Company Name: glassybaby
Location: Seattle, Washington
Year Founded: 2001
Website: glassybaby.com
Seattle-based glassybaby, a mission-driven glass votive company, has been named the 2024 CO— 100 Top Honoree in the Community Champions category.
Founded in 2001 by three-time cancer survivor Lee Rhodes, glassybaby has grown from a small operation in Rhodes’ garage to a company on track to generate $30 million in annual revenue. The company has donated an impressive $15 million to more than 250 nonprofits, and has become a beacon of hope, kindness, and community support through its unique business model and commitment to giving back.
Giving back to communities through compassion
At the heart of glassybaby’s mission is a commitment to giving. The company donates 22% of its profits toward cancer care, animal welfare, and environmental causes.
"Giving back was the reason Lee started glassybaby," explained Daniel Baldino, Director of New Business Growth at glassybaby.
One of the company’s key initiatives is support for uncompensated cancer care, an effort inspired by Rhodes' battle with Stage 4 lung cancer. Over the years, the company has helped countless individuals access the basic needs that often go unmet during treatment, such as parking, daycare, and nutritious food. A majority of the company’s total donated funds have gone to helping people with cancer.
In addition to cancer care, glassybaby has made significant contributions to animal welfare. Recently, the company participated in a "Seconds Sale" that raised $350,000 for the American Humane Society and Best Friends Animal Society.
The company has also played a pivotal role in environmental conservation efforts, swiftly raising $175,000 for the Maui Food Bank and Maui Humane Society following the island’s devastating wildfires in August 2023.
Unlike companies that move management around to new facilities, we are training people in new skills and growing them into management positions locally.
Lee Rhodes, Founder and CEO, glassybaby
Building opportunities and skills for the community
The impact glassybaby serves goes well beyond charitable donations and extends to creating opportunities and community engagement through employment.
One of the company’s proudest accomplishments is its investment in training glassblowers without prior experience, a rarity in the industry. About 800 glassybaby products are produced every day by a team of 70 glassblowers in the company’s Seattle and Montana-based glassblowing hot shops.
"Unlike companies that move management around to new facilities, we are training people in new skills and growing them into management positions locally,” said Founder and CEO Lee Rhodes.
In 2023, glassybaby opened the largest private glassblowing facility in the U.S., in Livingston, Montana. This facility contributes to the company’s production and brings new jobs to a rural community that relies heavily on tourism.
Now a key regional player, glassybaby employs 33 people and offers them full benefits and a living wage. The company plans to double its Montana workforce and capacity in 2025.
“This is driving economic impact in a community that needs it most,” Rhodes added. “We provided people with skills and a living wage with full benefits. That is driven by purpose, not profitability.”
Thriving by giving
The unique business model of glassybaby, which combines high-quality craftsmanship with a strong sense of purpose, has proven to be sustainable despite external challenges. The company’s ability to grow steadily while reinvesting profits into the community sets it apart.
Even in times of disruption, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, glassybaby remained true to its mission. When glassblowing operations were paused due to restrictions that affected the proximity required for production, the company used federal relief programs to expand its infrastructure. In turn, this allowed the company to emerge stronger and more resilient from the pandemic.
Now, glassybaby is committed to furthering its impact on the community. In 2024, half of all company donations — approximately $500,000 — will go to the B+ Foundation, the leading provider of financial assistance to families battling childhood cancer. Baldino also noted that the company will focus on supporting rural communities and people of color who may have fewer resources and access to support when facing cancer. These initiatives exemplify glassybaby’s motto: “Votives with a motive.”
With an unwavering commitment to give back and uplift communities, glassybaby exemplifies what it means to be a true Community Champion. glassybaby continuously creates opportunities, spreads kindness, and makes a lasting impact through its mission-driven business model.
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Spotlight On
glassybaby
glassybaby, founded by three-time cancer survivor Lee Rhodes, is a mission-driven glass votive company based in Seattle, WA, dedicated to spreading kindness and healing through handcrafted, American-made glass. With a commitment to giving back, glassybaby donates 22% of its profits, contributing over $14 million to more than 250 nonprofits, while producing unique, story-rich votives that connect with customers on a personal level.