Page 100 - The $100 Startup_ Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love

country’s population. Enter Khary and Selena Cuffe, a husband-and-wife team
from the United States who found a way to create a highly profitable business
that supports black vineyard owners in South Africa. Selena, the CEO, explains
it like this: “This venture merges my passion for entrepreneurship with social
justice. The greatest benefit is that my personal and business goals are identical:
positively changing people’s perception of the African continent and helping to
reinstill a sense of family and connectivity into the lives of the people that our
business touches.”

In Tel Aviv, Israel, Daniel Nissimyan founded a paintball distributor called
Matix Ltd. The business stood out to me because of his unique client base: “We
sell extreme sports equipment to enthusiasts in Israel and neighboring countries,
and also to the Israeli defense establishment for training purposes.” Despite the
sudden appearance of a number of competitors that sprang up in response to the
growth of paintball in Israel, business was good. Matix Ltd. was clearing six
figures in income and had sewn up exclusivity contracts with key suppliers, thus
thwarting the new competitors.

Daniel went back and forth between Israel and the U.S., and his previous
venture was a non-profit that taught karate to children with developmental
disabilities in Southern California. Paintball was fun, but Daniel wanted
something that combined the non-profit model he started in California with the
sports business he ran in Tel Aviv. He found the answer in a new venture called
Green Collar, a project that will reduce landfill waste inefficiency while also
tapping an overlooked energy source. The goal is to work with municipal
governments in both Israel and the Palestinian Authority in an effort to solve
common problems and advance joint interests. Here’s what Daniel has to say:

Much more than with Matix [the paintball business], I wake in the morning
feeling I’m making the world a better place, and that I don’t need to suffer
for it. I don’t need to volunteer my time to another NGO or donate money; I
instead have focused my best efforts to make the world a better place for
my country and my children—and I will also be compensated for it.

Whether you follow Daniel’s model of designing a business around a social
cause (and being paid for it) or find a way to incorporate a community project
into your existing business, many entrepreneurs find this to be a critical,
fulfilling part of their work.

The 140-Character Mission Statement