Thrivewares is the brain child of siblings Jenna and Matt Greenwaldt. What started as a single T-shirt design for a friend has since blossomed into a cause-driven company backed by a powerful sense of community. Through combining their shared skills, the Greenwaldt siblings have grown Thrivewares into a joint event and merchandise company with a clear goal: to support worthy causes.
One shining example of the work Thrivewares is doing is their Cats at the Cat event which will be held at the Catalyst Theater (517 7th Street) April 24th and 25th to benefit the Humane Society of the Black Hills. To help spread the word and talk about Thrivewares, the Rapid City Post sat down for a Q&A with Jenna Greenwaldt, co-founder of Thrivewares.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you and how did you end up starting Thrivewares?
Matt and I are siblings, originally from South Dakota. As performers (Jenna as an Actor/Voice Actor/Producer and Matt is a Stand Up Comedian/Comedy Producer) we decided to partner and create a business that would allow us to utilize our experience and skill sets in a way that would not only be fun, but also a way to help some of our favorite causes and non-profit organizations. It started by creating merchandise and grew into full-scale comedy/improv/trivia events that donate a portion of the profit to a specified cause/non-profit. Matt has also worked in professional sales management and Jenna has a degree in Graphic Design…so in many ways, we are a one-stop shop!
What is Thrivewares and what products do you offer?
Thrivewares is a socially-conscious company that produces events (often involving comedy or trivia/improv shows) and merchandise to help support causes and non-profits, helping to raise money and spread awareness. We have created merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, tumblers, keychains and more.
How did you get started?
The idea was born out of Jenna making an LGBTQ-related shirt for a friend. Others saw the t-shirt and asked if they could buy one as well. Together with Matt, we decided to create a company based on helping support worthy causes and organizations!
Let’s talk about your mission statement: Creating merchandise with worthy causes. Why is that your focus and how have you continued to do just that?
We live in a world where many causes and organizations simply cannot continue to exist and thrive without awareness and help from the community. We feel that by partnering, we can help create events and products that help them raise money and awareness without the need for the organization to pay a great deal of money for said products and exposure. Our model allows them to have us create the merchandise and produce the events at our expense, with them helping us to spread the word to their fans and followers. In return, they receive a portion of all profits from the event and merchandise sales. We have continued to grow this idea through outreach and word of mouth. The more events we produce, the more others see this as a feasible and fun model!
Where do you see Thrivewares going in the future?
The sky is the limit, as far as we are concerned! While we will always continue to provide merchandise to our partner organizations, we have seen much success in our live events and hope to continue to grow our audiences and partnerships. We seek to make this model available to as many organizations as possible, in as many locations as possible! It’s truly just about helping others in any way that we can, through our unique vision and skill sets.
Let’s talk about your Cats at the Cat event coming up April 24th & 25th at the Catalyst Theater: What’s the concept?
Cats at the Cat will be a unique experience that combines comedy with trivia, improv and other fun games where the audience is allowed to join the fun! Through the Joke Box app, audience members can choose to play along via their phones to help determine who on the panel of local actors/comedians wins, loses, etc. Throughout the evening, prizes are given to audience members for a variety of participation opportunities. Also, between each game will be a short set featuring stand up comedy from our host, quizmaster and two local comedians. It will be an entertaining evening for all…and hopefully we can find the kitties support and maybe even homes!
What can people expect when they buy tickets to this event?
They can expect a lot to laugh about! The panel will compete in a variety of trivia, improv and other humorous games, with short stand up sets between, and should they choose, the audience can play along via the app! Each show will feature the same panel of players…but NOT the same games. Audience members who want the fun to keep rolling can come back again and see a different game with new things to laugh about and more prizes to win! They will also have the opportunity to greet, pet, and fall in love with some cute feline friends at the theater!
Tell us a little about the hosts and Quiz Masters.
The event will include a Denver Comedian Host (Jay Donaldson, also the creator of Joke Box), a Denver Comedian Quiz Master (Matt Greenwaldt) and a panel of four contestants. The panel includes local actors, Jenna Green and Dave DeChristopher (seen in a variety of local theatre productions) and two local comedians, Tyler Mathieson and Tyler Corbine (frequent performers at many local comedy shows).
This event benefits the Humane Society of the Black Hills as they’re building Kitty City. Why is it so important to support them in this mission?
As lifelong animal lovers, we always strive to help as many of our furry friends as possible. We have worked with the HSBH before and we love them. We believe their efforts play a vital role in the humane treatment and adoptions of local animals. Kitty City will be a quiet, calm space in an open shelter to help cats thrive as they wait to be adopted to their forever homes!
Thrivewares would also like to note that they are extremely grateful to The Catalyst Theater for offering a space for the event and being there to provide snacks and drinks to the audience.
Cats at the Cat will take place April 24th and 25th at the Catalyst Theater on 517 7th St. in downtown Rapid City. Tickets are $20 and benefit the Humane Society of the Black Hills. For those interested in learning more about Thrivewares and/or ticket details, please visit: tinyurl.com/CatsAtTheCat
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