Founder of Ethos Water Speaks at Nonprofit Conference

Peter Thum founded Ethos Water, along with Jonathan Greenblatt, after an eye opening experience in South Africa over seven years ago.

Thum was the keynote speaker this week at Blackbaud’s 2008 Conference for non-profits. To Thum, Ethos wasn't an easy sell. In the beginning he struggled to find investor backing when the product's demand began to grow. However, his cries did not fall on deaf ears. He ultimately secured backing from the founders of eBay and the Omidyar Network, as well as Starbucks' Howard Shultz. In 2005, Ethos was acquired by Starbucks for $8 million.

A link between a product and a cause isn't always enough, but a product linked to a cause with an attractive brand behind it is an almost sure recipe for success (distribution helps too in this case). Ethos is simple and has communicated its clear purpose overtime "helping children get clean water." Perhaps the brand name "Ethos" was created as it forms the root of ethikos, meaning to "show moral character." Consumers who buy Ethos are doing just that.

The bottle has changed, slightly updated and now differentiated from Smart Water, but the purpose remains the same. And it's also available more readily on store shelves, a far cry from the baskets in Starbucks.

There has been some commentary on the pursuit of money with this brand, but that's the point really...create wealth and give some away. An estimated $6 million has already been raised in support of the mission to provide clean water.

Read Peter Thum's keynote speaker biography.
Read the article in the Charleston Regional Business Journal.