Photo Credit: Victoria Bee Photography
Victoria Bee Photography
It's officially December, and that means the holidays are upon us. And nine times out of 10, that means finding the perfect present for your loved ones (or coworkers, or randoms in a Yankee Swap).
While there's no shortage of places online or in the mall to find a gift for everyone on your list, consider turning to one of the more than 200 in-state startups for some of your shopping needs.
In an effort to make things easy, as well as to reflect on some of Rhody Inno's 2019 stories, we’ve spun up a guide to the cool Rhode Island startups offering lovely gift ideas. Each description is provided by the company.
Happy shopping!
Toys, Games and More
- Bananagrams: “We are small family-run board games company based in Rhode Island, USA. Our crazy little family at BANANAGRAMS INC. aspires to help people everywhere rediscover a love for tabletop games. We strive to produce games with super simple rules, extraordinary packaging, and high quality, tactile components that you won’t want to put down.” Read more here.
- Healthy Roots Dolls: "Healthy Roots Dolls is a toy company that creates dolls and storybooks that empower young girls and represents the beauty of our diversity." Helmed by RISD grad Yelitsa Jean-Charles, the company recently debuted a newer version of its Zoe doll, which comes with a hair care kit courtesy of My Black is Beautiful. Read more here.
- Joy for All: “Joy for All Companion Pets are designed to bring comfort, companionship, and fun to elder loved ones. Our interactive cats and pup are all about an ease-of-care and convenience that pairs with technology for the best possible experience.”
Food & Drink
- Beautiful Day: “We’re overjoyed when people tell us that our granola and bars are the best they’ve ever had. And we’re proud to be our state’s premier small-batch handcrafted granola maker and to now be offering our first ever craft-roasted coffees this holiday season. But the reason we take our work so seriously is because the process of making it allows us to provide vital on-the-job training for refugees, especially those with the greatest job-entry barriers. All of our products are proudly made by refugees and 100% of profits from every purchase are returned to our job training program.” Read more here.
- Feast & Fettle: “Rhode Island-based meal delivery service, specializing in chef-prepared meals for busy individuals and families.” Read more here.
- Fishers Island Lemonade: "For years we have been mixing up a summertime favorite, the Fishers Island Lemonade — it's the bee's knees. We set out to share our refreshingly classic yet effective giggle water for all to enjoy responsibly, wherever you go... the beach, the ferry, the seventh green, sailing, or at your favorite watering hole. Here's to summer never ending ... " Read more here.
- Willie's Superbrew: "Hard seltzer brewed with real fruit." Read more here.
For the Home
- BedJet: “[The] world’s first rapid cooling and heating system just for your bed.” Read more here.
- Cakesafe: "[Co-founder] Juli opened a successful wedding cake business in 1986 and in the early stages she realized that moving a large wedding cake can be extremely stressful! [Co-founder] Scott came up with the idea for the original CakeSafe and built the first one in 1989. They are still using CakeSafes to move all the cakes Juli makes for shows all over the country. Since Juli began using CakeSafes she has not had a single damaged cake due to transport." Read more here.
- FurrFighters: "Remove pet hair and similar debris from most surfaces and from pets directly with a single product! Created by American firefighters!" Read more here.
Design
Good Causes
- Impact Everything: "Inspiring an impactful lifestyle. More than a store, we are a movement — giving with no limits." The store sells 2,000 products that have connections to charities from across the globe, and at least 25% of each sale is donated to a nonprofit. Read more here.
Still Lost?
- Check out the DESIGNxRI database of local creators.
- Hope & Main, Warwick-based food company incubator, has a database, too.
- The Small Business Saturday event vendor list is a goldmine of Rhode Island companies who produce and sell amazing things.
- Check out the official Giving Tuesday list of Rhode Island-based initiatives you could support.
- Explore local products and concepts on Kickstarter, and consider donating in someone’s name.
Read More About Cool (Albeit Bigger) Rhody Companies
- Alex and Ani: From Rhode Island Startup to Fashion Powerhouse
- Jewelry Company Luca + Danni Raises $6.2 Million
- Office Envy: Hasbro and its Day of Joy: Part 1 and Part 2
