We Sparkle has an impressive amount of accomplishments under its belt for a startup that's just over a year old.
Last year, it won the Impact Ventures division of the 2019 Minnesota Cup, securing $30,000 in funding. We Sparkle, one of Minne Inno's Startups to Watch in 2020, also came in third place in the BETA showcase during Twin Cities Startup Week.
Founder and CEO Michelle Maryns says this is just the beginning for the Minneapolis social impact company, which is building tools to help small businesses increase sales and invest in their communities.
"We're committed to working with people from traditionally underestimated communities," she told Minne Inno. "Women of color, in particular, are one of the fastest-growing business segments in the country, but their revenue isn't on par with their peers. We want to change that."
We Sparkle's first product is a smart bot that helps business owners with administration and marketing tasks. Maryns was inspired to develop the bot after serving as the chief of strategic initiatives at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association, a local group that supports minority entrepreneurs.
"Through that work, I got to know a lot of business owners," Maryn said. "Many of them say they spend up to 40% of their time on repetitive administrative tasks. Because they can't step back and work on things in a strategic way, they feel they're working in their business instead of on their business."
The company recently completed the first beta test of its smart bot with three salons in the Twin Cities. In just a few weeks, it helped them book around $1,000 worth of services and reach 140 new customers in a few weeks.
"And that was just January, which tends to be a slower month," Maryns said. "That was really exciting."
Next, We Sparkle will begin onboarding a dozen new businesses that work out of the CoMotion shared workspace in St. Paul. We Sparkle plans to soon release its virtual assistant to the general public. After this launch, Maryns said she plans to shift her focus to fundraising.
"We want to invest back into the community."
Maryns was one of five local entrepreneurs accepted into the Finnovation Lab's first cohort. The program, which launched in 2018, provides social impact entrepreneurs with resources and mentorship to grow their businesses.
We Sparkle is one of more than 80 companies in Minnesota that has received status as a public benefit corporation, a classification that means the business committed to turning a profit while providing benefits to communities through things like product creation, profit sharing and sourcing.
The social impact company's smart assistant requests feedback or reviews after appointments. If users leave a review, an extra dollar is donated to an organization in the community. Subscribers and businesses decide how these funds are invested.
"It's something we're excited about," Maryns said. "We want to invest back into the community."
