For many, the holiday season marks a time of giving back to the community. And across Ohio, startups and small businesses are making it their mission to give back to those in need all year long. Whether they’re uplifting global sustainability, running campaigns to fight cancer, or supporting organizations that promote diversity and inclusion, startups showed up this year to help Ohio communities thrive.

Here are just a few of the startups that have worked to give back in 2022:

Narwal

Cincinnati startup Narwal makes it its mission to “be a part of the digital revolution and be a force for good.” The data, cloud, and automation company wants to create a positive impact through its technology and digitization solutions, while also making a major philanthropic effort for a variety of causes. Just to name a few of the diverse range of causes in Ohio and beyond, Narwal supports Women Walking West, Prevent Blindness Ohio, and the American Heart Association.

“The causes that we support are a reflection of the ethos of our company,” Founder and CEO Raj Kanuparthi said. “Narwal is an organization that cares deeply for our customers, team members, stakeholders, and the community we live in. The community and organization have a symbiotic relationship — the health of one contributes to and enhances the health and success of the other. By addressing the needs and challenges facing the community we live in, we can do our bit to contribute to the world.”

pH Matter

The buzz about pH Matter’s revolutionary reversible fuel cell technology may have drawn the attention of NASA for its efficiency in space, but the company is equally focused on how its technology can further sustainability earth-side. With a focus on green hydrogen, pH Matter is innovating new ways to help the planet and rethinking how emissions can be a part of that goal. With that in mind, the company works with partners around the world to contribute its technology to making a change for the greater good.

“In Europe, hydrogen is helping to reduce dependence on imported natural gas,” Co-Founder and CEO Paul Matter said. “We are working with partners in Europe and the United States to help close the sustainability loop by providing electrolyzers that can be paired directly with renewable energy installations. This is helping our partners meet sustainability goals and combat climate change.”

Mad Rabbit

In 2022, Mad Rabbit made a major splash both nationally and across Ohio, raking in more than $16 million in revenue. The company is bringing that passion for tattoos into their philanthropic work by joining forces with another Midwest organization looking to contribute to tattoo enthusiasts affected by cancer.

“This October, we ran a breast cancer awareness campaign in collaboration with P.Ink,” CEO and Co-Founder Oliver Zak said. “They fund cover-up tattoos for breast cancer survivors who have mastectomy scars and help them reclaim that part of themselves. This past September, I went to New York and met with the women to hear their stories firsthand. These are very personal stories they’re getting tattooed on their body, and what drives me at my core is forming a deeper connection with those people.”

Strongsuit

Columbus startup Strongsuit is passionate about making a difference with its business. The company helps working parents go from “surviving to thriving” with a tech-enabled platform that helps them balance their careers with the mental load of everyday life responsibilities. And for Strongsuit, that mission begins with the team members who drive it forward every day. The company prioritizes working alongside individuals who are similarly driven to their business values and who also strive to contribute to the community as a whole.

“Mihir Amin, part of the engineering team at Strongsuit, works with nonprofit organization HER Academy to put on an annual code camp to give girls an introduction to STEM and to help them learn and grow their skills,” Chief Technology Officer Andrew Roth said. CEO Lindsey Michaelides said, “Ohio has been a great home for Strongsuit because there’s great people here. We’re really fortunate that we’ve been able to build a large portion of our team here in Ohio, and we’ve been able to find great partners and team members.”