CollectiveGood

CollectiveGood International (CGI) was started in consultation with the Arlington SBDC in 2000. Mr. Nalin Jain of the SBDC provided a sounding board as we hashed out the difficult questions involved in starting a business that no one had done before.Nalin worked with CGI to acquire an SBA loan and gave invaluable advice at each stage.

CGI has just completed its 3rd year in operation. It has paid off the SBA loan early, operates in the black, and had sales of $449,000 in 2003. In November, 2003, CGI employed a staff of 2. Indirectly, CGI has created multiple jobs through its outsourcing contracts. CG currently has more than 1500 collection points throughout North America, an active partnership in France to launch European operations, and relationships with several billion dollar retailers. In 2004, they expect to be an EPA national level partner in their newly launched "Plug into e-Cycling" program.

CollectiveGood's unique business model is effectively bridging the gap between the fundraising need of the non-profit world and the rapidly growing market for cellular communications in developing countries. CGI assists non-profits in collecting unused handsets, drawing from an estimated 500 million surplus cell phones in the US.

They are a "virtual" company, supporting essential business functions through "owner/staffers" located throughout the US, tied together by the internet and good software. The company headquarters are in Decatur, Georgia, where President, Seth Heine, resides. Customer services and administrative functions are handled by Cynthia and Alan Daley, working in Fairfax, Virginia