I walk into a closed LA restaurant mid-morning, to find it a thrumming hive of activity. Dozens of people of all ages and backgrounds are working as teams in a methodical way, starting with assembling sandwiches, writing inspirational notes and decorating bags, and then filling them with food, snacks, and essentials like socks. A DJ on stage keeps the mood upbeat with hits that keep the crowd rocking, while people introduce themselves to each other with a smile and a handshake. It's like a cross between a party and church, with a warm inclusive vibe and a fun atmosphere. In a few minutes, everyone will get into their cars and drive down to Skid Row to hand out sandwiches and positivity to the local homeless. This is Hashtag Lunchbag, an idea born between a group of friends that has now blown up around the world as a simple, lightweight way for someone to get involved in helping their local community–and at the same time help problem of social isolation that is all too common in big cities like LA.
Ajay Relan was one of the original co-founders: an LA-raised entrepreneur and community organizer, he's the owner of the Los Angeles sports bar + restaurant The Parlor Hollywood, as well as The Parlor LAX. A Founding General Partner at Queensbridge Venture Partners (with rapper, Nas), he also recently opened the first of several Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen in South LA to bring healthier options and good vibes to underserved communities. For him the catalyst to help create Hashtag Lunchbag was an unusual one - therapy. "I was going through a personal/professional transition that introduced me to some dark times. Volunteering was an alternative she prescribed after I declined the offer to be sent to a psychiatrist. The intention was to service a personal void I needed to fill. The intention was never to create a global movement."
Global is right - Hashtag Lunchbag has spread to more than 100 cities around the world. The secret to this rapid global expansion? "Social media. We naturally shared our experiences during the first couple of events with our friends and followers. We realized pretty quickly that we had the ability to make an impact locally that others could experience in their community (nationally and globally) from the comfort of their home/phone with relative ease. For the first time in the history of the world, each and every one of us has the potential to make a huge impact with relatively minimal effort...because of the internet. No matter if you have ten friends/followers or ten million, you have to ability to change ONE person's perspective about their role in the world - and that, I'm constantly reminded, is more than enough."
In addition to creating some unique marketing of their own (check out their video with Snoop Dogg on how to throw a party), Hashtag Lunchbag has also partnered with brands like Lyft and the Golden State Warriors to do memorable events. Relan explains, "Whether it's to help with marketing initiatives or employee/customer engagement, we've partnered with organizations, institutions, and companies of all sizes to make good things happen. The Warriors partnered with us during a recent Season Of Giving event. The players, office staff and season ticket holders came together in the Oakland Convention Center to help feed 20,000 hungry people across the Bay Area. When Lyft launched NYC, they had all their drivers come together to feed people around Queens and Brooklyn. They even added pink mustaches on the lunches to compliment our signature 'hashtag+heart." We do a great job of making giving back fun while instilling the intention of why everyone is coming together in the first place."
Relan also feels like Hashtag's central philosophy of ‘Living Through Giving’ is something that brands can utilize. "It's no secret that brands need to find a way to connect with a new, younger audience in order to maintain their relevance. Young people (and people in general) are more socially conscious than ever and want to connect with brands that genuinely make the world a better place - giving them a reason to exist. It's a win-win for all and we believe that in order to succeed, impact needs to be embedded."
As part of this, the brand has plans to expand beyond employee engagement events into doing experiential marketing partnerships." "As #HashtagLunchbag moves ahead, the outreach focus will be centered on our main mission: connecting humanity to create organized acts of love. While Hashtag activations will continue to serve as an incredible, meaningful, and tangible way to demonstrate clear acts of kindness for people in need, Hashtag will look to industry leaders to develop collaborative, creative marketing partnerships by weaving this core concept of making an impact in society with the organization's purpose - our "Why" becomes their Why. Hashtag's entrepreneurial spirit, creative leadership, "outside-of-the-box" problem-solving skills, combined with its prime demographic following, make us a truly unique partner for corporate entities. From content development, launch activations, to changing the narrative, Hashtag stands ready to explore experiential marketing partnerships with all those ready to leave their handprints on history, while having fun doing it. "
As Relan stands there, looking at the wonderful sight of all these Angelenos working together to help their city, I ask him what advice he has for other social entrepreneurs who want to follow their passion."If you're lucky enough to find it, nothing will give you more fulfillment in life than following your passion. My only request would be to make sure you have a clear understanding of what you're solving for, how what you're creating makes for a better world because you decided to pursue your dreams, and effectively communicating your WHY. The fulfillment you'll receive will compound and the stakeholders you build with along the way will help spread your message. This is not a suggestion. In my opinion, it's mandatory in this day and age."