Mason Israel is saving the world, one first aid kit at a time. As the kidpreneur founder of Help2Heal, Mason and his entrepreneur parents, Rob and Renee, are helping people all over the world heal with buy one, give one first aid. Read on to find out more about Mason and his Boulder, CO-based B Corp.
How Band-Aids inspired our business: “Help2Heal’s mission is to provide high quality first aid products with a buy one, give one model, ensuring people in need around the world have access to first aid basics. For now, our focus is our inaugural line of adhesive bandages. For every bandage we sell, one is donated to people in need around the world. The company was inspired by our son Mason who, from a preschool age, brought first aid to school to patch up kids on the playground. Mason (and his entrepreneurial parents), realized that while everyone at his school can afford first aid, others around the world cannot. A simple adhesive bandage could save a life in many parts of the world.”
Why we decided to incorporate as a B Corp: “, so it made a lot of sense for us to head in this direction. We are also teaching Mason and his younger siblings that you can have a business that is for-profit, and still give back. Going through the rigorous process of becoming a B Corp was a great way to demonstrate our commitment to this concept.”
Our biggest success story: “Help2Heal was proud to be selected as a product offering in Whole Foods locations throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Through our sales at Whole Foods and school fundraising programs, we have donated nearly 200,000 bandages to people in need in a variety of countries including the United States, Haiti, Peru, and several countries in Africa. We facilitate our donations through our partnership with Project CURE, which empowers medical providers in developing countries with the tools they need to treat disease, deliver vaccines and other mission critical supplies to vulnerable patients, especially women and young children. This partnership is really critical to our give-back program.”
How simply starting the conversation allows Help2Heal to “B The Change”: “Mason received the ‘Every Day Hero Award’ from a local TV station last year as someone in the community advocating daily to do good in the world through Help2Heal. We speak to a lot of young people about entrepreneurism and incorporating a give-back component. The earlier you start the conversation, the more it resonates.”
If you want to form a B Corp… “ Your actions are louder than words when you have a B Corp. Mason was seven when we started—now he’s 10, and he totally gets it!”
The pay it forward nature of B Corps: “I think more and more, companies of all shapes and sizes are recognizing the opportunities that a B Corporation brings to everyone. It is rewarding to be part of an organization that is on purpose and supports the B Corp mission as a true win-win-win model for customers, employees and investors alike.”
Follow Help2Heal on Facebook and Twitter.
About Help2Heal
Help2Heal was inspired by 10-year-old Mason Israel who brings first aid supplies to school every day so he can patch up anyone who gets hurt. Mason realized that while everyone at his school can afford first aid supplies, some children in other parts of the world cannot. Mason set out with his entrepreneur parents, Rob and Renee, to help people around the world heal. Together, Help2Heal and first aid retailers can reinvent the Adhesive Bandage and first aid categories with a model that helps those that need these products the most.
This has been a Fantastic B Corps post, MyCorporation’s salute to the entity that gives back to business and society. Join us biweekly for a glimpse at the entrepreneurs using their small business to “B The Change” in this global movement for good.
Deborah Sweeney Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With extensive experience in the field of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah provides insightful commentary on the benefits of incorporation and trademark registration.
Education: Deborah received her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Pepperdine University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in corporate and intellectual property law.
Experience: After becoming a partner at LA-based law firm, Michel & Robinson, she became an in-house attorney for MyCorporation, formerly a division in Intuit. She took the company private in 2009 and after 10 years of entrepreneurship sold the company to Deluxe Corporation. Deborah is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with some of the top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites including Forbes, Business Insider, SCORE, and Fox Business, among others.
Fun facts/Other pursuits: Originally from Southern California, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin and Christopher, and practicing Pilates. Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Deborah, and MyCorporation, have previously been honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s List of the Valley’s Largest Women-Owned Businesses in 2012. MyCorporation received the Stevie Award for Best Women-Owned Business in 2011.