Montréal-based Give-a-Seat, a charity startup that sells tickets to local events, is adapting its platform to promote local products and support the Breakfast Club of Canada during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We are joining forces with local entrepreneurs to introduce Québec products at good prices and for a good cause.”
In partnership with Québec companies such as SmartHalo, Oatbox, Näak, and Poches & Fils, Give-a-Seat is now offering discounted local products on its website. Products range from discounted event tickets to local products, and $10 will be donated to the Breakfast Club of Canada with each purchase. All products will be discounted at a minimum of 25 percent.
“Since day one, the vision of Give-a-Seat has been to transform available resources into positive social impact,” Give-a-Seat said in a statement, adding that the startup’s co-founders, Théo Corboliou and Guillaume Campeau, were looking for a way to maintain the startup’s operational activity while also maintaining social impact during the pandemic.
“We are joining forces with local entrepreneurs to introduce Québec products at good prices and for a good cause,” the Give-a-Seat said.
Give-a-Seat was born at business school HEC Montréal in 2016. The service was created to “democratize access” to Montreal events while generating new donations for charities, and officially launched in 2017.
Give-a-Seat is one of many organizations across Canada that are pitching in to help businesses, charities, and the public during the COVID-19 crisis. In Québec, one group of businesses hosted a virtual event this month that encouraged Québec residents to buy a product or service from a Québec-based startup in order to support the province’s economy.
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Similarly, other Canadian startups have retooled their offering or facilities to support the government’s efforts in fighting the virus. For example, INKSmith, an educational toy manufacturer, is now creating personal protective equipment (PPE) to help healthcare staff.
About fifteen Québec companies have already joined Give-a-Seat’s initiative, including 1642, MATH Sport, Hush-Kush, Mélio, Balance Boards, Maple 3, Café Liégeois Canada, and Belle à croquer. Give-a-Seat said several hundreds of dollars in donations have already been made.
The Breakfast Club of Canada develops breakfast programs in schools for children in need. During the pandemic, the charity is facing increasing needs for donations in order to keep helping children despite schools’ closures. Other Canadian tech companies that have donated to food initiatives include Saskatchewan’s SkipTheDishes, GoodFood, and Toronto’s ResQ.
Image source Give-a-Seat via Facebook.