TORY’s Better Stories Initiative: Embedding Impact Before Our First Dollar
Most companies think about giving back after they’ve achieved success. At TORY, we knew that integrating purpose into our foundation—before we ever earned our first dollar of revenue—was essential to who we are and the impact we want to create.
TORY is a personal asset inventory management platform that helps people document, organize, and track their physical belongings during life’s most significant moments—from moves and insurance claims to estate planning and relationship transitions. Our tagline, “Your Inventory Tells a Story®,” reflects our belief that our belongings aren’t just possessions; they represent our journeys, our memories, and our worth beyond what appears in a bank account.
Why We Took the Pledge Before Launch:
Our founder, Kelsey Creveling, built TORY from personal experience—through 14 moves in 18 years, evacuations, property damage, divorce, and loss. She understood firsthand that life’s most challenging transitions are often made more difficult by the chaos of managing what we own. But she also knew that TORY’s real purpose extended beyond inventory management—it was about supporting people during the moments that matter most.
Before launching our commercial platform, before securing our first paying customer, we made a commitment: 1% of our employee time and 1% of our future corporate profits would support organizations that aid individuals during significant life transitions.
This wasn’t a decision we made because it was trendy or good for marketing. It was because our mission—to transform personal physical asset management while supporting better stories and outcomes for users—demanded that we practice what we preach.
Taking Action Before Revenue:
Even in our pre-launch, pre-revenue phase, we’ve been actively giving back:
- Financial contributions to organizations supporting recovery and transition
- Direct TORY Gold memberships provided to individuals rebuilding their lives after disasters
- Hands-on service, with our team supporting natural disaster cleanup efforts
We didn’t wait for profitability to start making a difference. We started where we were, with what we had, supporting people through the exact transitions that inspired TORY’s creation.
What Pledge 1% Means to Us:
Taking the Pledge 1% wasn’t about waiting until we were “ready” or “successful enough.” It was about building impact into our DNA from day one. When we officially launched TORY in September 2025, our Better Stories Initiative was already part of our website, our stakeholder conversations, and our company values.
We’ve structured our business model—with both free and premium tiers—to ensure accessibility while generating sustainable resources for giving. Our premium users know that when they invest in TORY Gold, they’re not just getting enhanced features; they’re contributing to a company that gives back to communities and individuals in crisis.
The Impact of Starting Early:
Embedding Pledge 1% into our foundation before launch has:
- Resonated deeply with our early users, many of whom have experienced the exact life transitions we support through our philanthropy
- Shaped our product roadmap, ensuring we build features that serve not just affluent users but also vulnerable populations during their most difficult moments
- Created accountability, making giving a non-negotiable part of our operating model rather than a discretionary expense
- Attracted mission-aligned stakeholders who understand that sustainable businesses create lasting value for all stakeholders
Our Message to Other Early-Stage Companies:
You don’t need to be profitable to be purposeful. You don’t need millions in revenue to make a commitment. The best time to embed giving into your company’s foundation is now—before your culture is set, before your priorities solidify, before you convince yourself you’ll “get to it later.”
At TORY, we’re still in our early days. We’re growing our user base, refining our product, and building toward profitability. But we’re already living our values through the Better Stories Initiative. Because the stories we tell about impact matter just as much as the stories our users tell about their belongings.
Join us in creating better stories—for our users, our communities, and our world.
Learn more: www.inventory.capital
Download TORY: App Store
Contact: kelsey@inventory.capital
