eBay Impact

More than a hundred Akron and Warren retailers are learning from eBay how to reach entirely new markets and attract customers from virtually anywhere in the world, 24/7. The program aims to strengthen local economies, create jobs, and contribute to the vibrancy of these communities.

Retail Revival, launched in the U.S. in March 2018, builds on similar—and highly successful—local development programs we’ve executed in in Mönchengladbach and Diepholz, Germany, and L’Aquila, Italy.

When eBay asked if they wanted to help us raise funds for World Autism Month, the Goldbergs didn’t miss a beat in saying yes. Working with autism advocacy organization, Autism Speaks, we identified a family who would receive a Cosmic Star Ceiling. eBay featured the Goldberg’s work in an Everyday Heroes video, which launched on World Autism Awareness Day, April 2. For every share of the video on social media in April, eBay donated $1 to Autism Speaks.

Throughout April, eBay promoted Autism Speaks at checkout, enabling buyers to add a donation to their purchase, and the Goldbergs donated 10% of every sale in their eBay store, GloMania USA.

In total, the month-long charity campaign raised more than $30,000 for Autism Speaks.

Gabe Middleton, and his business partner, James Jack, set out to help solve both problems. They founded human-I-T as a nonprofit organization that takes in unwanted technology, refurbishes it, and connects it with people who need it—enabling opportunity and supporting circular commerce. The organization funds their work by selling some of the refurbished technology, such as servers and networking equipment, on eBay.

Since 2012, human-I-T has donated more than 5,000 computers, free of charge, to people in the Los Angeles area.