OJO Labs is taking active steps to increase homeownership among Black and Latinx first-time buyers, starting by identifying critical equity issues within the industry, eliminating potential barriers within the OJO experience, and identifying like-minded collaboration partners. Fresh off a massive $62.5 million funding round in June, the company has been acquiring tech platforms that help position it as an equitable provider of home buying and selling services.

The pandemic has exacerbated many existing societal problems; affordable housing is one. Garrett Companies has made filling this housing void its mission. Among other things, it is pinpointing its affordable housing projects in markets where the cost of housing has outpaced service job wages. Focusing on areas where long cycles of rent increases have put pressure on working class residents, the company seeks to provide affordable, high-quality housing options near great neighborhoods and other amenities. The company wants teachers, police officers, city staff, and other service providers to have the option of living close to work, but also near high-end amenities, low crime, and great schools. The company also hopes to do its part to eradicate the practice of remodeling for the sole purpose of raising rent.

In March, Grove Collaborative became the first and only plastic-neutral retailer in the world committed to becoming 100 percent plastic-free by 2025. The company recently released a full line of plastic-free products as a part of its Beyond Plastic cleaning initiative. In October, it also launched personal care brand Peach, which offers waterless, plastic-free, and effective plant-based solutions. In under a year, Peach is expected to save an estimated 100,000 pounds of plastic that would otherwise enter the environment. The company's subscription model allows households to easily make a permanent shift to less harmful chemicals and packaging.

The average consumer buys 68 items of clothing per year, but wears each item only an average of seven times before it is discarded--and 60 percent of discarded garments end up in incinerators or landfills within one year. This year, Cuyana has stayed true to its mission of minimizing the impact of the fashion industry on the environment by creating staple apparel pieces that consumers value and wear longer. This female-led company also continues to support global craftsmanship by honoring its production commitments to small factories around the world, even amid the pandemic. The company recently launched the Zero Waste collection program, in which scraps from its production supply chain are used to create new products.