This was a year of growth and expansion. Now in a larger infrastructure and with a strong team and unique value proposition, we were able to work with amazing corporate partners who are committed to supporting the communities where they live and work. We were featured internationally thanks to our consistent hard work and tangible results.

The year we experienced we are only as strong as our weakest link. As a community, we stood together to support those in need, and, as always, we worked with private and public sectors to provide technology for kids and families throughout the Bay Area. We formed partnerships that have made us who we are today, and laid the foundation for sustainable growth for years to come.

After a few years of trial and error, we were finally getting the attention of larger companies and organizations throughout the country. Our name, locally, was a synonym of corporate social responsibility, and we were one of the first ones in the area to start talking and also providing solutions to address the digital divide, digital literacy, and access to sustainable education in our communities. We also had the opportunity to set up computer labs in Peru and start the process to expand internationally in an intentional way.

eSmart Recycling’s business model starts to take shape. After being in the spotlight because of the award, now we had the attention of people and businesses who wanted to join in the efforts. We started perfecting our social enterprise model and figured out a way to link each computer pick-up to an opportunity to deploy refurbished computers to nonprofits in the community. We kickstarted our deployment model by installing computer labs in the bay area, including our first-ever lab with Casa Chiapas, and the deployment of computers at Fe y Alegría in Venezuela in partnership with the public and private sectors of the country,

Hillsborough County and Economic Development created a call to action for the entrepreneur community at large to compete for a chance at $5,000. We felt it was a perfect opportunity to put our story and our business idea to the test. We made it to the finals and pitched our idea to use the money to create collection points by partnering with schools and local community hubs to create awareness about e-waste and to get everyone on board the mission of recycling computers. Right before they announced the winner, they said that because of the great support the pitch competition had, the sensors had doubled the money, and now it was going to be $10,000. The rest is history.