My name is Andrew Holman and I am a nontraditional business owner. I have a Bachelor's in Fine Art focused on ceramics. Since graduating have dedicated my personal studies to learning about business including marketing, accounting, and worker-owned cooperatives. I am a musician and offer a free weekly meditation at the Open Way Mindfulness Center in town. My true passion is to find ways in which I can be a better steward of the garden in which we all live. I became very passionate about fermentation and the vibrancy it can add to our lives and have launched into the business world with that in my heart.
I grew up in rural Ohio with a chicken coop and cornfields as far as the eye can see. I learned the value of hard work and had my feet and hands in the dirt in my own garden by the age of 11. Since then, I have developed a huge appreciation for food security and homesteading skills that for most of us, have been forgotten. I think back to my grandparent's and great grandparent's generations where a connection with the land was still very much a part of everyone's daily life. It wasn't long ago that fermentation was implemented in every household as a way for basic food preservation. I'm excited to bring long-standing tradition back into our daily lives as we relearn simple ways of caring for our communities and for the earth.
Adding to basket
Funded
A loan helped us afford bottling equipment, farmers market set up, and a marketing budget.
Andrew's story
This loan is special because:
More about this loan
Business Description
We are 3 partners strong with a few advisors that have mentored us over the years. We are an LLC though we have an internal operating agreement that sees us run as a worker-owned cooperative. We don't have employees, with the idea being that when we bring someone on in the future they will be an equal owner and have the same opportunities for skill development as anyone else in the business. This means that we are both the CEO and the janitor of our business. We sit in round table discussions to reach common ground and make decisions that guide us into the future. When we come to challenging points we refer to experts outside the group to lend their insights to educate us on the best way forwards. This allows each voice to be heard and we come to the most informed decision as we share in the common voice of our business.
Our biggest challenge is having the outside capital to launch our business into the next level. We are all from a lower-income financial bracket and all work side jobs to keep the revenue the business sees going back into its self for planned growth. This, however, leaves us feeling very overworked as we reach for our dreams. Though we have done a great job bootstrapping the funds needed to get this far we are grateful for the chance to insert some seed money to help us reach our goals.
We are much more than just a kombucha company. Our long term goal is to become farmers. In the next few years, we hope to buy land and start growing most of the produce and botanicals that we use in our product. We also want to invest in a sustainable community to help teach people about alternative building techniques and ways we can live close to the earth. This would include offering day programs to schools to help inspire children to dream of a brighter future.
We are very proud that all our packaging comes from the waste stream! Our bottles are washed and reused right here in Missoula, and our 6 pack carriers and cardboard cases all get a second life before hitting the recycling stream. We are dedicated to sustainability and have been from the start! The first document we came together as a team to develop was our values. This was how we wanted to do business and where we are grounded when we make decisions about the growth of our business. We decided that we never want to become a national brand. There is more than enough market potential here in just our town to grow our business to a comfortable size while we branch out into other endeavors.
What is the purpose of this loan?
We are looking for funding to expand our operation into the local farmers market where we hope to greatly expand our ability to help others keep glass out of our local landfill. We have already been accepted into the market and now we are preparing to acquire all the things needed for proper vendor set up. We need lots of small things like branded banners, tables, coolers, custom growlers for selling our kombucha on tap as well as a point of sale device.
We are also looking to invest in the equipment that will help us speed up our bottling process. Right now every bottle, cap, and label is filled, pressed, and placed by hand. This loan would afford us a bottle filler which would fill 4 bottles in the time it would typically take to fill only 1. In addition to that, we would be able to purchase a labeler that would also greatly reducing production time and making our hours worth more.
We are also planning for a marketing budget to help introduce our kombucha line to our local communities and our broader region in a bigger way. Being tight on capitol we have relied completely on organic outreach in the form of community interactions and social media to get the word out about our business. This would allow us to pay for advertisements to help people learn more about who we are and how we do business.
With the exposure to our local farmers market we planning on being able to double our sales within the next 12 months of business. There is a huge market share when it comes to kombucha sales in even Missoula alone. With more and more people becoming sustainably-minded we believe our business will be widely supported. It just takes us getting out there and reaching our audience more and more.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
About Back to the Mother Microbrewed Kombucha
Lenders and lending teams
Country: United States
Trustee: Community Food & Agriculture Coalition
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Andrew?
We are proud to support Drew and Back to the Mother Kombucha. Drew has prioritized local in the development of his business, creating a market opportunity for small farms in the Missoula area. Back to the Mother will use these funds to establish a sales presence at the local farmers market, bringing their customers to a place where they can support many other local farm and food businesses.
Tags
Loan tags help lenders find loans that match certain areas of interest.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
Trustee: Community Food & Agriculture Coalition
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Andrew?
We are proud to support Drew and Back to the Mother Kombucha. Drew has prioritized local in the development of his business, creating a market opportunity for small farms in the Missoula area. Back to the Mother will use these funds to establish a sales presence at the local farmers market, bringing their customers to a place where they can support many other local farm and food businesses.
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