Sometimes the best way to scale your purpose is to stop asking your purpose to sell the product.
Earlier this year, Jiminy’s was honored to be named one of the inaugural PurposeBuilt100, recognizing 100 of America’s fastest-growing purpose-driven companies.
PurposeBuilt100 was created by social impact entrepreneur and journalist Devin Thorpe to recognize companies demonstrating that meaningful social or environmental impact and strong business growth can go hand in hand. Thousands of companies were screened for the inaugural list, with 100 selected based on both demonstrated purpose and verified growth.
I recently had the opportunity to join Devin and other PurposeBuilt100 founders to talk about what we’ve learned building Jiminy’s.
My talk was called “Scaling Impact: Why We Stopped Leading With Sustainability.”
It may sound like a strange topic for a company being recognized specifically for its purpose.
But it gets to the heart of one of the most important things we’ve learned.
WHY JIMINY'S EXISTS
Jiminy’s exists because of climate change.
The idea for the company began with a conversation I had with my daughter about the future of the planet. That conversation sent me looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of feeding our pets.
Eventually, I came across research from the United Nations describing insects as an extraordinarily efficient source of protein. They require dramatically less land and water than traditional livestock.
I remember thinking: Why couldn’t we extend this idea to our pets?
That became the foundational idea behind Jiminy’s.
We could make nutritious food for dogs while dramatically reducing the resources required to produce their protein.
Our early story was essentially:
Feed your dog differently. Help the planet.
It was true. It was differentiated. And people loved the idea.
There was just one problem.
Loving the idea wasn’t necessarily the same thing as buying the product.
“THAT'S SO COOL” ISN'T A PURCHASE DRIVER
People would hear about Jiminy’s and say things like:
“That is so cool.”
“I love what you’re doing.”
“What a great idea.”
As an entrepreneur, those reactions feel wonderful.
But admiration and behavior are two different things.
We weren’t simply asking someone to buy their usual dog food in more environmentally friendly packaging. We were asking them to reconsider something pretty fundamental:
What if you fed your dog insects?
That’s a much bigger behavioral leap.
And over time, our consumer research and sales were telling us something important.
The customers who were most motivated to try Jiminy’s often weren't coming to us because they were searching for a more sustainable dog food.
They were coming because their dog had a problem.
Their dog was itching.
Their dog had food sensitivities.
Their dog had digestive issues.
They had tried different foods, proteins and formulas, and they were searching for something that might help.
Their first question wasn't:
“How can I reduce my dog's environmental pawprint?”
It was:
“Can this help my dog?”
That realization changed the way we talked about Jiminy’s.
HEALTH FIRST. SUSTAINABILITY ALWAYS.
The product didn't change.
Our purpose didn't change.
The protein didn't change.
The hierarchy changed.
Originally, we tended to start with the planet, introduce insect protein and then explain why insect protein could also be good for dogs.
But our customers were approaching the decision from the opposite direction:
My dog has a problem.
Could this food help?
Why?
It uses insect protein.
Interesting.
And it's dramatically more sustainable too?
Even better.
Same facts. Completely different order.
So we began shifting our communication from sustainability first to animal health first.
Not:
Sustainability out. Health in.
But:
Health first. Sustainability always.
We started talking more about food sensitivities, gut health, novel protein and what insect protein could do for the dog.
At the same time, we invested more deeply in the science behind insect protein and began learning that this unusual protein source was interesting for reasons that went well beyond sustainability.
Insect protein contains naturally occurring components that can support areas including skin and gut health. Our research has helped us better understand those benefits and how they may help dogs.
Suddenly, insect protein wasn't simply an environmental alternative to conventional animal protein.
It could help us make a better product for the dog.
And that changed everything.
PURPOSE AND PURCHASE DRIVER DON'T HAVE TO BE THE SAME THING
This became one of the biggest lessons I've learned building Jiminy’s:
The reason you built a company doesn't necessarily have to be the reason your customer buys its product.
For purpose-driven founders, that can be surprisingly difficult to accept.
If sustainability is why your company exists, it feels natural to put sustainability at the center of every advertisement, package and sales pitch.
But customers are living their own lives and trying to solve their own problems.
Is this healthier?
Does it work better?
Will it save me time?
Will my child like it?
Will my dog stop scratching?
Those aren't selfish questions. They're human questions.
Our job isn't to make every customer care about Jiminy’s mission exactly as much as we do.
Our job is to make a product they genuinely want to choose that also advances the mission.
GROWTH CAN BE AN IMPACT STRATEGY
Something else happened as we changed our approach.
We grew.
And the more Jiminy’s grew, the more environmental impact we could create.
That led to another important realization:
Growth itself can be part of the sustainability strategy.
If our environmental impact comes from replacing resource-intensive conventional animal proteins with insect protein, our impact doesn't increase simply because more people hear our sustainability story.
It increases when more dogs actually eat the food.
Every household matters.
Every bag matters.
Every retailer matters.
Every point of distribution matters.
For Jiminy’s, the equation became:
Make the health benefit relevant enough to drive adoption.
Use adoption to create scale.
Use scale to amplify environmental impact.
We didn't abandon our purpose in pursuit of growth.
We found a more effective way for growth to serve our purpose.
WHAT IF THE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT IS SIMPLY THE BETTER PRODUCT?
For years, sustainability has often been presented to consumers as a tradeoff.
Pay a little more.
Accept a little less convenience.
Change your habits.
Do it because it's better for the planet.
Sometimes people will.
But if sustainable products are going to reach mass adoption, I think we need to aim higher.
What if the sustainable choice isn't the virtuous alternative?
What if it's healthier?
What if it performs better?
What if it's more innovative?
What if people choose it because they genuinely prefer it—and then discover that it's also better for the planet?
That's a much more scalable proposition.
Our goal at Jiminy’s isn't to convince every dog owner to become an environmental activist.
It's to make products that work so well for their dogs that choosing the more sustainable protein becomes easy.
That's what Health first. Sustainability always. means to us.
And it's why being included in the inaugural PurposeBuilt100 means so much.
The recognition isn't simply about having a purpose. It's about demonstrating that purpose and growth don't have to compete with each other. In the right business model, growth can be how the purpose scales.
WATCH: Anne Carlson's PurposeBuilt100 conversation with Devin Thorpe and “Scaling Impact” presentation
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does “Health first. Sustainability always.” mean?
“Health first. Sustainability always.” describes Jiminy’s approach to creating and marketing its products. We lead with what pet parents care about most—the health and well-being of their dogs—while building sustainability into the product itself. Choosing between dog health and environmental impact shouldn't have to be a tradeoff.
What is the PurposeBuilt100?
PurposeBuilt100 is a national recognition program celebrating 100 fast-growing U.S. companies that combine business growth with meaningful social or environmental impact. Jiminy’s was selected as one of the inaugural PurposeBuilt100 companies in 2026.
Why was Jiminy’s named to the PurposeBuilt100?
Jiminy’s was recognized as a fast-growing purpose-driven company working to improve dog health through sustainable, science-backed insect protein nutrition while reducing the environmental impact associated with conventional animal protein.
Why does Jiminy’s use insect protein in dog food?
Insect protein offers an unusual combination of nutrition and sustainability. It provides complete, highly digestible protein while requiring significantly fewer natural resources than conventional livestock proteins. It is also a novel protein, making it particularly interesting for dogs with food sensitivities.
Is insect protein good for dogs with food sensitivities?
Insect protein is a novel protein source, meaning most dogs have had limited previous exposure to it compared with common proteins such as chicken or beef. This makes insect protein an option worth considering for dogs with food sensitivities. Jiminy’s has also invested in research examining additional health benefits associated with insect protein.
How can insect protein support a dog's health?
Beyond providing protein and essential nutrients, insect ingredients contain naturally occurring bioactive components. Research into insect protein has explored potential benefits related to areas including the gut, skin and oral microbiome. Jiminy’s continues to invest in research to better understand how these components can support canine health.
Is insect protein more sustainable than traditional animal protein?
Insects can produce protein using substantially less land and water than conventional livestock. That resource efficiency was one of the original reasons Jiminy’s was founded and remains fundamental to our mission.
Why doesn't Jiminy’s lead with sustainability anymore?
Sustainability remains central to Jiminy’s. What changed is the order in which we tell the story. We learned that many pet parents first discover Jiminy’s because they are trying to solve a health problem for their dog. Leading with that need makes the product more relevant. Sustainability then becomes an additional reason to feel good about the choice.
Can a purpose-driven company focus on growth?
We believe growth can actually be one of the most powerful ways to scale a company's purpose. For Jiminy’s, every time a dog switches from a resource-intensive conventional protein to insect protein, the environmental impact of our mission grows. Scale isn't separate from the impact—it helps create it.
What is Jiminy’s mission?
Jiminy’s mission is to help dogs live longer, healthier lives on a greener planet. We create dog food, treats and dental chews using sustainable insect protein, bringing together nutrition, science and a lighter environmental footprint.
