Riff City: 100k Meals Delivered by Zero-Emission AVs, Racial Justice in Journalism, Howard Schultz & Cannabis
We’ve all had too many dark days this year. But we are on the cusp of a breakthrough. Riff City wants to give you a little hope (Watch “What’s Possible”) from Way to Lead a new PAC aligned with our friend and client, Way to Win.
In the middle of the 2020 chaos, our team of troublemakers have been busy building brands and movements that matter. And, we have a new addition! Meet Dr. Ann Dubin, our new Manager of Strategic Communications.
Partnering with the SF-Marin Food Bank and SF New Deal, Cruise has delivered more than 100,000 meals to vulnerable communities since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Their zero-emission, self-driving fleet has freed up essential staff and kept our air clean. A big thanks to Cruise for giving us a hopeful glimpse of the future.
As people take to the streets to demand racial, economic, and environmental justice, a new generation is leading the charge. The stories we read and access to capital play critical and interconnected roles in bringing about change to systemic injustices.
More than 50 years after the Kerner Commission highlighted that media mostly comes from “white men’s eyes and a white perspective,” newsrooms are still some of the least diverse workplaces in the country. Enter Prism, the new BIPOC-led national news outlet that investigates stories from the ground up by elevating the voices and experiences of those most impacted by injustice. Riff helped launch Prism this summer. Their journalists are breaking stories that are shaking our nation to its core.
The U.S. is facing record unemployment and a global climate crisis that has hit home. Apocalyptic orange skies over the Bay Area. Ever more vicious hurricanes in the Southeast. And farmers in the Midwest still recovering from this summer’s “derecho.” This must not become the new normal. We can’t wait for change.
Riff is helping build the first ever equity crowdfunding platform for clean energy. Raise Green is democratizing access to sustainable investment opportunities and empowering local communities to take meaningful action against climate change at the local level now.
Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. By 2025, a quarter of all retail spending will be online. COVID has only accelerated the trend.
One company has experienced 700% growth since March. Riff is proud to work with Dutchie, the largest and fastest-growing e-commerce solution for cannabis. Their efforts were supercharged with a new $35M Series B investment from former Starbucks Chairman & CEO Howard Schultz, Snoop Dogg’s Casa Verde Capital, Gron Ventures, and Kevin Durant’s Thirty Five Ventures. And, they were just selected by Linkedin as one of the top startups of 2020!
Other Stories We’ve Been Riffing About:
- Reuters: U.S. troops battling racism report high barrier to justice
- Inside Philanthropy: How a Progressive Funder Collaborative Seeks to Ramp Up Voter Engagement
- Forbes: Coffee To Cannabis: Curious What Howard Schultz is Up To? Here’s The Investment The Starbucks Alum (And Other Big Names) Are Gravitating To
- New York Times: This Is How Biden Should Approach the Latino Vote
- Thrillist: The Secrets to Smoking Cannabis at Home Without Annoying Your Neighbors
- Salt Lake Tribune: Cash payments no longer the only option for Utah cannabis patients
- Protocol: Why Josh Felser left the VC firm he started to try to save the planet
- CBS: Progressive groups shatter fundraising records in battleground states
- Meet The Inventors: John Grimm of Philter Labs, On How To Go From Idea To Store Shelf
- GovTech: Accela, OpenCities Partner on No-Code Digital Services Tool
- Watch: Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen and Riff City Help Protect Our Defenders
- Field & Stream: Why the Great American Outdoors Act Passed at Just the Right Time
Stay tuned! Riff is preparing to launch a major climate campaign with funders to help communities most impacted by the climate crisis. If you want to learn more, give us a shout.
And if you have a movement you need help building, remember that we are here to help! If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we’re stronger when we work together.
Sincerely,
Brian Purchia