By Mike Bobrowski
Everyone knows him as the kind-hearted plant expert, but what most people don’t realize is that he is the man on a mission to bring us a happier, healthier life.
This story began in Highland, MD where Ray Greenstreet II grew up among the plants in his parents’ monstrous garden. He started working for a wholesale greenhouse grower when he was just 13 years old. His job as a yard boy was to drive the owner’s polio-afflicted wife around the grounds in a cart, so she could point out the flowers she wanted to plant. He inherited his family’s green thumb and servant’s heart, but little did he know about the scientific breakthrough yet to come that would help him make a truly remarkable impact on humankind.
Now fast forward to the year 2000, when Ray and Stacy bought their own nursery and went on to grow the business to three thriving locations. After encountering a YouGov survey that stated the average human spent 90% of their time indoors breathing stale air, Ray and his business partner, Mark Prescott, set out to invent something completely new. Prescott said, “Modern building design has created excellent energy efficiency, but has left inhabitants in chemical-laden and unhealthy stagnant environments due to the increased airtight residential and office structures.”
Removing 70% of Air Toxins
Inspired by a NASA study on indoor air pollutants, Prescott developed a patented air purification technology in the form of giant indoor green walls that force air toxins through the roots of plants to clean the inside air. One of their many projects was constructed at 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA and is now the second largest active green wall in the United States. In 2016, their green wall system successfully passed air purification tests run by Staffordshire University in England. This really caught people’s attention.
Everyone kept asking them, “How do I get this technology in my home?” So, in 2017, they engineered the first table-top version, and brēth was born! “This past August, they contracted a third party research team, Ambient Group Inc., to run official air purification tests on the brēth prototype,” said Ray. “After running the initial test, the research team insisted that the results must be wrong and ran the test again using completely different equipment. But once again, brēth produced the same amazing results (removed more than 70% of the air toxins). Even we were astounded at the breakthrough!”
There’s an App for That
brēth is both an all-natural air purifier and a self-sufficient indoor planter. Its design is elegantly modern and transforms the look of your personal space. “We’re especially excited about this product because it also gives parents the chance to provide clean air to their young children,” said Ray. “Babies breathe about 40 times per minute, which is twice as much as an adult, and brēth is helping us give these little ones the purest air for their healthy development.”
brēth not only purifies your air, but also helps those without a green thumb experience the satisfaction of successfully caring for their indoor plants. How? Like everything, there’s an app for that! The brēth app monitors how much air is being purified at any given time, as well as the plant’s water level and alerts you when to add more water. It literally requires zero plant skills.
Recently, Ray and Mark joined forces with another local entrepreneur, Zeev Wexler, and launched a crowdfunding campaign for brēth. You can help support their mission for cleaner air by purchasing your own brēth on Kickstarter.com. The discounted startup campaign lasts until Oct 15th at noon. Visit gobreth.com for more details.
Ray and Mark’s giant green walls have already impacted thousands of lives by bringing clean air into large office spaces. But now, individuals can also enjoy healthier air in their homes and personal workspace.
Giving Back
brēth has partnered with the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (www.bonobo.org) and will be donating 5% of its proceeds from the campaign to BCI. Bonobo President Sally Coxe said, “By having a mini rainforest in your home or office, you can help protect the real rainforest in the Congo – and help save humankind’s closest relative, the bonobo. We are so grateful for this opportunity to partner with brēth, and for all they are doing to also support our mission.”
