Washington, D.C.
Average annual sales
$75,000
Items sold
2 million
Mom’s mission to celebrate every child blossoms on Amazon
Washington, D.C.
Upbounders
Founded by a mom seeking more inclusive toys for her son and his friends, Upbounders has transformed from a familiar stand at D.C.-based farmer’s markets to a thriving multi-channel national brand through Amazon. The whimsical, multicultural puzzles, games and toys now reach families across U.S. through a sophisticated e-commerce operation that includes wholesale and direct-to-consumer. The company skillfully balances its mission of making representative toys accessible to all children while scaling operations through Amazon’s fulfillment, warehousing and marketing tools. Their success story demonstrates how mission-driven businesses can maintain their values while expanding their reach through digital platforms.
Mission, metrics and millions: Soapbox turns bar soap into global change with Amazon’s AI
Washington, D.C.
Soapbox
In 2009, David Simnick identified a critical global hygiene gap while working as a USAID subcontractor: while laundry soap was widely available, hand soap access remained limited.
It inspired him to launch Soapbox with his college friend, Daniel Doll, in 2010. After experimenting with homemade shampoo, the company has evolved into a successful natural personal care brand with a powerful social mission: for every product sold, they donate a bar of soap to those in need.
Now approaching 50 million donated bars, Soapbox has grown from farmers’ market sales to becoming a significant player in the personal care industry, with products available in major retailers across multiple countries.
Their sales in the Amazon store are expected to reach close to $10 million this year, partly driven by their adoption of Amazon’s AI and brand analytics tools.
The company maintains 95% of its supply chain in the U.S. and continues to expand its product line while staying true to its mission of making hygiene products more accessible globally.
It inspired him to launch Soapbox with his college friend, Daniel Doll, in 2010. After experimenting with homemade shampoo, the company has evolved into a successful natural personal care brand with a powerful social mission: for every product sold, they donate a bar of soap to those in need.
Now approaching 50 million donated bars, Soapbox has grown from farmers’ market sales to becoming a significant player in the personal care industry, with products available in major retailers across multiple countries.
Their sales in the Amazon store are expected to reach close to $10 million this year, partly driven by their adoption of Amazon’s AI and brand analytics tools.
The company maintains 95% of its supply chain in the U.S. and continues to expand its product line while staying true to its mission of making hygiene products more accessible globally.
Video 1 min
Pacers_final_smile.mp4
Pacers Running builds an omnichannel strategy with Amazon
Washington, D.C.
Pacers Running
Chris Farley, the owner of Pacers Running, turned his passion for running into an athletic shoe retailer with five Washington, D.C.-area brick-and-mortar shops and an online business with national reach. As an entrepreneur, getting started wasn’t easy at first, he says. And then “everything changed during the pandemic.
“I love retail, but retail is not going to come back to the way it was—and that’s fine. You’ve got to continue to evolve.” Today, Farley has built a successful omnichannel strategy between brick-and-mortar retail and selling shoes online.
“I love retail, but retail is not going to come back to the way it was—and that’s fine. You’ve got to continue to evolve.” Today, Farley has built a successful omnichannel strategy between brick-and-mortar retail and selling shoes online.