2018 Community Impact Awards: Green Products

SOLVING THE COMMUTE. Sohier Hall is cofounder, president and CEO of Luum

This article appears in print in the November 2018 issue. See more about the winners of the 2018 Community Impact Awards here. Click here for a free subscription.

GOLD AWARD: Luum
Employees: 1520
Sohier Hall, president/CEO
luum.com

Seattle has a lot going for it: vibrant urban centers, creative workforce, unparalleled setting. But all of that comes at a cost: traffic. Lots and lots of traffic. Figuring out the most efficient commute is the task of Luum, an enterprise-grade, SaaS-based transportation tech company that helps employers engage with employees to optimize their workday drives.

The name Luum comes from loom, says Luum spokesperson Kelly Hostetler. We think of ourselves as weaving the social fabric. Transportation is such a complex, wicked problem. And to solve it you need to bring together all sorts of different pieces. Were that software, that technology that is bringing together other technologies, other stakeholders and the built environment. Were breaking down those silos and weaving them together so that we can solve the tricky problem of commute and the environment.

Luum captures commute data, including parking information and car-alternative commute options, allowing employers to manage employee incentives, such as parking and transit passes, more efficiently. Employees can then access that information to make more informed decisions while, at the same time, earning rewards.

Luum currently works with almost all major employers across all sectors in the Puget Sound region, accounting for more than 150,000 employees. For one employer, Swedish Medical Center, Luum helped lower its drive-alone rate by almost 10 percent in one year.

SILVER AWARD: Nube9
Employees: 8
Ruth True, founder/owner
nube9.com

The apparel company Nube9 is working toward a completely closed-loop, waste-free system. It makes athleisure wear and team uniforms from upcycled polyester made from domestically sourced, recycled plastic water bottles. All of Nube9s products are made to order to help eliminate waste, and the company saves all of its scraps from the manufacturing process to be recycled back into new polyester. Also, customers can return their used products to be recycled.