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Helping communities is nurtured into the soul of Bogobrush, and when social good connector, Abel Impact, contacted us about joining them in project for homeless tote bags, we knew it was a perfect project pairing. 

ABEL IMPACT is designed to help businesses and families find genuine solutions for giving back in ways that match each business's or family's unique values. Founder, Bailey Von Tassel believes if we act with generosity and soul, businesses will connect better with customers and employees, and families will build a meaningful legacy for generations to come. 

the homeless tote project

The team at Abel Impact chose to showcase a DIY homeless tote project as an example of something we can do in offices and families to connect to each other and create something that makes a real difference. Each item was chosen intentionally by the team to fulfill two key philosophies:

1. actually helpful and useful

The Abel Impact team knew they needed to provide items that are actually useful to a person in homeless circumstances. Not just what sounds good, but what experts say are needed. 

For instance: SOCKS. When feet get wet and are exposed to the elements, they are extremely susceptible to injury, and an injured foot disrupts a chain of health and survival problems. 

Other items included:

• Reusable tote bag (HAE now)
• Toothbrush (Bogobrush)
• Water bottle (Klean Kanteen)
• Granola bar
• Orange and apples
• Handmade note cards to share a little love

2. accessible and easy to assemble

This project is meant to inspire us all to act, and to show that giving back doesn't need to be complicated. We all have tools around us to participate and share. 

highlighting businesses who give 

We are so happy to connect with Abel Impact through this project, and we love their use of other products with social and environmental pursuits. Giving back with products who give back. What a beautiful circle. :)

You can learn more about this project on the Abel Impact blog. 

All photos are courtesy of Abel Impact. 

Through Bogobrush, we have met some amazing people all around the world who care about people's smiles as much as us:)  Christina Min, the founder of With My Toothpaste in South Korea is someone we have loved partnering with.  With My makes natural vegan toothpaste with fun flavors, beautiful packaging, and a mission to give back.   Give 'em a try! 

So often, we meet folks from other countries via email, text or skype, but never get a chance to meet face to face,  but when my wife and I made the trip to Seoul over the Holidays,  Christina was kind enough to show us around her neighborhood and talk oral health for an afternoon.

We have long believed that collaboration is more powerful than competition, and we continue to be inspired by the awesome people and companies we meet everyday that share that belief.  Together we can change the world!

Weddings are one of those times in life where people put their heart and soul into creating a day filled with personal touches and symbols for the values they hold together.  

Last summer, design enthusiasts Kate and David included Bogobrush in their amazing day. What an honor!

The couple crafted a gift bag for their guests that was perfectly suited for their day. They've generously shared photos and stories with us, and we are thrilled to share them with you.

THE LOCATION

David and Kate were married at Blair Academy, a boarding school in New Jersey, founded in 1848. It's a special place because David is an alum, and his father has taught there for more than 30 years. As such, the family has long connections to the campus, even down to memories of eating in the cafeteria together.

The school opened its campus on this special occasion and allowed the wedding party to use all facilities, including the dormitories for all wedding guests. Enter Bogobrush. :)

THE GIFTS: DORM ROOM DESIGN

Kate and David are creative professionals, and so are most of their wedding guests. As designers, the couple wanted their guests' gifts to fit the dorm room theme, while coming from companies who share their passion for sustainable design. So inside hand-sewn toiletry bags with vintage film stills ironed-on the front, the bride & groom gave their friends the gift of clean teeth and fresh breath, sustain-ably. 

From the sounds of the feedback, their guests loved it!

"CUTE!"

"It's just like them to pull off some personal-crafty thing like this"

"Typical Kate-finding sustain-ably sourced Dorm-kit items"

And, what a bride! Bogobrushin' and capturing it on camera. <3

About the bride and groom

KATE is an industrial designer with a focus on sustainable product engineering, and a graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art. DAVID is a published illustrator and a creative director at Havas, NYC.  Kate and David live in Brooklyn.

Your wedding looks beautiful, David and Kate. A million congratulations to you. 

Thanks for including us!

Recently, I was strolling through Flipboard when I saw a headline about oral health from Refinery29. I clicked on it, naturally, and nothing was new to me until Slide 8. "Gasp." On that slide I read that menstruation affects oral health. OK, so maybe not gasp worthy, but it was curious news to me. So, I investigated and am sharing my findings with you lovely lady, (and interested gentleman,) Bogobrushers.

it's a fact

Hormonal changes associated with women's menstruation can cause inflammation and soreness in the gums.* This is technically called menstruation gingivitis.

On the face of it, that fact doesn't seem too serious. However, if you're not a vigilant teeth-brusher and flosser, the bacteria that live between your gums and your teeth can get further trapped when your gums get inflamed. And, as you've likely heard before, trapped bacteria leads to infection, and infection in your gums can lead to nasty things like heart disease and bone loss.

What can you do?

Certainly, brush and floss every day. And keep your toothbrush fresh so the bristles are at their best for you and your mouth. (*cough*...subscribe to Bogobrush for fresh brushes without hassle. *cough*) ;)

Assuming your brushing and flossing habits are good, maybe take a bit of additional advice from Susan Karabin, D.D.S., a past president of the American Academy of Periodontology, **

"Although it's always important to maintain healthy oral habits, try to be even more diligent about brushing twice a day and flossing daily right before your period to keep your gums as clean as possible."

yay, periods.

So, there you have it. Slide 8 was right. And, perhaps, we're all a bit wiser for it.

Cheers!

- Heather, co-founder/ceo of Bogobrush

* In 2012, a smart gal named Charlene Krejci, along with some other smart folks, conducted a study on this while she was associate clinical professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.

** Women's Health Magazine wrote an article with an interview of Dr. Karabin here. 

SINCE 2014, MELANIE STOVALL AND HER COMMITTEE for Sustainable Design of AIGA MN have been amazing to Bogobrush.  They invited Heather to speak at a networking event called Green Drinks, hosted a Give Event for Bogobrush and Apple Tree Dental, (story below,) and never stopped believing in us and the little toothbrush that could.  To honor them, we award them the first annual Bogobrusher Award.  Read this post to learn about all their great work, and if you're a member of AIGA, check your member email for a thank you gift from us, available until Dec. 31. :) 

Melanie is third from the right, in the picture above.  Other folks are John, Heather, and the AIGA MN committee.

INTERVIEWING MELANIE

WHAT IS AIGA?

Melanie: AIGA is a 100% volunteer organization serving creative fields such as design, printing, prepress, photography, illustration, paper manufacturing/distribution, and writing. AIGA Minnesota is one of the largest chapters in the nation, serving nearly 1,300 members. 

WHAT IS THE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN COMMITTEE?

Melanie: The Sustainable Design Committee uses visual communication to educate the community on environmental issues, whether that be teaching designers how to apply sustainable design to their work, talking through sustainable alternatives for process and materials in the industry, or in the instance of Bogobrush, partnering with organizations to promote their sustainability efforts. Our main goal is to look at an event holistically — not just bring in a sustainable speaker, but make sure everything down to the venue, food, drinks, and promotional materials is environmentally friendly. Every project presents a new challenge: We always find ourselves asking, "What about this isn't sustainable? What can we do instead?" We've printed invites on used beer boxes, created paperless posters by screenprinting the design onto windows, created reusable canvas bags and pint glasses as an alternative to brochures and most recently led a pledge against plastic straws. 


Designer: Liping Vong

Paperless Poster Designer: Craig Johnson

Designers: Brittany Sweney, Amy Dritz, Austin Nash and Melanie Stovall 

Designer: Calvin LaBrie

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON YOUR COMMITTEE AND WHAT ARE THEIR BACKGROUNDS?

Melanie: There are currently about eight volunteers on the Sustainable Design Committee. Most of us are senior to mid-level working professionals with the exception of a few students. We're an even mix of graphic designers, letterpress printers, and illustrators.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE GROUP?

Melanie: I've been volunteering for this group since 2011. I became the Associate Director in 2014 and was just re-elected for another two-year term.

WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE FOR THE BOGOBRUSH EVENT?

Melanie: The Give Tour had 3 events: Fargo, Detroit, and Minneapolis. Our role was to work with Bogobrush to determine the scope and theme of the Minneapolis event. We landed on hosting a fundraiser for Apple Tree Dental, a non-profit that provides oral care for people who would otherwise go without. Posters designed by local Minneapolis artists were available for sale in addition to the 1,200 Bogobrushes that were donated that evening. Our group worked on planning and promotion, found sponsors, and designed all needed materials for the party. 

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM THE GIVE EVENT?

Melanie: From the very first planning meeting, we knew we wanted to make a bathroom photobooth with a giant toothbrush so people could pretend to brush their teeth. My committee took the idea and ran with it, buying bubbles and shower cap props. The backdrop was a shower curtain and the foreground was set up as though the camera was shooting from a medicine cabinet. It was so awesome to see attendees enjoying themselves in the booth and the photos are amazing…definitely my highlight of the evening.

Designers: Leslie Olson, Marla Bonner and Elise Matheny

HOW DOES YOUR COMMITTEE CHOOSE WHAT EVENTS TO PLAN OR GROUPS TO COLLABORATE WITH?

Melanie: We partner with other organizations in town like MN Institute of Art (MIA), MN College of Arts and Design (MCAD), and Eureka Recycling who are leading the conversation in Sustainable Design and Zero Waste. Groups outside of AIGA Minnesota tend to bring in multiple disciplines within sustainability so it creates a space where designers can speak directly to other industries. We've worked with the MCAD Sustainable Design program to bring in professionals for design lectures, partnered with existing events to come up with sustainable alternatives for promotional materials, showed films on the Midtown Greenway bike path in South Minneapolis and are currently working on a high school membership program in North Minneapolis. It's all about looking around the city to find out who shares our passion for sustainability and trying to see if there's a way for us to work together.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SHOUT-OUTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE?

Melanie: We have a Sustainable Design retreat, "Earth Tones," coming up in April. We’re also putting on a Design Impact series in May 2017 to promote organizations that use design to make a positive impact in Minnesota.

If you’re interested in being involved in those events or just want more information on our committee, you can email us at sustainable@aigaminnesota.org. You can also check out other upcoming AIGA Minnesota events at aigaminnesota.org and follow us at @aigamn.

THANK YOU

AIGA, we thank you from our deep, toothbrush geek hearts:)  - John and Heather

Photographers: Jay Larson and Emily Barrera

On Tuesday, November 8, Americans went to the polls to vote. Across our great country, citizens woke up on Wednesday with emotions ranging from excitement to fear, from hope to hopelessness.

But let’s never forget that we vote every single day. Every dollar we spend, and every choice we make is a vote for kind of world we want to live in, and no election will change that.

We vote for American workers when we support products that are made in the USA.

We're spreading some hometown love, today.  Meet Bogobrush retailer, Dakota Store! 

THE STORE

Tell us about the Dakota Store and your inspiration.

The Dakota Store opened as a summer seasonal store in 2009 at the Frontier Village in Jamestown, ND. The inspiration was tourism dollars. No other retail stores were carrying a large line of North Dakota made products. In 2011 an opportunity came up to have a store in the Buffalo Mall during the Christmas season selling ND gifts. An opportunity to open a year round retail store on Main Street came in 2013. The Frontier Village store is still open all summer.

How do you choose the products to carry in your shop? 

Products are chosen for their uniqueness, connection to ND, and price range. The store tries not to have the same type of items other stores in the area carry. The volunteer staff looks all year round for items that have a general appeal. The store carries everything from pottery and handmade baskets to food items and locally designed t-shirts are available.

Are all of the products directly from North Dakota?  

For the most part items are produced in North Dakota but we look at each item individually to determine its fit and connection to our business. Bogobrush is a unique item for the store because two kids from Jamestown invented it and they happen to be friends of mine.

Down the road from the Dakota's Store's summer location is the replica Dentist office of the Frontier Village. No coincidence here. ;)

ServeYES! FOR SOCIAL GOOD

What is ServeYES! and how is the Dakota Store involved?

ServeYES! is a volunteer  matching organization that helps volunteers do the kind of service they enjoy the most, and we help other nonprofits find the placements they need.  The Dakota Store is an enterprise that financially supports those efforts.

How do you choose who participates in the program?

Retail experience helps but is not necessary. The summer customers come from all over the United States and some foreign countries so being a people person and enjoying visiting is helpful. Knowledge of area tourism is good to know and there are local maps and brochures at our store. All of our store volunteers have an interest in promoting North Dakota and proud to live here.

NORTH DAKOTA PROUD

What has surprised you most through Dakota Store? 

The Dakota Store features products from over 65 different vendors. Many of them are members of the Pride of Dakota* marketing program sponsored by the ND Department of Agriculture. It is not necessary to have that distinction but is another great marketing tool. The comments we hear all the time are-“what a great variety” and “I had no idea that was made in North Dakota”.

*Pride of Dakota has over 500 members- each company makes their own product. They produce everything from lotions, books, wooden toy barns, woolen mittens and calendars to BBQ sauce, chokecherry taffy, bison sausage, soup mixes, and crock pot seasonings.

Bogobrush’s modern design looks better in your home, feels better in your hand, and is far and away better for our planet.  

 RECYCLED MATERIALS

Our recycled plastic collection takes materials that would otherwise be fated to the landfill, and gives them a second chance at life.  

RECYCLING YOUR TOOTHBRUSH

OTHER TOOTHBRUSHES use multiple materials, grips and gimmicks that make the handle completely unrecyclable. 

OUR MINIMALIST PHILOSOPHY led us to create a solid, one piece handle that is as easy to recycle again and again.  

LIMITED OFFER.  Use "recycleyourbrush" at check-out on bogobrush.com orders to receive 15% discount on brushes from the recycled collection.  Offer ends August 12th!

ON THIS FATHER'S DAY, John and I want to let you in on a bit of our Dad's work.  As you know by now, our Dad is a dentist: Dr. Ken McDougall. What you may not know, is that his dedication to oral health is far reaching - from his commitment to the patients in his Jamestown practice, to his hard work in leadership positions within the American Dental Association, to his volunteer work providing dental services to under-served communities.  

Today, we decided to share a few pictures and stories from the times he (and our mom, too,) have been to Guatemala on medical mission trips.  His experiences have helped shape our view on global oral health problems, and we are forever inspired by his hard work and service to others.  Thank you, Dad!

PROVIDING ORAL HEALTH CARE IN GUATEMALA

Here, our Dad and his assistant, Emily, are set up at their work station in a village school building for the day.  They operated with travel equipment and power supplies, and all the waste (spit and other mouth stuff -technical term:)) went in a bucket until disposal. 

On a trip like this, people line up for hours to receive care, and the overwhelming majority of work is extractions.  Within a matter of days, our dad and the team had pulled hundreds of teeth. 

The team set up cleaning stations, (like the one below,) outside the buildings where treatment was provided.  The instruments were washed in a disinfecting solution, and then dried in the sun: nature's sanitation device.  Nature is amazing.

*Condition of Guatemalan Life: The pup in this picture was starving, like most wild dogs in Guatemala.  At one point, (gross fact alert,) the team found the pup licking out of the waste bucket in search of food. 

VILLAGE LIFE

In Guatemala, village life is largely subsistence farming.  The home above is a typical home for a family in such a village.

Above is a scene from washing day.  Without clean and running water, the women gather all the laundry and head to the river.

WITHOUT CLEAN WATER 

The lack of clean water is a serious problem for the quality of life of Guatemalans, and in terms of oral health, the effects are devastating. 

In Guatemala, soda is consumed all day long.  This is largely because safe, bottled drinking water is made to be so expensive.  In the picture, below, these women and children are drinking soda from plastic bags with straws poked into them.  

Here, a boy stands behind the counter in a soda shop.

Each day, cotton candy salesmen walk the villages with these racks.  

VALUABLE, YET HEARTBREAKING, ORAL CARE

Without access to regular oral care, the conditions of oral health in Guatemalan villages are not good.  Unfortunately, this problem is made considerably worse by the lack of clean water.  The systemic issues of constant soda and sugar consumption overwhelms the good work of dentists and mission trips.  As our dad described, the work of providing dental care in Guatemala is very valuable and makes an immediate impact on each person's life, but at the same time it's heartbreaking because without a change in the local diet, it's as though no end is in sight.

John and I are very inspired by our Dad's experiences, and they help us understand that giving toothbrushes only scratches the surface of how to help.  For Bogobrush, the real work of giving back is in the relationships and the communities we become part of, and is where we learn how to contribute to meaningful solutions for people's lives. 

Thanks, Dad, for all you do!

Now that our Wefunder equity crowdfunding campaign is in full swing, we want to let you all in to our vision for how we'll use the money we're raising. 

FIRST TIER: SALES + MARKETING 

The first tier is an initial $50,000.  To date, we are more than half-way to that goal!  

The largest portion of those funds are marked for sales and press relations.  This is an exciting time for Bogobrush: demand grows every day, and the more people who learn the Bogobrush story, the more people want to be part of it.  It’s just a matter of reaching them.

"If I was down to my last dollar, I'd spend it on PR." - Bill Gates

We'll push the Bogobrush story, the made in USA story, the design story, the woman-led business story, the eco-friendly toothbrush story.  Everything to help the world understand our mission and dreams for the little toothbrush that could. 

Next, we'll invest in kits to use for sales and press.  This is all designed and ready to go - we just need the funds to create several hundred of them - and hopefully more efficiently than we do it now, one by one, by hand. :)

We'll invest in SEO (search engine optimization) and Search Ads to keep Bogobrush relevant online.  

We'll invest a bit into a couple events within our Giving Communities to celebrate you, our partners, and learn more about how we can contribute in meaningful ways to solving the problems that face our towns and planet.

The smallest amount of cash, but most definitely not the least important: Subscriptions.  We have the technology all ready to go, but we are just short on funds.  With the success of our Wefunder campaign, all it will take is a click of a button and your biodegradable toothbrush will be deliverable to your door every few months.  

THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS CONSUMERS CHANGE THEIR TOOTHBRUSHES EVERY 3-4 MONTHS, OR SOONER. - WWW.ADA.COM

So easy and healthy for you, and for the business, subscriptions mean recurring revenue.  Win-win.

THE SECOND TIER: PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

Anything raised over that $50K will be used for a down payment on tooling and equipment which will cut our cost of manufacturing in half and make it possible for us to talk with larger distributors around the world.

Join us as we continue bringing this dream into reality: invest a minimum $100 at wefunder.com/bogobrush.