BUSINESS

Affordable Electric Vehicles

VinFast opens U.S. showroom in Santa Monica

By Oliver Grynberg

Amidst throngs of tourists and local shoppers, Craig Westbrook, chief customer officer of VinFast US, recently took the stage in the heart of Santa Monica Place to introduce his company and its product to the American auto market. “Today the future of mobility has arrived,” he said, kicking off a ribbon cutting ceremony with the mayor of Santa Monica, which included a musical performance by rising K-Pop star Alexa and the opening of a futuristic showroom on the Promenade. VinFast, a Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer and subsidiary of the conglomerate VinGroup, focuses on making state-of-the-art and fully-loaded electric vehicles more accessible to the average consumer. The company has opened six locations across California so far, which they hope is just the beginning. “We'll have 60 stores in California by the time we are done,” said Toby Cudiamata, a showroom employee. VinFast’s vehicles have one highly attractive attribute that

Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast recently opened one of its first six U.S. showrooms in Santa Monica, which will showcase and sell the company’s premium electric vehicles.

is novel in the luxury EV market: their price. The financial accessibility of VinFast vehicles is made possible by a battery subscription program, so VinFast owners never have to fully purchase or replace expensive

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batteries. The subscription, which offers the choice between two payment plans depending on individualized driving needs, ensures “that the monthly cost is equal to or less than a comparable fuel-powered vehicle,” Westbrook said. By removing the burden of a pricey battery, Westbrook pointed out that VinFast is “transforming the EV model from something for a select few into something for everyone.” VinFast vehicles are designed around “an outstanding driving experience,” Westbrook said. All the most wanted innovations in driver assistance systems and smart technology are present, so VinFast vehicles can meet international five-star safety standards while also acting as personal smart living hubs. Partnerships with iHeartRadio, Amazon Alexa and GPS service What3Words bring this to fruition. Modernity and style are key tenets of the two VinFast models, making the car comparable, if not more exciting, than its sleek competitors. Eco-friendliness is still the best reason to be excited about VinFast. With a new multibillion dollar factory in North Carolina, VinFast plans to bring thousands of eco-friendly jobs and zero-emissions vehicles to the country. The company’s battery subscription program implements an “eco-friendly circular life cycle,” to ensure batteries are properly handled and recycled, Westbrook explained. Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich, who attended the opening of the showroom, thinks this adherence to sustainability is something we should all get behind. “Santa Monica is a sustainability-focused city and we love this,” she said, referring to the arrival of VinFast. Himmelrich plans to keep Santa Monica at the forefront of all cities working to become more eco-friendly, a goal that begins with zero-emissions mobility. “Part of it is so there is an Earth here when my kids grow up,” she said. If you’re looking to cut down on emissions, or if you simply need to find a new car, VinFast’s stylish and fullyequipped electric vehicles leave almost nothing to be desired. “The future of mobility is here,” Westbrook said. With the limited time Charged Up Program, any new VinFast vehicle comes with complimentary charging options. Learn more at vinfastauto.us.

VinFast

395 Santa Monica Place, Space 171, Santa Monica 833-846-8255

Recently, VinFast hosted a grand opening for the Santa Monica showroom, which included celebrity appearances and remarks from VinFast’s leadership.

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Doing Good for People and the Planet

Groundwork Coffee receives B Corp Certification

By Stella Karron

For the past two years, Groundwork Coffee has been working behind the scenes to qualify for the distinguished B Corp Certification. The B Corp Certificate is awarded to companies that agree to meet high standards of performance, accountability and transparency throughout their entire business model. Jess Smith, VP of marketing at Groundwork Coffee, explained that as a company, Groundwork had already independently implemented the criteria required for the certification. For Groundwork, gaining the B-Corp Certification was more a formality than any companyaltering step. “Since the brand was launched in 1990 it has always been a part of the mission of the brand to do better for people on the planet,” Smith said. “We already were meeting what we needed to do to be a B Corp, but there's a very rigorous submission process that they put you through to bring all the information to prove that you're doing that.”

Venice-based Groundwork Coffee, one of the leading organic coffee roasters in the U.S., recently received its B Corp Certification, the highest standard for social and environmental performance in a business. The company was officially granted the Certification in July 2022. Gaining the official certification is important to the company. “Within the last 10 years, new

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Part of how Groundwork reached B Corp status is by offering only Certified Organic coffee that is ethically sourced through methods like direct trade farming practices and funding revolving credit lines, ensuring that farmers have livable wages that make a difference for their families. certifications have allowed for consumers to directly make that connection on the shelf and see that a company is doing what's right for people on the planet,” Smith said. “So [the certification] was a way for us to further tell our story that was easy for people to understand.” In addition, Groundwork Coffee hopes that other companies will choose to follow in its footsteps. “We want to be a brand that people look to and are inspired by to make these types of decisions as well,” Smith said. One way in which Groundwork Coffee has accomplished this level of performance, accountability and transparency is by offering only organic coffee. “Coffee is one of the most sprayed crops in the world,” Smith said. “So all conventional coffee that is not organic is being sprayed and the spray runoff goes into water sources, it goes into soil, it harms the environments where people are farming, and ultimately it's not good for anyone consuming it.” In addition to ensuring that consumers are safe, Groundwork Coffee also dedicates its resources to supporting farmers and their communities. One example of this is through a partnership with the AMUCC, a fair-trade certified association of women working to support women and families by bridging the financial gaps and burdens they face. Through this partnership, Groundwork Coffee is able to support female coffee farmers in Colombia by paying an additional 25 cents per pound for every bag of coffee. The extra 25 cents goes directly into an interest-free revolving credit line, which helps to mitigate short-term cash flow. Especially during the off-season, farmers can go from making mass amounts of income one month to no income the next, and this credit line helps to bridge that gap. Today, Groundwork Coffee has donated almost $45,000 to the association. Groundwork Coffee was founded in 1990 in Venice Beach. Today there are 10 retail locations across LA as well as a location in Portland. Being a Venicebased brand has also helped build the ethical business model Groundwork has today. “The founders really believed in cultivating an environment that was inclusive and supported everyone involved, whether it was customers, consumers, partners,” Smith said. “I think it is a mentality that is part of the culture of the Westside, not only California as the West Coast, but also the Westside of LA definitely contributed to that. We try as we grow to help take that foundation and use that same ethos to help support other organizations and other areas where we're growing as well.”

Groundwork Coffee

671 Rose Avenue, Venice 310-644-8830 groundworkcoffee.com

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