MULO Brands With Soul December Pick: Hummingbirds

Our previous Brands With Soul have all been retail, restaurant, service, and CPG brands with multiple locations (MULO) and millions of dollars to spend on rewarding their teams and giving to charities. But soul isn’t just for those brands. In fact, starting a business that serves MULO brands can be in the hands of an individual founder. Emily Steele, CEO of Hummingbirds, is a midwest (Iowa) entrepreneur and mother of two young kids. Emily put the sassy in SaaS, raising more than $10M in seed capital.

Hummingbirds also creates opportunities for “everyday people.” The platform comprises fans and buyers/users of products and services (locals who have influence, as Steele describes them). Brands who want to reach consumers locally can tap into her network. After all, can IG influencers with millions of followers and hundreds of affiliate deals REALLY speak from the heart about a local experience that appeals to their friends and family?  Hummingbirds offers fun perks like gift cards and free tickets to shows for the average Joe or Joanne in a local market.

Starting in Des Moines with 25 content creators,  the company now has a community of 15K people. Hummingbirds has hosted 23 Community Campaigns in which thousands of these creators do something that supports their local economy. Things like eating on National Donut Day, Shopping on Small Business Saturday, etc.

Most influencer platforms focus on serving massive direct-to-consumer (DTC) campaigns on a massive scale. As Steele says, “Hummingbirds has ‘democratized influence’ and helped even giant MULO brands tap into local communities while calibrating their marketing spend accordingly.”

In addition to local brands, Hummingbirds serves Olipop, Goodles, and Bachans, as well as tourism and attractions brands like Experience Grand Rapids and Destination Madison.

Another way Hummingbirds has contributed to the local economy is by funding. It has contributed over $75k that goes right into local economies & the small businesses that support them. Steele started a pitch competition in Des Moines called Flourish: Fund Ideas that Matter. Three small businesses have the opportunity to pitch their idea to a live audience, and the community votes who will take the $3k to get their business to the next level.

Company culture is also essential to Steele. She says, “My cofounder, Charise Flynn and I have built a culture of curiosity, abundance, community, and fun. Abundance for us is partially about choosing to see the possibilities versus the limitations, but it also plays into generosity and appreciation. Taking the time to notice and share something good always comes back around. We love working hard (because we love what we are creating) and having fun and not taking life too seriously.”