Dustin Leonard lived in a garage to invest in launching a wine brand

Not excessively agelong ago, entrepreneur Dustin Leonard was surviving successful his girlfriend’s dad’s store to marque ends conscionable portion hatching a program to disrupt a notoriously competitory manufacture with a large idea.

Mr Leonard, who roseate to prominence arsenic a CLEO Bachelor of the Year finalist, founded premium vino marque Little Ripples successful mid-2019 and made awesome strides beauteous quickly.

Then Covid struck 9 months aboriginal and “threw a spanner successful the works”.

Little Ripples was ne'er designed to marque Mr Leonard rich. It’s a societal endeavor that provides cleanable drinking h2o to those surviving successful disadvantaged communities crossed Africa and India.

Each vessel sold funds 1 person’s h2o for a year, with much than 500,000 individuals supported truthful acold – but occurrence hasn’t travel easy.

While getting Little Ripples disconnected the ground, the realities of moving a start-up collided with the planetary disruptions caused by the pandemic and enactment bonzer unit connected Mr Leonard’s finances.

“I didn’t wage myself immoderate benignant of wage and lived disconnected 2 recognition cards, which I astir maxed out,” helium recalled.

“During those aboriginal years, I adjacent lived successful my girlfriend’s father’s store for a portion to prevention money.”

The Little Ripples conception struck a chord with Australian consumers.

It besides helped that the vino enactment itself is world-class, overseen by a squad of award-winning winemakers, guided by famed adept Paul Henry.

The merchandise scope rapidly grew and present comprises a pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, shiraz, pinot grigio, cabernet sauvignon, rose, moscato, sparkling and prosecco.

Two low-alcohol wines were besides launched – a pinot grigio and a sparkling with debased calories and fractional the intoxicant content.

Over the people of 2023, Mr Leonard ran his societal endeavor from the backmost of a van arsenic helium drove astir Australia.

As good arsenic taking the country’s astir spectacular earthy wonders, helium inked respective large deals that person made Little Ripples an breathtaking subordinate successful the ultra-competitive vino industry.

“Over the past year, we’ve doubled our income and doubled our donations,” Mr Leonard said.

“A large portion of our maturation has been acknowledgment to partnerships with Accor hotels, wherever we’re present a preferred supplier.”

Mr Leonard besides partnered with German airlines Lufthansa and Discover Airways, with Little Ripples wines connected each of their planetary services.

And the organisation besides works with Pernod Ricard Winemakers, the second-largest intoxicant institution successful the world.

“I’m present capable to wage myself a humble salary, which means I’m not surviving connected recognition cards anymore,” Mr Leonard said.

“I’ve returned to Sydney from my roadworthy travel too, but I’m inactive surviving successful the van astatine the infinitesimal due to the fact that it’s taking a agelong clip to find a rental. I thought it’d beryllium a mates of weeks tops, but it’s present been a period and we’re inactive searching.”

Thankfully, the post-Covid satellite of enactment means helium tin tally Little Ripples from conscionable astir anywhere.

And things haven’t slowed down contempt Mr Leonard’s van-based distant bureau situation.

“Were successful discussions with a imaginable capitalist and a large intoxicant retailer, which is precise exciting.”

But his proudest accomplishment is the caller milestone reached by Little Ripples – providing the equivalent of much than 500,000 radical with 1 twelvemonth of cleanable water.

Funding from income person led to 50 wells being dug. Little Ripples partners with h2o foundation BridgIT Foundation, tally by Wendy Tisdell OAM.

BridgIT identifies communities successful request and funds the operation oregon repair of h2o wells, portion devising a 10-year strategy to support facilities.

“Our extremity is to supply 5 cardinal radical with cleanable drinking water, truthful we’re 10 per cent of the mode there,” Mr Leonard said.

A deficiency of cleanable drinking h2o is the starring origin of illness and decease successful impoverished communities.