On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about handmade marketplaces with my guest Jonathan Lincoln.
Jon is the founder of Goimagine. He earned many accolades with his prior technology venture within InsurTech including “Insurance Innovation of the Year” and “Top 10 InsurTech Leaders of 2017” which led to a company exit valued at over $44 million.
Never a stranger to new ventures in 2020 Jon entered the world of ecommerce with the launch of goimagine.com; a new online marketplace that is the world’s first to donate 100% profits to charity.
As a handmade marketplace with a philanthropic mission Goimagine has grown to over 3,000 makers and artists working to grow their handmade businesses while also helping children in need. As corporate marketplaces continue to grow and dominate the ecommerce landscape Jon believes it’s time there was a marketplace dedicated to providing social good.
This episode is sponsored by h+h americas.
Where creativity meets business.
Join us June 21 – 23, 2023 for h+h americas at the Donald E. Stephens Convention & Conference Center in Rosemont, IL. h+h americas is the premier trade show for today’s business environment.
h+h americas is a trade show with an extended digital marketplace accessible before and after the event. Open to everyone who makes a living in crafts, h+h americas serves a community without membership requirements. For the first time the h+h americas in 2023 will include all craft sectors extending the event to the entire, creative community. For more information visit hh-americas.com
We begin our conversation by talking about what Goimagine is all about. Jonathan explain his background as an entrepreneur and how he became interested in marketplaces in general and handmade in particular. Jonathan also talks about the idea of a for-profit business that donates its profits to charity. He explains which charities Goimagine donates to and how he chose them.
Jonathan says that Goimagine isn’t trying to compete with Etsy. In fact, he encourages Goimagine sellers to also have Etsy shops. Instead, Goimagine offers other benefits including the ability to easily and affordably build a standalone website and being part of a larger movement for social good. Jonathan addresses the Etsy Strike that took place earlier this year and its overall impact on makers and marketplaces.
We talk about the definition of handmade. Goimagine vets its sellers to ensure that all of them are truly makers, but there are inherent challenges in the vetting process regarding the definition of handmade.
Recently, Goimagine raised a significant round of funding to help Goimagine grow in the years to come. Jonathan talks about the specific challenges of raising funds for Goimagine, and why it’s also important to continue to innovate in order to grow.
In this conversation, we reference:
- Charity Navigator and Charity Watch
- Pattern
- Indie Sellers Guild
- Goimagine’s app, Maker Circle, and Facebook group
And, of course, I ask Jonathan to recommend great stuff he’s enjoying right now. Jonathan recommends:
- Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington
- Manifest on Netflix
- As You Think, a book published in 1904 that still inspires him
Learn more about Goimagine on the Goimagine website where you can sign up to become a seller.