Innovation

Brown started Everybody Inc in 2019 as a for-profit business that sold products manufactured by an uncommon and inclusive workforce: adults with IDDs, intellectual and developmental disabilities. The brand strives to enforce that there is "Beauty in Diversity" and "Strength in Inclusion." For every $20 that customers spend, one hour of work is generated for adults with disabilities.

The motivation behind this innovation is rooted in the poor economic status of adults with IDDs. "Over 80% of adults with developmental disabilities are unemployed" Brown said. She added that of the small percentage of this group that do have jobs, half of them are paid subminimum wages in jobs that are menial, repetitive and essentially demeaning for anyone. Adults with IDDs are given a monthly check of $841 in Supplemental Security Income or SSI. Of this check, $800 is dedicated to rent, leaving only $41 to afford clothes, toiletries, transportation, and other necessities for the month. With this income and no work opportunities, the IDD community is left impoverished. This harsh reality played a crucial role in the culminating of a successful business with an important and powerful message.

Inspiration

Brown had a few inspirations for starting her project and innovation. Her biggest inspiration came from her sister, Becca, who has Down syndrome and was stuck at home while Brown was out pursuing a career in law. As early as high school, Brown was proactive in creating opportunities for Becca to participate in, such as basketball games with other neurodivergent individuals. However, her efforts didn't stop there. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Brown "founded a nonprofit organization around workforce development, vocational skill-building, and community access for adults with neurodiversity," she said. In order to take her efforts even further, she created Everybody Inc, a for-profit business operated with a dedication to solving complex social issues.

Overall impact

There have been tremendous impacts due to this innovation and business. To start, Brown’s business has allowed those with disabilities to earn livable wages. At the same time, individuals with disabilities are receiving an education. This education comes from the work they are involved in, which has helped these adults to attain new skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Some of Brown’s employees had never had a job in their entire life because they had no one to teach them the necessary skills.

Employing adults with developmental disabilities proves that they can do just as good a job as everyone else. It proves that disabled individuals can contribute to a profitable business model.

From the skills that are attained and the wages that are earned, the impact stretches further. The disabled workers have used their money to contribute to the local economy. And those who purchase Everybody's products support the IDD community. This allows those who have disabilities to have more economic freedom. Now, Brown’s employees can contribute the economy in ways that they could not before earning livable wages and doing meaningful work. This gives those who have disabilities more independence, while also cultivating their ability to work in a team. Before the creation of Everybody Inc, adults with IDDs were so excluded from the workforce that "their data wasn't even being captured within the local economy and workforce development numbers," Brown explained. Because of her business, adults with IDDs can escape this impasse.

The opportunities and awareness that Everybody Inc creates, in the long run, will help lift people within the IDD community out of poverty. They'll no longer have to worry about how they'll stretch $41 to last them a whole month. Brown’s hope is that her business will also motivate others to engage in social entrepreneurship. She firmly believes that social entrepreneurship should be the face of capitalism in order to inspire change and effect equal opportunities for all. This motivation and innovation is epitomized in one of her company's mottos: "We don't hire people to make candles. We make candles to hire people."

Business benefit

Everybody Inc’s innovation has had a critical impact on the community of disabled adults. This company has been given the opportunity to take their profits and use them to hire disabled adults in their workforce. Everybody Inc currently has 18 employees. They have a 100% retention rate and have also increased their hours of labor generated from 13,000 to 50,000. The growth and recognition the company is seeing is spreading at an exceptionally fast rate.

One of the top employees bringing significant impact to the company is Brown’s friend, Marty, who has an IDD and struggled to find a job. Wanting to help a fellow friend and to raise awareness contributed to the culmination of Everybody Inc. In starting her business, Brown was able to fulfill one of Marty's biggest dreams: she gave him a job. The skills Marty cultivated within Everybody Inc's uplifting culture landed him a job in one of the biggest medical supply companies in Michigan. After having shipped products to 45 states throughout the country, there is no doubt that Everybody Inc's message is rapidly spreading throughout the country and the world.

Social and environmental benefit

Everybody Inc benefits both society and the environment in various ways. A few examples of these benefits are that the company helps raise awareness for disabled individuals while also making sure that their products are delivered in recyclable packaging. Another benefit is that Brown has decided to source their products from local and sustainable vendors who are following ethics and morals similar to the goals of the company. This act of dealing with local and sustainable vendors is very critical for Everybody Inc because it allows them to also support smaller businesses which want to help achieve the same goals.

When it comes to raising awareness of disabled individuals, Brown has done a great job of implementing this feature of hiring disabled adults to work for the company. This allows individuals with disabilities to be given the same opportunities as other adults, helping them to improve their social and leadership skills. Through the opportunities given to them from Everybody Inc, adults with disabilities will become more confident in themselves and show that they are capable of the same work output as everyone else. Not only will adults with IDDs be able to show their worth, but the workforce as a whole will be able to see that adults with IDDs are just as capable as those without developmental disabilities.

Interview

Jeanette Brown, Founder and CEO