About Us
The ethikus team putting heads together to
foster positive change in the community.
We help you discover great local businesses where you can align your purchases with your values.
Many stores and restaurants have great practices in mitigating environmental impact, engaging with their community, supporting their employees and sourcing products locally and naturally. But it's hard to know who does what, and why we should shop or eat there.
That's where ethikus comes in. We believe in supporting businesses that do good, and that it should be easy to do so. We survey local establishments and identify what's ethical and sustainable in their day-to-day business practices. That information is put in our database and available for you, the conscientious shopper.
With ethikus you can find and choose local businesses that share your values, whether it's composting and energy efficiency, or employee healthcare and community donations, or any combination of what you care about!
The Shop Your Values Week pledge is just the beginning. We want to create a long-term movement towards better shopping. When you 'vote with your wallet' at ethikus businesses you send a message that sustainability is profitable and community comes first. When thousands of people do likewise, it will be a message that's impossible to ignore. Businesses big and small will begin to make changes for the better, and ethikus will be there to help them as well.
Advance your values, promote sustainable business practices and discover the good in your neighborhood with ethikus.
Our Founders
Jon and Jeff contemplate enlightenment
vs. entertainment
Hi! We're Jeff and Jon. We founded ethikus because we believe that the places we shop, eat, and explore in our communities should do more than just serve us a slice and a smile. We want to support local stores that donate to community organizations, use eco-friendly products in their kitchens, provide for their employees, and are focused on reducing their store's impact on the environment.
But how do we find these do-gooders? How do we peel back the exterior and know which businesses are really worth our patronage? Those places are out there, quietly and humbly running their restaurants and stores in admirable ways, and we want to put them in the spotlight.
And we know we can. Jeff founded and led IBM's Corporate Social Responsibility Consulting practice before deciding a not-so-steady income and morning meetings from his bed was a better career move. He's the idealist, coffee shop-hopping, change-the-world-now, tree-hugging ideas guy of ethikus. Jon is the tech-guru, the man behind the servers, building and designing everything that makes ethikus work for you.
We founded ethikus together, but we're more than just business partners! "Brothers from other mothers" is a good description, mostly because Jon's wife is Jeff's sister. So our work is personal. We work together and with the ethikus community because we enjoy it, and we believe in it. It's important to us to be conscientious citizens, just like the local businesses we love.
We'd love to hear from you! To get more involved, or just say hello, drop us an email at: jeffandjon@ethikus.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How It Works
-
How does it work?
We visit local stores and restaurants in our pilot neighborhoods and evaluate them to determine if they're ethical and sustainable. If we believe they are doing enough things right, (see section below on what is ethical and sustainable), we work with them to highlight their values in a video clip, and provide an exclusive offer to our community of ethical consumers.
-
What area of NYC is your "beta pilot" focused on?
Our pilot is focused on neighborhoods south of 14th Street - mostly the East Village, West Village and Greenwich Village. Our goal is to get as much feedback as possible from local business owners and consumers like you during this phase so we can expand successfully across and around NYC.
-
How long will each sale last?
During our "beta pilot" phase, deals will last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Once we've gotten feedback and are ready for our next phase, deals will be highlighted for a consistent - and much shorter - period of time.
-
What happens after I make a purchase?
We'll send you a confirmation email shortly after you complete your purchase with a link to the voucher for you to print out and bring to the store.
-
What if I misplace my confirmation email?
You can access your voucher directly on the site by logging into the My Account section and printing it from there.
-
How do I redeem an offer?
Redemption details differ per featured store but, instructions will appear on each offer page, as well as the Confirm Your order page and email.
What Is Ethical And Sustainable? Δ
-
How do you know when a business is ethical and sustainable?
We're evaluating businesses on 4 criteria:
- How the store or restaurant engages with the community
- How it supports its employees
- How it addresses the store's environmental impact
- How its products and services are sourced and which products are chosen
-
Why don't you give the stores a rating?
As we've discovered in conversations with literally hundreds of consumers, everyone has a different definition of an ethical, sustainable and local store or restaurant. Instead of forcing our definition on everyone, we've decided to provide our community of conscientious consumers with the information we've gathered about the stores' practices and let you make the decision for yourself as to whether it is ethical or sustainable enough to get your business.
-
Can we recommend stores and restaurants to evaluate?
Absolutely, please visit the Your Community section to let us know what stores to evaluate!
-
How do you know all the data you collected is accurate?
The owner or manager of the store verifies, often for a second time, the data we collect on the ethical and sustainable business practices at the store. The owner is also on camera, which we believe provides additional assurance that the qualitative information is accurate to the best of everyone's knowledge. Of course, businesses change, too. And that's why we'll also provide an area for comment and discussion with each featured business.
-
Are you a non-profit organization?
No, Jon and Jeff are social entrepreneurs. This means we want to make a profit AND a difference. For us, this is the definition of ethical and sustainable. We plan to apply for certification as a B Corporation in the near future.
Support Δ
-
I've purchased a voucher and am encountering unexpected issues, what do I do?
Please contact ethikus Customer Support at support@ethikus.com or call us at 203-SUSTAIN if this occurs. Your feedback plays a huge role in our success. We'll try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
-
What if the local business does not know what I'm talking about?
We are working very hard to ensure this doesn't happen. In cases where it does, please contact our Customer Support at (203) - SUSTAIN (203-787-8246). They'll work to resolve your issue with the vendor as soon as possible.
-
What if I am unhappy with the experience I ordered on ethikus?
We work hard to ensure this doesn't happen, but in our pilot phase, we may need your help to work out the kinks. Please give us your feedback! Send your comments and thoughts to feedback@ethikus.com.
-
When is ethikus coming to my city?
We are currently in our pilot phase in lower Manhattan but definitely have plans to expand. In fact, we'd love your advice on where ethikus should launch next! Let us know: info@ethikus.com.
-
My business is perfect for ethikus, how do I get in touch?
We'd love to hear from you! Please email us at jeffandjon@ethikus.com. Thanks for your interest.
-
I love your company mission, are you all hiring?
In the next few months we hope to be hiring a number of passionate, change-the-world types to help us expand our vision. If you're interested in learning more, visit the Work for Us section or email us at work@ethikus.com.
Our Partners
The future of work is collaboration, not competition. Our partners are invaluable to us. They make up our greatest supporters and our most thoughtful critics because we share values and goals. Ethikus is community-oriented, so while most startups keep their strategies and projects secret, we open up and invite collaboration. We've been rewarded with amazing organizational and businesses partners. They have helped guide us on our path to making the Shop Your Values movement and our success linked with theirs.
Work For Us
The ethikus team finishing up a long
week with a little pizza
A few members of our team in action,
filming in Washington Square Park.
Are we hiring?
We're looking for interns.
But we're not looking for just anybody. Passion and commitment to improving the world is a necessity!
We're a startup culture looking for candidates with a broad range of skills and abilities to fill these roles:
- Business and community ambassadors
- Videographers and photographers
- Campus ambassadors
Please email work@ethikus.com if you're interested.
Contact Us
Give Us A Ring:
(203) SUSTAIN
Check out our
FAQ.
