We got into Blue Startups!!!

My friends know I like to bury the lead, but with news this exciting, I’m shouting it out! 📢 If you’ve been following my socials (IG, TT, LI), you may have gathered from my palm-tree-punctuated posts that Nice Industries is one of the 7 companies selected for investment by Blue Startups! 🎉🏝️🌺

Blue Startups is a public-private partnership funded by the State of Hawaiʻi, the Tetris Company, Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation, and private investors. They’re dedicated to increasing economic opportunity in Hawaiʻi, a mission I’m personally invested in. I have family here and have lived here myself, so getting to help create more paths for people like them and kids like the younger version of me means a lot.

A top accelerator in Startup Paradise

I’m three weeks into Blue Startups, and every workshop, meeting, and connection has reinforced that making a positive impact is foundational to this program and to everyone involved in it.

I couldn’t have asked for a better support network for me and Nice. These are people who genuinely care about making the world a better place, and they put their money where their mouths are.

The first Hawaiʻi-based event organizer on Nice

Days after landing in Honolulu, I met the Chief Funstigator of Sparkle Up, a group experience design company, and they’ve joined Nice! Their next event, Taste Waikiki: A Guided Food Experience, is on Nice this Friday, August 14 at 4 PM local time 🤙

The first Hawaiʻi-based causes on Nice

I’m excited to welcome the first Hawaiʻi-based nonprofits on Nice: OurSpace and Pi’ikū!

I LOVE a makerspace, so it’s doubly exciting for me that the first Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit on our platform is OurSpace. They’ve built a space for creatives to make, build, learn, and connect. I can’t wait to see what comes from having them on Nice!

Piʻikū is the 2nd nonprofit to join Nice! They’re developing local talent, creating career opportunities, and strengthening the local tech community—things I’d love to help support through Nice!

Events on Nice Pass you don’t want to miss

Taste Waikiki: A Guided Food Experience

🗓️ Friday, August 14
🕘 4 PM – 7:30 PM HT
📍 Register for address

🎟️ Come hungry: https://nicepass.vip/vsbxeaik

A Waikīkī experience blending local flavors, stories, and connection. Perfect for creatives and curious explorers, remote workers and digital nomads, and locals looking for something new!

SVB + CAFE, A Fintech Evening in SF

🗓️ Monday, August 24
🕘 4 PM – 6 PM PT
📍 222 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA

🎟️ Get in the room: https://nicepass.vip/pKAQHsAB

Join an exceptional group of founders, banks, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders who are building the future of financial services - and doing it with purpose.

10th Annual Bellingham SeaFeast Festival

🗓️ September 26 – September 27
🕘 10 AM – 6 PM PT
📍 2600 North Harbor Loop Drive, Bellingham, WA

🎟️ Join the feast: https://nicepass.vip/cCp7Ptvb

A FREE two-day celebration dedicated to honoring our rich maritime culture, showcasing our thriving working waterfront, and celebrating the vitality of our commercial fishing and seafood industries.

Let’s be friends

Do you like bringing out the best in others, supporting good causes, and helping others succeed? You’re the kind of person we want to meet.

Nice Pass is invitation-only. We’re looking for mission-driven community builders and event producers who believe gatherings can spark positive change. ✨

If that sounds like you, let’s connect:
connect@nice.industries

See you at the next event!

💛 Jessica

20 seats to Nourish in Seattle just landed on Nice Pass

This isn’t just another dinner reservation.

Nourish is one of the most sought-after culinary and cultural gatherings connected to major global events, and it’s coming to Seattle on June 18th.

Nourish brings together acclaimed chefs, world-class hospitality, sustainability leaders, founders, creatives, executives, and tastemakers for an immersive dining experience built around luxury, intentionality, and impact. It’s quickly become known for gathering the kinds of people who shape industries and culture long after the night is over.

Access to this experience is rarely available, which is why it’s so exciting to see Taste Network release 20 spots through Nice Pass.

If you’ve been looking for the kind of evening where incredible food, meaningful connection, and culture intersect, join the table.

🎟️ Limited availability on Nice Pass: https://nicepass.vip/QPNSQpVU

Events on Nice Pass you don’t want to miss

Go towards your North Star (because everything else is side-to-side nonsense)

🗓️ Thursday, May 28
🕘 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM PT
💻 Virtual

🎟️ Join the discussion: https://nicepass.vip/MJCpQHEC

Join Melinda Hsu (showrunner of Nancy Drew and Tom Swift, and TV writer-producer of Lost, The Vampire Diaries, The Interrogator, + more) for a candid and empowering discussion of how to re-center yourself in meaningful connection to your most cherished hopes.

Innovate QA 2026 - AI + Quality - 2-day event - biggest AI+QA conference on the West Coast

🗓️ Thursday, June 4 – Friday, June 5
🕘 8 AM – 5 PM PT
💻 The Westin, Bellevue Way Northeast, Bellevue, WA 98004

🎟️ Engineer the future: https://nicepass.vip/9ffGgweK

Innovation at the Intersection of AI, Test Automation, and Engineering Leadership. ​Join us at Innovate QA 2026, where the most forward-thinking Engineering Leaders, QA Professionals, and SDETs come together to shape the future of quality.

Lift up the people you can reach

🗓️ Thursday, June 4
🕘 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM PT
💻 Virtual

🎟️ Start where you are: https://nicepass.vip/YSHShbzD

Sometimes it feels like there’s too much to be done in our world. The good news is, you can make a tremendous difference by starting in your own orbit – and you might be surprised how big your orbit actually is.

Join Melinda Hsu for a candid and empowering discussion of how to find hope in yourself and in others, which is so crucial these days.

Nourish: Sustainable Gathering at 1 Hotel Seattle

🗓️ Thursday, June 18
🕘 6 PM – 10 PM PT
📍 1 Hotel, 2125 Terry Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121

🎟️ Be at the table: https://nicepass.vip/QPNSQpVU

Nourish returns as Taste Network’s signature opening night experience, bringing together leading chefs, creators, and cultural tastemakers for an evening defined by intention and craft. This gathering invites a select audience to step into a setting where sustainability is the star of the show. Designed for those who value both access and impact, Nourish sets the tone through a thoughtful convergence of food, environment, and community.

Let’s be friends

Do you like bringing out the best in others, supporting good causes, and helping others succeed? You’re the kind of person we want to meet.

Nice Pass is still invitation-only (for now), but we’re opening the door to mission-driven community builders and event producers who believe gatherings can spark positive change. ✨

If that sounds like you, let’s connect:
connect@nice.industries

See you at the next event!

💛 Jessica

Back in the Bay till May

One of the perks of running Nice Pass is getting a heads up on great events hosted by people who genuinely care about the experience of others. Not surprisingly, they tend to host the best events and bring together great people.

Sometimes events pop up on Nice Pass that I can’t help but show up to, even if it means hopping on a plane. This week took me to 🇹🇼 Taiwan Tech Day at Plug and Play in Sunnyvale, and this Saturday I’ll be at Next Move, the AI + Democracy Unconference at Frontier Tower.

I like to help check-in guests (a great way to get unfiltered guest feedback) and capture content to share the exciting events happening on the platform every day.

Being back in the Bay Area feels like returning home. There’s an ease to it. I feel welcome here. The rhythm and energy feel right, like I’m back in my natural environment. I run into old friends on the street, and my favorite restaurants are just as good as I remember 😋. There’s also an abundance of events around things I care about, and a steady flow of interesting new people passing through every day. ✨

I’m grateful Nice has landed me here again.

Events on Nice Pass you don’t want to miss

NextDemocracy - AI & Democracy Unconference

🗓️ Saturday, April 25
🕘 10 AM – 5 PM PT
📍 Frontier Tower, 995 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

🎟️ Shape the future: https://nicepass.vip/U3GVWqFU

Gathering at Frontier Tower in San Francisco, a 16-story “vertical village”, innovation hub, and “community democracy in formation” that once served as the Burning Man headquarters, for community building, good food, and designing the future that we’re going to co-create through our collective action.

Nice Conversations: Emily Lazar

🗓️ Friday, May 1
🕘 6 PM – 10 PM ET
💻 Virtual

🎟️ Spill the tea: https://nicepass.vip/hxb6wWRB

An intimate conversation with Emily Lazar, the creative force behind September Mourning and a pioneer at the intersection of music, storytelling, and Web3.

Tech Tuesdays - Crypto, Capital, and Culture

🗓️ Tuesday, May 5
🕘 6 PM – 10 PM ET
📍 Miami Beach, Florida

🎟️ For the culture: https://nicepass.vip/CbD5iF6s

Tech Tuesdays lands in Miami Beach during Consensus Miami, bringing together a curated room of builders, investors, and creatives shaping the future of Web3.

Taiwan Innovation Spotlight

🗓️ Friday, May 8
🕘 6 PM – 9 PM PT
📍 Hyatt Centric Mountain View, San Antonio Road, Mountain View, CA 94040, USA

🎟️ Be in the room: https://nicepass.vip/M2OeHy2k

High-level gathering connecting America’s industry leaders with Taiwan’s top startup teams. Representing Taiwan’s world-class supply chain and deep-tech excellence, they bring cutting-edge technologies and proven engineering capabilities, and are actively pursuing U.S. partnerships in market expansion, joint development, supply chain collaboration, and strategic investment.

Nice Conversations: Stacie Lee on Building Power Her Tech

🗓️ Friday, May 22
🕘 3 PM – 4 PM ET
💻 Virtual

🎟️ Join the conversation: https://nicepass.vip/ChueGDEW

An interactive discussion series featuring founders, operators, and people building meaningful things in the world. Stacie Lee, will be sharing her experiences as the leader behind Power Her Tech (PHT), a growing community based in Arizona focused on empowering women in technology through connection, mentorship, and real world opportunities.

Let’s be friends

Do you like bringing out the best in others, supporting good causes, and helping people succeed? You’re the kind of person we want to meet.

Nice Pass is still invitation-only (for now), but we’re opening the door to mission-driven community builders and event producers who believe gatherings can spark positive change. ✨

If that sounds like you, let’s connect:
connect@nice.industries

See you at the next event!

💛 Jessica

Don’t miss great events.

Subscribe to Being Nice for a heads up on great experiences and for the tea on events you’ve been to.

Subscribe now

SXSW’s Official Tech × Art × Culture House on Nice Pass

✈️ When FuturePIXEL House decided to run their ticketing through Nice Pass, I booked a flight to Austin and signed up for door duty. Checking in guests gave me a front-row seat to watch Nice Pass in action, and it worked beautifully. ✨

One of the many things I’ve learned from years of producing major events for Vayner is that networks tend to fail right when you need them most. To appease the lingering event-producer anxiety I’ve carried ever since, we built Nice Pass’s browser-based scanner to work both online and offline. Even if the Wi‑Fi had gone down or cell service got overloaded in Austin, check-in would have kept moving along smoothly. 🧘🏻‍♀️

❤️ People showed up with generosity

Even though entry was free, registration through Nice Pass gave guests the chance to support Another Awesome Day, a nonprofit using art and creativity to prevent teen suicide.

Some guests gave a dollar, others fifty, and by the end, a small nonprofit that might never have reached the SXSW crowd got hundreds of dollars and a wave of new supporters.

It was a great example of our belief that supporting an important cause can be built right into the experiences people are already showing up for. 💖🎉

Upcoming events on Nice Pass

🌍 Choose Your Future 2026

🗓️ Tuesday, March 24
🕘 9:00 – 10:20 AM PT
💻 Virtual

🎟️ Join the discussion → https://nicepass.vip/1k3PFeV3

A first-of-its-kind gathering of changemakers collaborating to shape human behavior for a better world.

Experience fast-paced lightning talks from leaders who are shifting culture, empowering people to make choices that support their wellbeing and the planet.

Dive into interactive breakout sessions curating a vibrant discussion around a key theme. Whether you’re here to learn, share, collaborate, or connect with values-aligned peers, you’ll find ideas and relationships that spark lasting impact.

🏦 First State Finovation Conference

🗓️ Wednesday, April 8
🕘 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM ET
📍 591 Collaboration Way, Newark, DE 19713-5500, USA

🎟️ Register → https://nicepass.vip/QuocmwXl

First State Finovation is back for its second year, and we’re bringing the financial innovation ecosystem together under one roof in Delaware. Presented by CAFE, this high-energy industry gathering convenes financial institutions, investors, fintech founders, regulators, and industry leaders to build real relationships and shape the future of finance that improves people’s lives.

One of us! One of us!

If you’re reading this and thinking, “this is so my kind of thing,” we should talk.

Nice Pass is still invitation-only (for now), but we’re opening the door for mission-driven community builders and event producers who believe gatherings can spark positive change. ✨

If that resonates, we’d love to hear from you:
connect@nice.industries

See you at the next awesome event!

💛 Jessica

I’m so excited for Dignifi’s San Francisco event this month. I could go on about the immersive experience they’ve planned in the city’s secret creative oasis, but I’ll save the stories for when I see you there in person ✈️🥳

🗓️ Thursday, February 12th

Dignifi Presents: Side by Side - Where Proximity Becomes Possibility

San Francisco’s Mission District conceals one of the city’s best-kept secrets—a wild, hidden refuge for leaders, creators, changemakers, and travelers from around the world. Most pass by its façade without realizing it veils a wonderland that feels like a Burning Man terrarium transplanted into the heart of the city. Step into a kaleidoscope of unexpected spaces stitched together in beautiful, chaotic harmony.

What’s waiting inside:

• A curated mix of community leaders, justice advocates, state partners, funders, investors, policymakers, artists, technologists, and community leaders

• Artwork by formerly incarcerated artists

• A live, collaborative art piece created with guest participation

• Thoughtfully prepared food and drinks

• A sauna (bring your swimsuit), sound healing, and other restorative experiences woven throughout the space

🎟️ Limited capacity. RSVP now: https://nicepass.vip/Tf7Ris40

But wait, there’s more!

The wave of events on Nice Pass keeps building! From opportunities to shape Seattle’s social impact scene to a chance to dive into the energy of ETHDenver, you can feel the momentum. Here are two upcoming events I’m especially excited to spotlight 💡🤝✨

🗓️ Tuesday, February 10th

Seattle Nonprofit Capacity Roundtable

Small, candid roundtable for Seattle nonprofit leaders to tackle real capacity bottlenecks—staff bandwidth, ops, reporting, fundraising systems, and more for Executive Directors, Program Directors, Ops/COO leaders.

Seats are limited to maintain conversation quality.

🎟️ RSVP now: https://nicepass.vip/5Kuy-2Ks

🗓️ Tuesday, February 17th

AdoptionCon | ETHDenver

​AdoptionCon returns in 2026 to chart the definitive path forward for unlocking mainstream crypto adoption through two high-impact streams: Onchain Finance and the Agentic Economy Hub.

🎟️ RSVP now: https://nicepass.vip/teuxQwMw

Get your event on Nice Pass

Are you a community builder, event producer, or nonprofit using gatherings to support important causes? You might be perfect for Nice Pass, our invitation-only platform for events that do good and are good for you (my cofounder says this reminds him of Zoolander).

Anyways, if you want to join the select hosts creating transformative experiences on Nice Pass, reach out:

📧 connect@nice.industries

See you at the next event!

💛 Jessica

Two new events from PowerHER Tech are live on Nice Pass! 😁💛☀️

🗓️ Thursday, January 22nd: Midday Reset
A powerful clarity meditation guided by April Toms to quiet the mind, reset your energy, and set intentions for 2026.
🎟️ sign up here: https://nicepass.vip/ezzxZy0O

🗓️ Wednesday, January 28: PHT: HER Vision - Leading with intention
Think vision boarding in a beautiful boho space with a curated group of brilliant leaders like you.
🎟️ tickets: https://nicepass.vip/2IRmyFgu

💖 Thank you to Stacie Lee for being one of our early Nice Party Starters! 🎉

Want to host on our invitation-only platform for events that do good and are good for you, email:

📧 connect@nice.industries

New Year’s hottest ticket

Missed out on Start the year off Nice? Don’t worry. Turns out the demand for Nice wellness events is off the charts, so expect another one soon. Keep an eye on your Nice newsletter so you don’t miss your invite.

The event was a great test for our new event management platform, Nice Pass. We learned what users think, which guests choose to support a nonprofit when given the chance, and more. Check out my Nice Event Analysis for a deep dive into the data and feedback.

📊🔎📈 Read the Nice Event Analysis for more data on this event than most event producers would ever share

Reflecting on years of creating events for Gary Vaynerchuk (GaryVee) and global brands, I realized most people never know what goes into pulling off magical experiences—and it’s usually a wild ride. So I wrote a Behind the Scenes (BTS) of pulling off Start the year off Nice, sharing fun, anxiety-inducing near-disasters and pivots.

💥🎉🌀 Read the Nice Event BTS for all that went down before guests got their evening of relaxation

🌉✨ The whispers about us planning an event in San Francisco are true. Want to get involved? Let’s talk: jessica@nice.industries

See you at the next Nice Pass event!

💛 Jessica

The spark

To kick off 2026, I thought it would be nice (pun not intended) to create a wellness event to support those who support others: community builders, nonprofit leaders, and impact investors. It started as a “wouldn’t it be fun if…” idea in my head. Then I shared it with a few friends, and it resonated so much they tried to RSVP with +1s and even bought flights to Seattle for an event that didn’t exist yet. When a startup offered to sponsor food and a friend said she was skipping New Year’s in Puerto Rico to attend, I figured I’d better start organizing this thing for real.

The concept

I envisioned a “choose your own adventure” experience: massage therapy, red light demos, functional cocktails (non-alcoholic drinks with adaptogens, nootropics, botanicals, and superfoods), colorful healthy foods, animal spirit cards, and intention-bracelet crafting. No corporate pitches or unintentionally awkward programming (I hate having to sit/stand through a talk which I inevitably space out during then feel bad about not knowing what the speaker was talking about. That being said, these things are sometimes necessary, and occasionally even good).

The underlying goal of Nice Industries is to encourage people to help others and support important causes. Part of this means visibly rewarding what you want to see more of in the world. I want more people to be actively involved in building supportive communities, and I want to celebrate those already doing it so they feel seen and appreciated. I also want to demonstrate that the best experiences in life aren’t gatekept by money, but by contributing to society.

This event, which I named Start the year off Nice, is one of my ways of putting that philosophy into practice.

2 weeks from idea to launch

Read more

Event Overview

Nice Industries kicked off 2026 with Start the Year Off Nice, a private, invitation-only evening focused on wellness, intention, and supporting those who support others. Designed to show gratitude for community builders, nonprofit leaders, impact investors, and Nice Industries supporters, the event presented a restorative space featuring massage therapy, red light therapy, functional cocktails, wholesome bites, wellness product demos, animal spirit cards, intention-bracelet crafting, and a curated group of warm, generous, impressive people.

The event came together in just two weeks. In mid-December, I floated the idea of hosting a health and wellness gathering to start the new year on a positive note. The response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with one friend immediately replying that she was in and bringing a plus-one, and several others saying they would fly in from out of state to attend.

When several companies offered to sponsor and a friend booked flights without waiting for the event to be official, the train had left the station. I figured I’d better start planning, which, as any event producer knows, is its own adventure. If you’re curious about the chaos involved in creating experiences for others, check out the BTS I wrote about pulling this event together.

Registrants were given the option to contribute to a nonprofit prior to the event. Data on guest behavior and contributions below.

Planning and Capacity Management

Attendance was limited to 40 people, including vendors. To maintain an accurate headcount, vendors were asked to RSVP individually. After an invitee registered with three +1s, I asked all guests to have their +1s register under their own names and adjusted the event settings to allow only one registration per email address.

Key Takeaways

The enthusiastic and high demand came from a mix of the health and wellness theme, the timing (the evening after New Year’s having less competition), and my reputation for hosting events with great food. Direct quotations of guest feedback at the end of this analysis.

Read more

If you’re reading this, you’re part of our community of Nice People—those rare folks who take action to make the world a more generous place. And let’s be honest: being the person who’s always supporting others can be exhausting. You deserve some care, too.

To show our gratitude and appreciation for everything you’ve done to lift up Nice Industries, the causes on our platform, and for being an awesome human, we’re inviting you to an evening of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

Start the Year Off Nice

🗓 January 1, 2026
📍 Seattle
⏰ 5–9 pm

This is an intimate, invite-only event for up to 40 guests, designed to set a rhythm of renewal for the year ahead. We already have amazing humans flying in from San Francisco, New York, Arizona, and Canada to be part of it.

A glimpse of what’s in store for you:

• Functional cocktails infused with adaptogens, botanicals, and superfoods to nourish your body and mind

• Red light therapy sessions to restore balance and boost vitality

• Chair massages from a licensed therapist to melt away last year’s tension

• Wholesome bites that taste as good as they make you feel

• Wellness product demos and activations that inspire healthier everyday habits

• Conversations with other Nice People about how we can make 2026—collectively and individually—the best year yet

If you’d like to join us, email jessica@nice.industries for the event link and password. Space is limited to 40 guests, so registration will close once we reach capacity.

Nice food from Nice folks

We are incredibly grateful to our food sponsor, Texas Iberico.

Texas Iberico crafts premium, pasture-raised pork from heritage Iberico genetics raised humanely on Texas ranches. Iberico is known for being naturally rich in monounsaturated fat—the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil.

A Nice new year

As we close out 2025, I’m feeling optimistic. The winds are shifting. People are craving connection, positivity, and something genuinely good. Something lasting. Something Nice.

To collaborate on events, activations, or marketing campaigns to support important causes, connect with me at jessica@nice.industries. Let’s make good things happen together 💖

Hosting an event in the near future? Let me know, and we’ll send you an invitation to be one of the first 🎉 Party Starters 🎉 on our event management platform, Nice Pass.

Thank you for being part of this movement and walking alongside us. Here’s to a brighter, kinder, and truly Nice 2026.

With love and gratitude,
👩🏻‍💻 Jessica + Team Nice 💛

On a mission to find our people—changemakers and entrepreneurs using business to create positive impact—we launched the search for the next Nice Impact Entrepreneur. The nominations rolled in, and each story was a testament to the power of business to make a difference.

From Henry Fox and Henry Warren’s inspiring video overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, to former Washington State Senator Mona Das pitching her powerful initiative, Bad Ass Women Doing Kick Ass Shit, at an airport just before takeoff, each submission was a bright thread in the tapestry of a growing movement of people working together to create a Nicer world.

After much deliberation, our judges selected one entrepreneur who embodies purpose, persistence, and heart…

✨ Meet the 2025 Nice Impact Entrepreneur, Mona Sinha! ✨

🎉🎉🎉 Congratulations to Mona Sinha for being named 2025’s Nice Impact Entrepreneur! 🎉🎉🎉

Mona is the founder of Polaris, a mental health technology company creating adaptive tools built with and for therapists—so they can spend less time on paperwork and more time on care.

As the 2025 Nice Impact Entrepreneur, Mona gets:

🏙 A one-year membership to The Fourth Effect providing mentorship, networking, and fundraising opportunities

🧠 A full year of Pick My Brain unlimited access to top-tier mentors and expert guidance

🚀 Placement in Funding Breakthrough Lab‘s exclusive cohort focused on fundraising skills, investor connections, and community support

📖 A signed copy of Lead With Kindness from author and leadership coach Melinda Hsu

❤️🧡💛 November was Nice

Last month was a wild and exciting ride, full of moments to be thankful for. Here are just a few highlights from everything we accomplished in November:

1. 🎉 Hosted our first event managed entirely through Nice Pass, our event platform built for hosts creating positive impact

2. 🚀 Launched Nice Pass to early-access event producers

3. 🏆 Awarded the title of 2025 Nice Impact Entrepreneur to Mona Sinha

4. 🎓 Graduated from Bloom’s Regenerate the Bay Accelerator Program.

5. 🌟 Welcomed our first event producer onto Nice Pass

🥇 Nice Pass’s 1st event producer: Future Force

We 💛 Future Force! Based inside the University of Washington’s Startup Hall, Future Force is a community-focused accelerator empowering changemakers with the resources, mentorship, and connections to create real impact.

Like us, they believe that empowering talented, motivated individuals is one of the most powerful ways to drive positive social change. We couldn’t imagine a better first event partner on Nice Pass.

Want to see what Future Force is all about? Join them at their upcoming events this month at the University of Washington:

AI Tech for Good Impact Lab
Friday, December 12, 6-9pm PT
🎟️ https://nicepass.vip/Gee-Y1yT

Tech + Humanity Networking Event
Friday, December 19, 6-9pm PT
🎟️ https://nicepass.vip/tQfTZmwr

🎓 Graduating from Bloom’s Regenerate the Bay Accelerator

Nice Industries was selected to be one of the 12 impact organizations to take part in Bloom’s Regenerate the Bay Accelerator, an experience that helped us better articulate our vision and build an even stronger community.

We’re now lucky to count mentors like Betsy Burroughs, founder of FocusCatalyst; Rebecca Brian Pan, co-founder of EarthScale Ventures; and David Munir Nabti, CEO of Bloom, along with our fellow cohort members, among our supporters. Their advice continues to shape how we tell the Nice story and build what’s next.

💛 Thank YOU!

If you’re one of the 160 people subscribed to our Substack, you’re among our very first supporters. Some of you have been here since the very beginning—before the accelerators, before the fundraising (btw, we just received another check this week from an incredible angel 👼), before the MVP launch, and before our first users.

Seeing people I’ve never met using a platform we just launched is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and how many of you have been alongside us on this journey.

What began as an idea has grown into a live product helping real people, and this is still just the beginning. Thank you for being here, for reaching out, cheering us on, and believing in Nice Industries and our vision of building a Nicer future for everyone.

I am so grateful for you and I can’t wait to share even more success with you in the very near future.

👩🏻‍💻 Jessica

P.S. Em dashes are entirely my own—they happen to be my favorite punctuation mark.

We’ll explore each of these nonprofit funding sources in depth in the sections below.

1. Individual donations

   1. Bequests

2. Grants

3. Corporate support

4. Earned income

   1. Ticket sales

   2. Membership dues

   3. Government contracts

5. Investment income

6. In-kind donations

7. Loans & program-related investments

Read more

Launching the search for the first-ever Nice Impact Entrepreneur

Change begins when one person decides to make a difference.

Entrepreneurs can be powerful agents of positive transformation, driving innovation, shaping culture, and ultimately changing the world. That’s why this November, in celebration of National Entrepreneurship Month, we’re launching the search for the first-ever Nice Impact Entrepreneur.

We’re looking for a visionary founder who uses entrepreneurship as a force for good, is ready to share their story, and is ready for next-level support to accelerate and amplify their impact like never before.

Calling all changemakers!

Are you the entrepreneur we’re searching for?
Starting November 1st, get on our radar by:

1. Sharing what you’re building and why you’re the right person to build it in a short video (90 seconds or less)

2. Posting the video on LinkedIn or Instagram

3. Tagging 3 friends, Nice Industries, The Fourth Effect, Funding Breakthrough Lab, and Pick My Brain

A team of founders will review the videos and select the 2025 Nice Impact Entrepreneur to receive:

1. A one-year membership with The Fourth Effect

2. A one-year membership with Pick My Brain

3. A spot in the Funding Breakthrough Lab’s next cohort

Important dates and details

Saturday, November 1 – Video submissions open

Friday, November 21 – Last day to post video submissions

Monday, November 24 – Nice Entrepreneur announced

More information: https://nice.industries/nie-rules

Our Dedicated Partners Empowering Impact Entrepreneurs

We’re proud to partner with incredible purpose-driven organizations who empower the Nice Impact Entrepreneur by providing:

• The Fourth Effect — A one-year membership offering mentorship, fundraising opportunities, and access to an expansive network

• Pick My Brain — A one-year unlimited subscription for expert guidance, connecting the entrepreneur with top mentors to navigate growth challenges

• Funding Breakthrough Lab — A coveted spot in a fundraising cohort, granting access to expert mentorship, investor connections, and a thriving community

Spotlighting Impactful Nonprofits

National Entrepreneurship Month is the perfect time to celebrate the inspiring work of nonprofits fueling the dreams of entrepreneurs everywhere. We’re spotlighting two incredible organizations that are making a real difference by providing vital resources, support, and opportunities to help emerging entrepreneurs thrive and succeed:

• 1,000 Dreams Fund provides essential financial support to emerging entrepreneurs, turning their dreams into reality and opening doors to new possibilities.
  
  🌟 Donate to their cause to help make dreams come true: http://tinyurl.com/dreamsfund
  

• NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) empowers youth from under-resourced communities with crucial entrepreneurial skills and mindset.
  
  ❤️ Support their work: https://tinyurl.com/Nfte25

This November, let’s celebrate the power of entrepreneurship to transform lives and communities! If you know an entrepreneur making a positive impact, forward this email to them 💌

💛 Jessica

💼 Many board seats pay six figures

…for just 4–6 meetings a year 🤯

Board members hold the power to guide great organizations toward actions that benefit humanity and the earth. That’s why we want to see board seats filled with Nice people—folks who genuinely prioritize the well-being of both people and the planet.

In support of this mission, we’re collaborating with The Fourth Effect to cohost the Board Boot Camp, designed to show you how to secure your first board seat and, if you’re a founder, how to build a strong, values-driven board that advances your mission.

🎟️ This virtual Board Boot Camp is FREE for Nice people (that’s you) with code:

NICEBOARD

(tickets are usually $249)

👉 Event link

Get out there and make the world a Nicer place ✨

🚀 Next Stop: New York

Speaking of The Fourth Effect, Nice Industries is heading to New York on October 21 to join their annual Summit. This gathering is bringing together over 150 entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders to explore The Shift—the moment when exponential technology moves from idea to reality, reshaping industries and society in real time.

We’re excited to be part of the movement The Fourth Effect is building—shaping organizations to ensure innovation stays aligned with human values, a mission that resonates deeply with us.

Connecting Changemakers at SF Tech Week

Last week, we proudly sponsored a16z’s SF Tech Week Social Impact Mixer 💖🎉

Together with our friends at Startup Universe, Remotely Good, e.e.r.s., Bloom.pm 🌻, Fab Mab, and VSP, we hosted a space where innovators for good connected, collaborated, and sparked new ideas.

We’re always looking to collaborate with impact entrepreneurs—folks using business as a force for good—to build community and host events that bring together people committed to creating meaningful social and environmental impact.

If that’s you, let’s talk: connect@nice.industries

💛 Thanks for being part of this growing, glowing community and for supporting us on this journey 💛

👩🏻‍💻 Jess

🎉🎉🎉 Nicely done, #TeamWater

YOU DID IT!! OVER $40 MILLION DOLLARS IN ONE MONTH. CLEAN WATER FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FOR DECADES. I CAN’T STOP YELLING. Ok, breathe. Phew, that was crazy. But it’s exciting! When we joined forces with MrBeast and #TeamWater on this quest, we had no clue how fun it would be or how many lives we’d touch, but the real win here is the friends we met along the way. Jk jk, the real win is raising $40 million and helping 2 million people access clean water for decades.

A huge thank you to everyone who took the #NiceChugs Challenge and made #TeamWater the largest online creator-led social fundraiser in history. You all made a real difference in the world and had fun doing it! It was truly incredible to see this community come together to help out people in need.

💧🌎 First Water, then the World

Next month is Climate Week in NYC, and Nice Industries is coming to the big city! The largest event of its kind in the world, Climate Week NYC brings together leaders across generations from business, tech, politics, and academia to ensure we have the best minds on the planet collaborating on climate restoration and protection.

We would love to connect with other impact organizations while we’re in town and learn what you’re building, how you’re helping others, and see if we can collab to support your cause. Reach out to us at connect@nice.industries to set up a meeting!

✨ It’s Gonna be (Experi)Mental

Have an event coming up or even just an idea for an event? Want your event to have a positive impact on the lives of others and our planet? Want to help us test out the tools we’re building to support good causes? If you answered yes to any or all of the above, sign up to become a beta tester for Nice Industries! Simply email connect@nice.industries with the subject line "Let's Party"!

We really appreciate all of you stepping up and chugging for a cause. It’s going to be hard going back to just regular style drinking of liquids. Might just keep chugging, will report back.

Love, Drew and the Nice team

With just 10 days left in August, #TeamWater is so close to achieving its monumental goal of raising $40 million to provide 2 million people with clean water. With all of your help, plus a Guinness World Record-setting livestream by MrBeast that raised $12 million, we’ve crossed $30 million in donations.

Still got $10 million to go, though. Not chump change. Can you step up and help us? Pretty please???

One easy way to jump in is by taking the #NiceChugs Challenge, where we’re downing drinks and raising awareness one chug at a time.

1️⃣ Donate to #TeamWater tinyurl.com/nicechugschallenge
2️⃣ Post a video of you chugging your choice of bevvy
3️⃣ Tag Nice Industries + MrBeast, then challenge three friends to do #NiceChugs

💡🪕🎟️ Illuminating Experience

We have to thank Sound Future so much for hosting Nice Industries at The Lumineers show on Saturday in Seattle! We had an unreal time rocking out with 45,000+ fans, and guess what… they were all supporting a great cause by simply showing up.

A portion of every ticket sold went directly to Surf & Turf, an incredible organization that rebuilds ecosystems to foster long-term climate resilience. Music saving Mother Earth, we love to hear it. 🎵🎶🌍❤️

So grateful to find a soulmate org in Sound Future that shares our mission to do good by having fun. They’re so cool. Make sure you check out their site, it’s badass.

Nice x Sound Future collab soon???

🍻😅🏔️ Seltzer? I Hardly Know Her

Back to the chugging. C’mon, everyone, stay focused—10 days and $10 million left to raise. People need water. Imagine needing water. Like, really needing it and not being able to access it. Exactly, insane. So, let’s get it together.

You know who has the right idea?

Chris McCoy from Kombucha Town. This dude shouted about #TeamWater from the mountaintops…literally. Then, he chugged arguably the most difficult drink to chug: seltzer. Kombucha Town is DOWN for the cause.

Chris and Kombucha Town have been big supporters of Nice Industries from the jump. Before we had investors, before being selected for accelerators, before MrBeast’s #TeamWater campaign… Kombucha Town sponsored our events—even going through great lengths to get their products across the country so people could enjoy them at our Impact Happy Hours for Miami Art Week. Chris, we appreciate you.

If Chris can take on the #NiceChugs Challenge at elevation, you can certainly do it in your kitchen or backyard or something. Get your donations in, crush those chugs, and challenge your friends. It’s fun and does a lot of good, which is kind of our whole thing.

Have a Nice week, everyone!

Drew & the team

Oh, PS! We’re looking for a few beta testers to toy around with a cool project. Do you have an event coming up? Would you like that event to help support a good cause? Write us at connect@nice.industries.

*Not an AI dash btw, all Drew baby.

(Hi, I’m Drew.)

Ok, party time.

💧CHUG💧CHUG💧CHUG💧CHUG💧

We’re 8 days in and #TeamWater has raised $10 MILLION!! 25% of the goal, great job so far! But as the initial buzz wears off, your support is more crucial than ever.

Join the #NiceChugs Challenge to help #TeamWater and MrBeast raise $40 million this month and help 2 million people get access to clean drinking water for decades. We know, it’s a mouthful… of water.

1️⃣ Donate to #TeamWater tinyurl.com/nicechugschallenge
2️⃣ Post a video of you chugging a bev
3️⃣ Tag Nice Industries + MrBeast, then challenge 3 friends to do #NiceChugs

Weirdest chug so far is Ax’s, where he mixed beef broth with blue Gatorade.
Can you top it?

♥️ Don’t Stress, Have Success 📈

Time is running out to get your tickets to the upcoming Less Stress More Success virtual summit!

• For educational impact leaders and organizations

• Pick up tons of valuable tools and insights from speakers and sessions 🧠

• Each ticket benefits NFTE, which teaches under-resourced students entrepreneurial skills for the future

🎟️ Get your tickets now and support these students!

🗣️ Tell a Friend to Tell a Friend

Less Stress, More Success is going to be a great gathering of impact entrepreneurs, which is a rare thing, unfortunately. If you’ve ever felt isolated or alone in your mission to do good while doing business, this is your chance to connect with values-aligned builders.🤝

Events like these don’t come around every day, and we need people with big brains and big hearts to show up! Can’t wait to see all of you there, hear your thoughts, and see your vision.♥️

Have a Nice week!

Drew & the team

We’re on MrBeast's #TeamWater, the YouTube titan’s new initiative where he’s assembling an Avengers-level team of influencers and creators to raise $40 million and provide clean drinking water to 20 million people.

It’s an incredible cause and one that couldn’t be more important. Water is one of our most vital resources, and YOU can help get it to millions of people in dire need.

It’s not all serious, though. You and your friends can have lots of fun with this challenge… AND tell everyone you helped MrBeast change the world!

Check out our LinkedIn post to learn how you can get involved in the #NiceChugs Challenge and support #TeamWater.

Yearning for Learning

When I was at an education conference in San Diego earlier this year, it struck me that every startup founder in attendance was focusing their efforts on social impact like us. Typically, humanitarian orgs are the exception at tech events, not the rule. It was truly inspiring to see so many brilliant entrepreneurs dedicated to helping people.

We want to see more gatherings of mission-driven builders, so when Nick Farrenkopf invited Nice to collaborate on an education entrepreneurship conference, we jumped at the chance.

🎉 I’m excited to announce the Less Stress, More Success Virtual Education Summit, hosted by Fond-A Education, TutorMyMath.com, Star Students, and Wibly on August 22nd! 🎉

🐥🎟️ Secure your early bird tickets now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/less-stress-more-success-virtual-education-summit-tickets-1446924563319

A Cardinal Win

Speaking of education, I was at Stanford recently with Derek, our Tech Lead. We were invited to pitch at the AI for Good Summit, in front of a room filled with incredible humans using tech to support social and environmental causes. I’d say it went pretty well—we snagged a new investor the moment we walked off stage!

Based on a Drew Story

Some news I’m very excited about is that I once again get to work with my favorite Creative Strategist of all time, former Vayner Senior Copywriter Drew London!

Drew will be a game-changer for the nonprofits we support. He is what gen AI aspires to be—brilliant ideas delivered quickly but with the understanding and experience to know why they’ll work.

💛 Thank you for being a part of our journey! Go #TeamWater!

👩🏻‍💻 Jessica

When crisis hits, people don't know how to help

Earlier this year, when wildfires hit LA, my phone blew up. Friends and family flooded my DMs, texts, and inbox, asking where they could donate make a real difference for those impacted (they know I’m building a database of nonprofits, so I’m their go-to for cause-related questions).

But here’s the thing, I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to speak for communities I wasn’t actively part of. So I started calling friends and nonprofits in LA, asking, “Which organizations would you want outsiders to support?”

After hours of conversations with nonprofits and residents, three organizations stood out as clear favorites among those most affected.

I quickly put together a webpage with brief explanations about each of the three nonprofits, added their donation checkout screens, and sent it to everyone who had asked. From research to launch, the whole process took about six hours. With the news everywhere replaying scenes of homes consumed by flames, I felt the pressure of every passing minute.

This experience got me thinking: with today’s technology, we can detect crises faster, collaborate with people on the ground to identify organizations leading the response, and automatically direct supporters to donate where they’ll have the greatest impact.

Nice Now enters the chat

We’re experimenting with a new tool called Nice Now. Nice Now scans news, social media, and conversations with people on the ground to spot crises as they happen. Then, it automatically points you to the nonprofits leading the response, and makes donating incredibly easy.

Check out Nice Now… now:
https://nice.industries/now

This is an experiment, and you're a part of it! We would love your feedback. If you like the idea, please donate to one of the nonprofits, and let us know if you did!

Support Our Mission

And if you want to support our work building tools for impact organizations worldwide, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Subscribe now

For just $11/month, paid subscribers get access to our Substack Chat, exclusive updates, and maybe even special event invites ✨

Your support matters 💛

Thank you for being part of this. Your input means the world, and could help us build something that truly makes a difference.

👩🏻‍💻 Jessica

🍀✨🚀

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of serendipity, bold moves, and game-changing connections. Let’s get you up to speed 🏁

When San Francisco Calls

Sometimes, you just have to trust your instincts—even if that means changing your flight at the last minute with nothing but two evening gowns and a garden party dress in your suitcase (thanks to only planning for a three-day wedding in LA). Instead of heading home to Washington, I gave in to the magnetic force of San Francisco and snagged the very last seat out of Burbank.

Fate worked its magic 🪄: I found myself sitting next to the former CEO of one of the nation’s largest community foundations, who immediately connected with our mission at Nice Industries and offered his support. Thanks to Kheru, the world’s cutest dog and our Chief Pawsitivity Officer, for being social and striking up a conversation with the mate in our row 🐶

Welcome to Founders, Inc.

Two days after landing, I got an email that I’d been accepted into a 14-day sprint at SF’s invite-only founders lab, Founders, Inc. The program started less than 24 hours later—lucky for me, I was in town!

That night, I found myself at a VC startup wine mixer, dressed in a floor-length black and gold gown and stilettos (the least dramatic outfit I had with me). As I explained my impromptu journey to San Francisco, I met Vinit Bhansali—a VC and founder with two successful exits. He, too, was drawn to San Francisco, hopping on a one-way flight from India after a friend told him he needed to experience its startup energy.

Vinit is now Nice Industries’ very first intern. You read that right: we have a 40-something VC and successful founder as our intern. Read the full story here 📰

14 Days, Big Wins

During my two weeks at Founders, Inc. (don’t worry, I went thrifting in the Mission, so I wasn’t wearing evening gowns to the lab), we made incredible progress. With the encouragement of Founders, Inc., we’ve been prototyping a new product and have secured support and partnerships we’re excited to announce soon.

Next Up: Human+Tech Week

We’re coming back to town for SF Human+Tech Week next week! If you’re attending, let us know at connect@nice.industries. This summit is where the future of technology and human wellbeing will be shaped, with leaders from tech, health, and impact sectors worldwide. If you care about tech that truly serves people, you won’t want to miss it.

🎟 Need a nudge? Here’s 30% off tickets!

See you in San Francisco—again!

🌁👩🏻‍💻 Jessica

We've teamed up with Human+Tech Week to bring Nice people (that's you!) an exclusive discount on tickets to San Francisco’s premier conference on the future of human wellbeing and tech! Get 30% off your Human+Tech Week tickets with code NICE at checkout (or use this link—the discount will display at checkout).

Support innovation in healthcare!

When you register with the code NICE, a portion of your ticket purchase goes to support the UC San Diego Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation’s Mission Control—a groundbreaking program creating safer, smarter and more personal healthcare for everyone.

About Human+Tech Week

When: June 14–20
Where: One Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

Human+Tech Week is an epic gathering of visionary founders, industry leaders, investors, and pioneering scientists actively exploring how tech is shaping wellbeing, performance, and longevity. Don’t miss your chance to connect with these innovators and guide the future during this week packed with:

• Nice—and brilliant—people!

• Inspiring keynotes and panels

• Hands-on workshops and immersive installations

• Startup showcases and investor networking

• Dedicated tracks on preventative health, mental and social wellness, human performance, urban innovation, and more

Whether you’re a startup, investor, researcher, policymaker, or enthusiast, this is your chance to connect, learn, and shape the future of human potential in the age of AI.

Get 30% off Human+Tech Week tickets and support UC San Diego's Mission Control today!

Get 20% off Human+Tech Week tickets!

Know a health nonprofit?

We’re committed to supporting organizations advancing human health and wellbeing. If you know a nonprofit making a difference in this space, and want to see them featured by Nice Industries, let us know at connect@nice.industries ✉️

Stay tuned! More exciting Nice things are happening, and we can’t wait to share them with you! ✨

👩🏻‍💻 Jessica