Behind the Brand: GiveMeTap
They are on a mission to make clean, safe drinking water accessible to people here and abroad. They aim to change the lives of millions of people and to reduce the use of plastic bottles… Can you guess who we are talking about? If you are in the business world you already know that we are talking about GiveMeTap, the innovative initiative to support and save lives, through the means of a unique bottle. With Virgin backing them we had to get inside the brain of their CEO and Founder Edwin Broni-Mensah.
Here is our Behind the Brand interview with the man himself:
1.Name – Edwin Broni-Mensah, The Founder & Water Guy at GiveMeTap
2. Website, social media links (facebook, twitter, instagram, blogs)
twitter @givemetap
http://www.pinterest.com/givemetap/
3. Tell us about you? How did you first start GivemeTap and why?
As a student at the University of Manchester, I was trying to stay really fit and hydrated while writing my PhD. I was actually trying to get a six pack through the P90X programme, and the diet plan required me to drink 4/5 litres of water a day according to my body weight! My water bottle would not last past the morning, I found it really expensive to buy bottled water on the go and I noticed a huge stigma attached to asking for tap water in cafes. At the same time, I started to realise the plight of millions of people in Africa who do not even get a choice. They have to drink dirty, diseased water. I founded GiveMeTap in order to eliminate these problems.
4. Did you study this area of business?
Not at all! It is really bizarre how I have ended up in the water business. I’m a Mathematician and when I was younger, I just wanted to make computer games!
5. What is the GivemeTap ethos?
Water for You, Water for Everyone. GiveMeTap our contribution to sustainable living and responsible consumption.
6. Since you started what have been your biggest achievements as a company?
It has been an exciting year for GiveMeTap.
We also partnered with our first chain in Pizza Hut UK and have seen our corporate partnerships explode, cobranding bottles with the likes of Deloitte UK, Elstat and Rosewood Hotel. We’ve also signed up our 300th café to the free water network in the last month.
The key business achievement of GiveMeTap was providing another 994 people with clean water in Ghana and Malawi, with another 2,000 people to be given a water pump in Dec 2013.
In Aug 2013 won Virgin Money & Start UK Best Sustainable Business Idea judged by directors at M&S, B&Q, BITC and Virgin Money. In the same month we won the British Young Business Award for Best Social Corporate Responsibility Company. Edwin, was also named in The PowerList Top 40 Most Influential People under 40.
GiveMeTap have also been very active in the press, featuring in the Metro UK, Guardian Social Enterprise Network, The Sunday Times, Sky TV and various other business blogs and websites.
7. Who would you say you emulate personally business wise?
I don’t think I emulate anyone! I’m my own person trying to help people through social enterprise in my own way – through water.
8. How was it meeting Richard Branson? Did he give you any tips you can pass to our readers?
It was such a cool experience to meet him! He didn’t give us any tips as such, but he was really in tune with what we were all doing. He stressed the importance of the Triple bottom line [People, Planet, Profit] and how more businesses need to start adhering by this more.
9. We saw you won the Google competition? Can we be nosey and ask in which ways will the funding help your business <\span>
That was an amazing award to win! We are still buzzing from that success. The money is going to help us really improve our service so we can help more people gain access to clean water. We have a great iPhone app that allows you to see where your nearest free water refill is. We are in the process of developing an Android app and also hope to use the money for product development. Both of these will be crucial to the sales of the GiveMeTap bottle and therefore vital for our water projects in Africa.
10. What’s next for GivemeTap?
The only way is up for GiveMeTap. First, I expanded from Manchester to London. I then expanded from London to the whole of the UK. I now plan to take GiveMeTap scheme to America.
I hope that as the water network expands, we can engage in international corporate partnerships. This will really maximise our impact in Africa through multiple water projects. We’re actually planning a handful of water projects this year thanks to the partnership with Deloitte.
We’re also expanding as a team. As well as recruiting interns, I have just recruited my first full time member of staff. We’re really growing as a movement.
11. What piece of advice can you give to our budding entrepreneurs?
Make the most of the resources at your disposal. In the beginning, you may feel that there is a lot going on. You are the founder, the finance team, the marketing team and the operations department all at the same time. With each stage you learn as you go along that there are people around who can help you along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask for this help when it can help you achieve your goals.
