57 trees planted

I've always been drawn to nature. There’s a trail behind my house that I like to hike alone, winding through a majestic grove of trees. The silence and beauty of this natural cathedral can’t be captured in a photograph (though I tried my best in the photo below).

As the founder of a company that makes things, I often feel the tension between two ideals. On one hand, I believe in quality. There’s an ecological argument for longevity—good design is good stewardship. There’s a beautiful efficiency in the craft of industrial design and honor in the mastery behind handmade, durable goods.

On the other hand, we’re consuming the earth’s resources faster than they can be replenished. Our current path is unsustainable, driven by sheer numbers and an insatiable appetite for consumption.

When I started Tandem in 2023, the reality of ecological overshoot felt overwhelming. I struggled to see how one person—or one small company—could make a difference. So, I adopted a simple mantra: Don’t do nothing. I know that anything we do as a company is just a drop in the bucket. But doing nothing? That’s not an option.

That’s why we started with a humble mission: planting trees. Not only do trees replenish the planet with their carbon-sequestering beauty, but they’re also the primary natural resource we use to create our musical instruments.

As we approach our second birthday, we’ve planted 57 trees and helped prevent 6.42 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) emissions through nine verified carbon avoidance projects.

We do this together by donating a portion of our proceeds to Ecologi. You can track our progress anytime on our dashboard here. Thank you for being part of this journey. It’s a small contribution—but it’s not nothing.

Here’s to 57 more trees.

— DK (Founder)

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