Christina Noel’s long-standing commitment to supporting sustainable business growth has been a driving force in her career. Her history and deep passion for mission-driven organizations that uplift their local communities have led her to her latest endeavor: an e-commerce-based gift-shopping platform called ‘better made easy.’ We got to speak with Christina last month about the niche that better made easy will fill, the impact she hopes it will have, and how you can get your hands on a better made easy gift box. 

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For Christina, the need for a platform like ‘better’ is obvious. Other markets, such as necessary household items and groceries, have already been successfully covered by a handful of sustainable e-commerce platforms. There is still space in the $1.18 trillion US personal gifting market for a brand focusing on gifts that give back.

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“People are going to be buying gifts,” said Christina. “Let’s make those purchases sustainable.” 

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Christina’s experience in sustainable and mission-driven projects is extensive. Her company, Noel & Co., drives economically and environmentally sustainable business growth through research-informed marketing. Noel & Co., like Raleigh Founded, is a certified B Corp, meaning it reaches a high social and environmental impact standard. Christina's care for sustainability and the community is something that she’s looking forward to continuing through better in a way that is both unique and enjoyable. 

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“What a fun way to try and make a positive impact, being able to gift it,” Christina said of the niche that better will fill. “I’m excited for better to be a whole new vehicle for being able to give thoughtful gifts that give back and make it easier.”

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That positive impact will come about in several ways: better aims to expand collaboration while increasing jobs, taking care of the environment, improving consumer habits, and supporting local businesses. 

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“We’re going to be able to purchase from them [local businesses] and drive business their way that they may not have had before. That gets me excited!”

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The website already features gifts available for purchase, organized by impact areas such as women-owned businesses, eco-friendly, or artisan-made. Christina is most excited about the carefully curated gift boxes that will be better’s primary focus this holiday season.

The boxes offered on better’s platform range from a B-Corp-focused “B The Change box" to “The ultimate better give back gift box,” which features products that give back to various charities and initiatives. Also featured are boxes for the tea lovers, coffee lovers, vegans, and dogs in your life. Plus, the ability to build your own better box! 

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Beyond the positive impact of supporting local businesses dedicated to social change and caring for the environment, Christina is also excited about the opportunity for jobs that better made easy will create. The platform is enlisting Gabi’s PALS, a team of 40+ people with special abilities, for packaging and shipping services. Gabi’s PALS will work with environmentally conscious gift boxes, branded packing tape, packing materials, and stickers - courtesy of Eco Enclose, Barefoot Press, Swift Printing, and noissue. 

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Christina is excited about the future of better and how the platform will expand. For example, she hopes to work with her partners to eventually primarily utilize already recycled materials in their packaging while creating more boxes that uplift her community. For now, she’s happy about every step that better will take towards improving gifting. 

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“There’s a reason we are calling it better: this is all a work in progress - it’s not about being the best, it’s about inspiring people to do it better, to be a little more intentional.”

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You can learn more about better’s gift boxes and order one here. Keep up with better by following them on Instagram and joining their mailing list! 

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