What is Rachel up to?
Rachel Stamm wants to participate in "KICK" (Seattle’s newest business incubation program) this summer on behalf of Emergent Housing Solutions. Participation in “KICK” is dependent upon the successful crowd-funding campaign of $2000 in tuition – and the
$2000 must come from at least 10 different people! The idea is based upon the concept of "social proof". If an emerging business cannot raise $2000 from friends/family, is the idea truly worthwhile?
What is Emergent Housing Solutions?
Emergent Housing Solutions (EHS) is a post-disaster housing marketplace. We are the "First Responders in Sustainable Shelter". We host a website/marketplace that brings sellers and buyers of emergency housing together - we make the match based on buyer needs
and our knowledge of the products that sellers provide. We represent a number of different products, allowing buyers to choose the best product to meet their needs.
Why is Emergent Housing Solutions needed?
Emergent Housing Solutions addresses the lack of expedient and sustainable emergency housing solutions after a natural disaster in the United States. When housing is provided, it is often outside of the original community. This distance between the original
community and people recovering from disasters continues to break communities down, at a time when people need to be together to build back, both literally as well as figuratively, while housed in sustainable, healthy homes. Emergent Housing Solutions is playing
a vital role in creating the future that we want to see.
More About What We Do
EHS provides the expertise regarding the range of products that we market online - and are able to communicate with potential buyers about which product choice would make the most sense for their particular circumstances - i.e. location, climate, length
of housing installation, etc. We will "vet" each product that we represent - so that we fully understand the implications of the product around specific performance as well as sustainability/green issues. We want to change the current paradigm regarding how
people are housed post-disaster. We believe that disaster victims should be housed within their community, when possible, and that they should be housed in healthy homes.
Emergent Housing Solutions has identified a gap in the system - there are many housing designs in existence because a lot of people are interested in helping disaster victims. But the designers and innovators are not business people and the designs do not
make their way successfully to the marketplace. EHS fills that gap - acting as an advocate - bringing together buyers with identified designers and sellers of innovative products that could help house people in new ways after disasters within the United States.
Why “KICK”?
Participation in "KICK", the Seattle business incubator, will allow EHS to further the research that we have done and will connect us with more mentors and advisors. Rachel worked with “KICK’s” creator, Michael “Luni” Libes in Entrepreneurship this last
year at Bainbridge Graduate Institute. She sees a lot of value in the opportunity to focus on EHS this summer within “KICK” without the additional class load of the academic year.
The EHS team understands that the problem that we have identified might be daunting, but we believe that we have creative ideas to begin to make quick progress. We will begin with housing one family, and our projections show us housing 240 families within
the first year. It is good work and we are ready to begin!
The TEAM!
We have assembled an amazing team to work together on this issue. While Rachel Stamm will be the only team member officially physically showing up at "KICK" on a regular basis this summer, she'll be fully supported by the team. Rachel & Erin Hulme both just
graduated this June from Bainbridge Graduate Institute with MBAs in Sustainable Systems. Rachel was in the Entrepreneurship track, also earning a Certificate in the Sustainable Built Environment, while Erin studied Organizational Leadership and focused on
Finance. The intrepid and intelligent Jennifer Williams will be working on behalf of EHS as well from Brooklyn, NY, calling Rachel way too early in the morning on the West Coast – which will simply allow for greater progress this summer. Jim Burton, whose
reputation as a leading green architect in Seattle precedes him, will be weighing in on decisions as well.
The Advisory Board will keep an eye on the progress: Julie Beall, Jennifer Frey, John Halas, & Mike (aka Jerry) Rehder. They bring more MBA knowledge, passion for the creative process, deep green building knowledge, understanding of sustainability and energy
efficiency issues, as well as expert architecture and engineering knowledge to the team. WOW! We are incredibly lucky to have each and every one of them on "board"!
The team just assembled on June 17th to "vision" for the future of Emergent Housing Solutions. The "to-do" list is long, but the support and passion are great. And the work is needed and must be done. A collective call to action has been heard and this
team is up for the work. We hope you'll support us with a donation that will take us to the next step!
Thank you for your support!
