This October we’re launching our crowdfunding campaign to make Ethos magazine a reality. As professionals, we’re well versed in running crowdfunding campaigns for other people; but running our very own campaign, is a whole new kettle of fish. And it’s all very exciting!
“Ethos is for the people who are interested in innovation and ethical business broadly, but it’s also for the university and school leavers, the future leaders, who are starting out in a world of work which looks very different to when they entered education.” says Andrew Beattie, co-founder of Ethos.
“With Ethos, we started looking at new ways of doing business; but actually the new ways of doing business are old ideals and ideas of sustainability, making and community minded businesses. These are the things that are taking root again and growing because of new technology and cross-border collaboration between organisations and movements of all sizes, globally.”
We believe that this is the future of business. It’s a future where an ever-expanding network of micro-businesses, freelancers and SMEs unite to tackle social and civic problems. It’s a network driven by collaboration over competition and which puts people before profit. And Ethos is the soapbox on which these people can stand.
We’ve had the opportunity to travel and meet some of the most inspiring and innovative people who are going out every day, and making a positive difference in the world. Ethos focuses on these changemakers big and small; from startups to global brands, and entrepreneurs to cooperatives – we tell their story.
A little bit more about us… Ethos is the brainchild of a small team of writers, journalists and filmmakers based in Liverpool, UK. Between us, we’ve a wealth of knowledge and experience of working with grassroots movements, social enterprises, micro businesses, startups and public and private organisations. But our extended team includes contributors from around the world. We’re all a part of the change that we’re trying to create. Our audience and the people that we’ve met on this amazing journey, are at the heart of what we do at Ethos.
Through Indiegogo, we’re asking our supporters for £20,000 to help us to deliver the first issue of Ethos Magazine. The money will mean that we can commission our writers and collaborators to source and produce wonderful content. And then deliver that content directly to you, our reader.
We’re also looking to produce a series of film content throughout the year, ranging from short documentaries, to interviews and extended stories from our print editions. We want the stories of the people that we meet, to reach as many new audiences as possible, anywhere in the world, via our dedicated Youtube channel.
“There are some stories which just need to be told through film.” says Beattie. “Alongside each issue of the magazine, we’ll have a video which expands on the written content and brings it to life in a whole new way.”
Ethos Magazine will be a compendium of motivational stories, which are uplifting and accessible; from short, snappy Q&As to features that focus on the great thinkers and doers in the world. Running alongside these stories will be beautiful photo essays, carefully curated to give real, aspirational insights.
But, most importantly, we want deliver our content to people that it might not otherwise reach. We want Ethos to inspire the next generation of changemakers, that’s why we’re looking to distribute our magazines to schools and universities throughout the UK.
We’re offering a range of rewards for the people who want to support us on our crowdfunding journey. Everything from eternal gratitude on social media, to discounted issues of the magazine and workshops from our team, based around some of the themes in the magazine. We’ve also joined up with a number of ethical and sustainable brands, who are producing limited edition ‘Ethos’ creations.
“The important thing about Ethos is that we’re a media company that reports on these amazing stories, but we’re also a social enterprise that is active in helping to create networks and movements. We’re all part of the same movement and it’s our mission to flood these networks with brilliant ideas which will help them to flourish.”
We’re really excited to be launching our campaign this October, and we’d really appreciate your support. Stay tuned for updates across our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels.