ENTREPRENEUR's CORNER

Lisa Bennett, '91
It seemed like a fresh idea, rescuing fruit that was still edible but not aesthetically pleasing enough to put on the shelves. Lisa Bennett, ’91, thought why not make it into a juice and reduce waste as well as increase profits for organic farmers?

Thus, Purity Organic Juices was born. The very small company (there’s one employee) rents time in a factory to produce the juice, which is then sent to select convenience stores and Whole Foods markets. The bulk of their market is in the Bay Area, where Purity is based, but it can also be found gracing the shelves of stores in Chicago, Minneapolis and New York City.

Purity sells a variety of flavors, from Organic Cranberry Harmony (a mix with apples and grapes) to organic lemonade and, in keeping with its original mission, gives back 10 percent of its dividends to support sustainable organic farming.

Sustaining Purity’s own growth means that Bennett finds herself wearing multiple hats. “I’m the shipping consultant, I’m the C.P.A.
I’m whatever I need to be,” she says. Although she majored in Management Science, Bennett feels that nothing can replace what she’s learned in starting Purity: “This has been my life experience,” she says. For more information, please go to http://www.purityorganic.com.

Jill Ater, '86
Jill Ater, ’86, was chatting with three friends one day when they all realized they shared a similar problem: they wanted to work but also wanted to be there for their children. They wanted to be devoted as stay-at-home parents, but also to put their degrees and free time to use. So why not do both, they asked.

10 til 2 was born, filling a unique niche in part-time job placement. “The focus of our company is on parents’ needs,” says Ater, herself the mother of two boys.

Founded a year and a half ago, the company, which is based almost entirely online, became profitable within eight months. Now Ater and her partners are looking to open franchises in four more cities on the West Coast and in the Southwest. With client companies ranging from nonprofits and biotechs, to financial services and publishing, Ater emphasizes that 10 til 2 is not a temp agency, instead the goal is permanent placement.

Ater honed her leadership and initiative-taking skills as a two-term Associated Students Vice President of Finance, and member of the Price Center building committee. “UCSD gave me the ability to do this,” she says. “It was amazing working on planning the Price Center, taking in the growth of campus of the time.”

Ater and her partners are having the time of their lives working at 10 til 2, and bringing parents, work and children together. And she still has time to go watch her son’s first grade poetry reading.

For more information, please visit http://www.tentiltwo.com.