As the host of Talk Commerce, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with many innovators in the e-commerce space. Recently, I sat down with Disney Petit, the co-founder and CEO of LiquiDonate, for a fascinating discussion about sustainable social impact and the innovative ways her company is addressing excess inventory challenges.
From Postmates to Purpose-Driven Innovation
Disney’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. Before founding LiquiDonate, she was an early employee at Postmates, where she wore many hats – from customer service to sales to product management. What stood out to me was her commitment to creating products that truly served the needs of users, whether they were restaurant staff or customers.
One of Disney’s most impactful projects at Postmates was the development of food security products. She shared, “We leveraged our existing infrastructure, which was third-party food delivery, to build food security products that made a difference for people in the communities in which we lived and worked.”
This experience laid the foundation for what would become LiquiDonate, expanding the concept of matching excess resources with those in need beyond just food.
LiquiDonate: A New Approach to Excess Inventory
What struck me most about LiquiDonate’s model is its elegant simplicity in solving a complex problem. Disney explained, “We’ve built this matching software that’s able to say, okay, you want to do this return, set a pickup window for the time that you’re available to pick it up. And then our software will automatically schedule a pickup from a third-party courier service who’s able to accommodate the size of this item and deliver it directly to a nonprofit from our database.”
This approach not only benefits retailers by reducing reverse logistics costs but also ensures that usable items find their way to those who need them most, rather than ending up in landfills.
The Impact of Thoughtful Donations
During our conversation, I was particularly moved by Disney’s insights into the types of donations that make the most significant impact. She highlighted three categories:
- Consumer packaged goods (CPG)
- Furniture
- Shoes
As someone who has been involved in charitable work, I could immediately see the value in these categories. Disney shared a touching example: “To just see that somebody who has maybe been experiencing a difficult time in life for, you know, years to see them get their first apartment and have it furnished with furniture from Room and Board that was all donated. It’s super high-quality furniture that is going to last a long time and really provides a lot of dignity and respect for these folks to step into this new life that they have.”
Challenges and Future Goals
One of the most interesting parts of our discussion was when I asked Disney about her frustrations. She highlighted the disconnect between executive teams and warehouse managers in larger companies. This disconnect often leads to a lack of recognition of the real issues surrounding returns and excess inventory.
Looking to the future, Disney shared an ambitious goal: “We want to like be responsible for a landfill closing.” This vision of diverting so much waste that a landfill becomes unnecessary is both bold and inspiring.
The Power of Unrestricted Grants
As we wrapped up our conversation, Disney made a passionate plea for unrestricted grants to nonprofits. This resonated with me, as I’ve seen firsthand through my work with Mile in My Shoes how crucial flexibility can be for organizations doing impactful work.
Disney emphasized, “If you are considering doing a philanthropic donation of cash to a nonprofit organization, please consider doing it unrestricted because it’s really important that the people who are working at these places doing this life-changing work have access to spend the money the way that they see fit.”
What next?
My conversation with Disney Petit was a reminder of the incredible potential for technology to solve real-world problems. LiquiDonate’s innovative approach to matching excess inventory with nonprofits in need is not just good for business – it’s good for our communities and our planet.
As we continue to grapple with issues of waste and resource allocation in the e-commerce world, leaders like Disney offer a hopeful vision for the future. Her work demonstrates that with creativity, compassion, and the right technology, we can transform excess into impact.
I encourage you to listen to the full podcast episode to hear more about Disney’s journey and the inspiring work of LiquiDonate. And remember, whether you’re a business leader or an individual looking to make a difference, consider how you can support organizations like LiquiDonate in their mission to create a more sustainable and equitable world.
