Cause Cart - Season 2 Idea Jam 7
- Matt Pacyga
- Sep 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 13
Season 2 Idea Jam 7
Season 2 Recaps brought to you by our partners Hypercolor Digital and the University of St. Thomas - Schulze School of Entrepreneurship
Clickable Chapters:
Spotlight Business for September 2025 - Season 2 - Idea Jam 7
What is Cause Cart all about?
Cause Cart is a curated social impact marketplace for people frustrated with the waste and excess from Amazon and other major e-tailers. They create a platform where every transaction generates positive action.
"Every transaction supports a cause through the vendor's giveback program, uses sustainable packaging, offsets shipping emissions, and provides transparent impact reporting."
Core Offerings
Shop by Cause Functionality
Consumers can search and filter products by causes they care about (women-owned business, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, environmental, animal rights, etc.)
Alternative to traditional product-first shopping experience
Curated Vendor Marketplace
Every vendor is personally vetted by the Cause Cart team
Only businesses that authentically give back are accepted
Focus on storytelling about vendors, their products, and their causes
Eco-Conscious Logistics
All products ship in biodegradable, recyclable packaging
Carbon offsets for shipping through reforestation investments (currently in Tanzania)
Sustainable practices throughout the fulfillment process
Impact Reporting
Customers receive data showing the positive impact of their purchases
Transparency about which causes were supported and how
"You didn't have to do the homework - we did it for you"
Cause Cart
Founder Profile
Connect with Tiffany Serbus-Gustaveson on LinkedIn
Company Mission
"Our mission is to keep building a platform where partnerships are valued, stakeholders are key, stories are told, connections are made, and trust is built. We are stronger together."
Cause Cart is positioning itself as "Commerce For Purpose and Connection" - essentially creating an alternative to transactional e-commerce, making it easy for consumers to do good online without extra research or effort. The business model centers on being a trusted intermediary that handles the vetting, storytelling, and impact tracking so consumers can shop with confidence that their purchases create positive change. ❤️
Event Pictures
Event Deck
Problem Statement
Cause Cart faces the universal challenge of converting consumer values into actual purchasing behavior. Despite growing cultural awareness around ethical shopping, customers consistently default to convenience-first platforms like Amazon when pressed for time or budget, creating a painful gap between stated intentions and actions. Additionally, the company must build authentic trust in a marketplace saturated with greenwashing claims.
Idea Jam Summary
During the Innovate MN session, participants tackled two core challenges through collaborative brainstorming: converting interest to action ("The Spark") and building authentic trust without greenwashing. The session generated over 100 actionable ideas across user experience, messaging, vendor partnerships, and community-building strategies.
The session revealed that success may depend less on revolutionary features and more on consistent, authentic execution of core promises - with the community emphasizing that actions truly do speak louder than marketing words.
Over 100+ sticky notes!
Download the data here: Google Doc with the sticky note data
Come and be part of our upcoming jam!
Idea Jam Analysis
Topic 1: Converting Interest to Action - "The Spark"
Key Themes
Emotional Connection & Storytelling
Make shopping experiences emotional so people remember them
Human stories behind products and producers drive connection
Video interviews with vendors sharing their impact stories
"Story leads to emotion leads to feel-good purchasing"
Show the creative process and what vendors are doing
Gamification & Social Proof
Monthly gift boxes/subscriptions for recurring engagement
Statistics and impact tracking on vendor pages ("say what you mean")
Live cause dashboards showing real-time impact
Social connections from purchases - "see others for your cause"
Collective impact messaging showing community involvement
Convenience Innovation
Gift receipts that detail the cause supported alongside the product
"Unwrapped Tour Style" cause promotions for discovery
Shop by location to support local causes
Wedding registry concepts for cause-aligned gifting
Personalization based on shopper preferences and past purchases
Topic 2: Trust and Credibility in Social Impact
Key Themes
Radical Transparency
Act as a gatekeeper for valid vendors with clear vetting processes
"Avoid empty terminology" - focus on specific actions over buzzwords
Clear transparency and authenticity in all claims
Show the vetting process and criteria for vendor approval
Proper measurement of impact with data over time
Authentic Communication
"Don't use the words at all" - let actions speak louder than marketing terms
Focus on the causes themselves rather than eco-friendly language
Transparency in supplier sourcing and vendor relationships
Visual iconography to help people understand causes without overwhelming text
Consistency equals identity - deliver on promises repeatedly
Innovative Ideas, What Stands Out, Insights
Innovative Ideas:
User Experience Innovations
Badge system for vendors showing their cause alignments at a glance
"About" page using visual icons and photos for better understanding
Filter by cause functionality with clear visual representation
TikTok-style videos showing vendor stories and impact
Community Building
AMAs with business owners to build personal connections
Distribution presence at events and local locations
Cause-based advertising created by Cause Cart for vendors
Get influencers knowledgeable about specific causes as authentic advocates
Impact Visualization
Annual reviews showing individual customer impact across causes
Cause goals with visual progress tracking
Real-time impact statistics integrated into shopping experience
"Fill up the stars" progress indicators for cause funding
What Stands Out (Patterns):
The concept of "rage" as a purchasing motivator emerged as a powerful insight - channeling frustration with current systems into positive action. The repeated emphasis on avoiding traditional sustainability language suggests participants recognize consumer fatigue with greenwashing. The focus on gifting as a pathway to cause-aligned shopping presents an unexpected opportunity for market entry.
Implementation Ideas:
Near-term (30 days)
Test UX improvements around cause visibility during shopping
Implement vendor story videos for top-performing products
Create simple badge system for cause identification
Medium-term (3-6 months)
Develop impact tracking dashboard for customers
Launch gift receipt feature showing cause impact
Establish vendor vetting transparency page
Long-term (6+ months)
Build subscription/gift box program
Create in-person event presence strategy
Develop influencer partnership program with cause advocates
Key Challenges and Considerations:
Complexity Management: Multiple ideas around personalization and cause filtering could overwhelm users if not carefully designed for simplicity.
Vendor Coordination: Many transparency and impact tracking ideas require significant vendor cooperation and data sharing.
Resource Allocation: The breadth of suggestions spans everything from UX design to content creation to partnership development, requiring strategic prioritization.
Authenticity Balance: Threading the needle between showcasing impact and avoiding the appearance of virtue signaling requires careful messaging strategy.
DISCLAIMER
The ideas, suggestions, and recommendations in this recap resulted from a collaborative brainstorming session conducted by Innovate MN community members. These concepts are based on limited information about the business operations, financial situation, market conditions, and customer base.
Recommendation: Before implementing suggested strategies or programs, Cause Cart should conduct thorough due diligence, including market research, financial analysis, and consultation with relevant professionals.
This recap is intended to provide creative inspiration and potential directions for further exploration, not definitive business guidance.
High five, you made it!