracelet, necklace, there’s a story to be told.

This is how the folks at NightLight not only change the world around them, but change their personal world. Building empowerment and changing the world really starts within the individual. We should take the time to realize the unique value that we can bring into today’s world before we go out and try to change it.

What if were to discover something unique within us that can really contribute to the world?  What if we developed a passion for a particular cause and invested our whole selves into that area?  The truth is that there is something out there that makes us unique; there’s something that makes us stand out.  What if we pursued that uniqueness, embraced it, and spread it to the whole world, whether it’s a story, an idea, a passion, or a desire?

Think of the positive change that we can see in the world today.  Think of how powerful a movement we can create together.  How do we live a life of meaning?  Or how do we try to pursue it?  Let’s start within ourselves and figure it out.

-BN with the Roozt team

What do rabbits and algae have in common?  If the word “prolific” popped into your head, you’re right on the Rooztbux.   But what makes the abundance of this green slime so important is the fact that, within your lifetime, your car might be running on it.  Certain species of this miracle plant suck in carbon dioxide and convert it to oil through photosynthesis (oh, the wonders of Mother Nature!).  The future of gasoline?  Maybe so, according to Ford.

“Ford has a long history of developing vehicles that run on renewable fuels; and the increased use of biofuels is an important element of our sustainability strategy now and moving forward,” said the technical leader with the Ford Systems Analytics and Environmental Sciences Department. “We look ahead from a technological, economic, environmental, and social standpoint at potential next-generation renewable fuels that could power our vehicles.”

As concerns regarding peak oil daunt politicians (and pretty much everyone in the developed and developing world), Ford is also looking into ethanol and butanol as alternative energy sources.  But the problem remains whether these alternative fuel sources have high enough EROEI (energy return on energy invested) to become competitive and to allow us to continue with business as usual, i.e. blindly depending on technology and risky oil drilling practices so we can continue driving our gas-guzzlers.

Oh, but then there’s always global warming…

The best solution: pull that good ol’ fashioned bicycle out of your garage!  Get some sun, take in the fresh air, and leave your fuel dependency behind.

See you in the bike lane,

GG at Roozt