Despite widespread closures of college campuses and businesses across the nation due to the coronavirus pandemic, Live Good Inc., an eco-friendly student-run business in Orange County, California has managed to continue operations. Jennifer Chi, founder and CEO was able to accommodate most of her workers, primarily University of California Irvine (UCI) students, by allowing them to work remotely from their respective homes in San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Boston, and San Diego, immediately following stay-at-home orders.
Live Good is a diverse and inclusive educational and community-based company. Employees comprise of student-workers who earn college units for learning about ethical business practices and sustainable manufacturing, packaging assistants hired from the Goodwill of Orange County Job Development Program, for participants with disabilities including autism, spina bifida, down syndrome, and deafness, and a team of 12 seamstresses-about half who are local moms.
With stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices becoming the norm, workers unable to perform their duties remotely have been temporarily laid-off to ensure their safety from COVID-19. As production continues for its certified non-GMO organic sheets, duvets, blankets, and pillows the company took immediate action to help in the fight against the coronavirus, by manufacturing protective face masks for local seniors as well as UCI Medical Center.
“It took a global pandemic to put everything into perspective. When life and death are at the forefront of your mind, the little things fade away. What really matters is love, family, community, and the chance to serve others. In the end, we are all human with the same basic needs… We are all equal and profoundly connected.” –Jennifer Chi, Founder and CEO of Live Good Inc.
About Live Good Inc.
Live Good, Inc. was founded in 2012 as a direct response to current deplorable manufacturing conditions. As a human rights investigator examining factory production in Asia with a focus on human trafficking, Live Good Founder Jennifer Chi saw firsthand the devastating toll present-day mass manufacturing has on human rights and the environment. The company’s goal is to model and inspire conscientious manufacturing: promoting local, organic methods that make a positive impact on people and the planet. By manufacturing in the United States, Live Good can ensure that the highest standards of hygiene and fair labor practices are maintained. All products are manufactured in Orange County, California using 100% certified organic source materials and eco-conscious, community-minded practices.