Improving farmers' lives is part of business for Teatulia
A tea company from Denver, CO., is succeeding in combining business and social responsibility. Teatulia has its sights on lifting a village out of poverty on the other side of the globe, while making a profit at home. The company teamed up with a tea garden in the Tetulia region in Bangladesh to source its organic tea. Teatulia also oversees initiatives that improve quality of life for 1200 tea garden employees and the surrounding community. For example, it encourages education programs and loans to farmers. The company started selling its products in a single Whole Foods grocery store in 2009 and is now present in 115 Whole Foods locations across the US. The start-up hopes to become profitable next year.