Lets clarify Kashless.org’s mission, profit/non-profit status

I have been having lots of discussions lately about how to effectively mix profit and non-profit activities in a software company.  Whenever I find myself answering the same question more than once it is time for a blog post. 

Here is how we have set up things here at Kashless.  Kashless, Inc. is a for profit (unprofitable = unsustainable) sustainable company.  Kashless, Inc. is venture funded, and expects to make a profit for it’s shareholders and to grow its business.  Kashless, Inc. develops software to enable reuse marketplaces.  Kashless.org is a non-profit demonstration consumer deployment of the Kashless, Inc. software platform.   Kashless, Inc.’s primary business is licensing the software platform to brands, companies, and organizations, not operating a destination consumer site.  In addition to operating Kashless.org as a public service, like many leading technology companies, Kashless, Inc. has committed a portion of its profits to a charitable foundation, the Kashless Foundation, which will promote Reuse and Recycling around the world.