Ah, chewing gum... a simple pleasure that hearkens back to childhood. This sweet treat comes in especially handy after eating, while flying, and before hot dates.
But, have you ever looked at the ingredients in gum?
Most gum on the market today comes loaded with artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. Who needs all those?
Fortunately, there are natural alternatives.
All chewing gum was once made from chicle; until 100% synthetic gum bases became the norm. Chicle is a non-timber forest product. The sustainable harvest of chicle provides an ongoing source of income for rainforest inhabitants in Central America. It also supports conservation by giving sapodilla trees added value beyond lumber.
Naturally Savvy hosts Andrea Donsky and Lisa Davis welcome Deborah Schimberg, founder and CEO of Verve, Inc. Deborah's company is a producer of two natural, eco-friendly candy lines: Glee Gum and Make Your Own Candy Kits.
Deborah shares why it's so important to chew natural gum, as well as some exciting new developments happening with Glee Gum.
Wednesday, 30 September 2015 12:33
Natural Alternatives to Synthetic Chewing Gum
Have you ever looked at the ingredients in gum?
Additional Info
- Segment Number: 4
- Audio File: naturally_savvy/1540ns3d.mp3
- Featured Speaker: Deborah Schimberg, CEO of Verve, Inc.
- Guest Website: Glee Gum
- Guest Twitter Account: @gleeguy
-
Guest Bio:
Deborah Schimberg is the founder and CEO of Verve, Inc., producer of two natural, eco-friendly candy lines: Glee Gum and Make Your Own Candy Kits.
Schimberg founded Verve in 1995 as a result of her interest in sustainable development. On a visit to an economically depressed community in the rain forest of Northern Guatemala, she learned about chicle—the tree sap from which all chewing gum was made, before 100% synthetic bases became the norm. Finding that the sustainable harvest of chicle benefits both the rain forest and the local economy, Schimberg felt inspired to create a market for it in the States. Building on the popularity of Verve’s first product, the Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit, Schimberg developed the brand Glee Gum. One of the only gums still made with chicle, Glee Gum is now the leading natural chewing gum on the market. Verve’s products are sold in specialty stores throughout the US and Canada, with recent expansion in the EU and South Korea. They have been featured on The View, the Martha Stewart Show, Rachael Ray Show, the Food Network, and in the pages of Bon Appétit, Women’s World, Wall Street Journal, Women’s Health, and more.
Schimberg is a serial social entrepreneur. After graduating from Brown University in 1979, she started the Southside Community Land Trust, a nonprofit urban environmental organization in Providence. She subsequently founded the International Charter School, a dual language immersion elementary public school in Pawtucket, RI. She has served as the Executive Director of Social Venture Partners of Rhode Island, an organization of private sector members that helps nonprofit organizations to grow earned income ventures. She also has taught social entrepreneurship at Brown University.
Ms. Schimberg holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Providence Community Library, Southside Community Land Trust, and the Brown University Entrepreneurship Program. She lives in Providence, RI and speaks Spanish, French, and Chinese. - Length (mins): 10
- Waiver Received: Yes
- Host: Andrea Donsky, RHN and Lisa Davis, MPH
Published in
Naturally Savvy
Tagged under