From side hustle to $2 billion brand

INC. THIS MORNING From side hustle to $2 billion brand Good morning, When Tim Brown retired from professional soccer, he found himself searching for his next meaningful endeavor. He started making shoes as a side hustle. During his playing days, Brown said during a recent Inc. streaming event, he had enjoyed the free gear that brands sent to professional athletes, but he also wondered about ways to produce it without synthetic materials. He'd go on in 2015 to co-found Allbirds, a San Francisco Bay Area sustainable footwear and apparel company.  Allbirds, which is a B Corp, went public in November with a valuation of more than $2 billion in an important precedent for environmental, social, and governance companies. Check out the full story of how Allbirds went from Brown’s side hustle to a $2 billion sustainable brand. And check out more of our Allbirds coverage: What Allbirds is Building with a Sustainable Public Offering Comfy Shoes Helped Allbirds Become a $1.4 Billion Company, but It's Never Been Just About Shoes Allbirds' IPO Shows Investor Interest in Sustainability--but There Are Limits How Allbirds Is Revolutionizing the Fashion Industry Why Allbirds Stamps All Its Products With Their Carbon Footprint Allbirds' New Workout Gear Is the Latest to Target the Industry's Polyester Problem SPONSORED CONTENT Your Venture Portfolio Awaits Investing in high-growth startups is now within your reach. Alumni Ventures makes building a venture portfolio smart and simple. Get Started. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: Here’s a two-step process for building unshakable self confidence. –Inc. Virtual or in-person? This year’s event decisions have never been more difficult. –Inc.  Have you already failed your New Year’s resolutions? You probably didn’t have the right strategy. –Inc.  The latest wave of coronavirus cases is slowing the recovery, but its longer-term impact is even less clear. –NYT Applications for new businesses rose 20 percent last year, after languishing for a decade. Many newly minted founders attribute it to the pandemic. –Wired  ONE MORE THING: These 12 books recommended by Adam Grant are great reads this winter. –Inc. --Brit Morse Associate editor, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback at BMorse@inc.com and on Twitter at @britnmorse. Join the visionaries who choose Inc. as their trusted source for the most accurate reporting on business. Join Inc. Unlimited today. Click here to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, Unsubscribe • Update Profile • View in Browser • Privacy Policy