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Sydney Morning Herald
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Stop the show, there's a man dying': As three women struggled to save him, one item could have changed the outcome
Murray Wight was laughing at a comedian's joke, something about cheetahs and greyhounds, when his attention snapped away from the stage and onto a man who suddenly slumped into the theatre aisle. Cramped in the dress circle of St Kilda's Palais, it was dark and difficult to make out what had happened. 'Did he drop something? Is he looking for it on the ground?' Wight and his son leaned over, propping the man up. Within seconds, the scene on those theatre steps became life-and-death. Two nurses and an off-duty paramedic came clambering down the stairs in the darkness – one of the nurses falling and landing hard on her knees. They gripped the man and awkwardly heaved him over his armrest, launching into chest compressions in the aisle. Stunned, Wight and his son stepped back and watched, locked into their seats. Other theatre-goers twisted and craned their necks, shining phone lights to improve visibility. Loading In the 15 minutes it took for paramedics to arrive, Wight shifted from panic, to frustration, to anger. Finally, he heard the first beeps of a defibrillator. 'I yelled, at the top of my voice: 'Stop the show, there's a man dying.'' 'It's crazy': The case for a defibrillator mandate One of the first things triple-zero operators do when they take a call is check whether there is a defibrillator registered with Ambulance Victoria nearby. There wasn't one on the night of March 26 at Melbourne's Palais Theatre. Nor did the venue have a defibrillator registered with GoodSAM, the app for cardiac arrest first-responders. Australia records about 32,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year, which is 25 times the country's annual fatal road toll. Leading cardiologists and CPR advocates are unequivocal: thousands of Australians would still be alive today if a defibrillator had been nearby when they went into cardiac arrest. Yet there is no legal requirement for public venues and buildings to have defibrillators on-site in any state or territory, except South Australia. In Victoria, WorkSafe requires employers to have a defibrillator on-site if cardiac arrests are likely, and if it is a 'reasonably practicable' measure to manage the risk of death. 'A defibrillator is the number-one intervention that can save a life in the case of a cardiac arrest.' St Vincent's Hospital cardiologist Elizabeth Paratz As for public venues, registered and publicly accessible defibrillators are recommended, but not mandatory. South Australia's mandate demands defibrillators at public venues and threatens fines of up to $20,000 for any venue that does not comply. The mandate took effect for Crown-owned property – like schools, swimming pools, libraries and town halls – in January this year and will extend to some private businesses, buildings and public transport in 2026. Theatres, yoga studios and sports bars will be among those it applies to, and registering defibrillators within two weeks of installation is one of the strict requirements of the legislation. St Vincent's Hospital cardiologist Elizabeth Paratz said early defibrillation can improve a person's chances of surviving a cardiac arrest by more than double, and South Australia's mandate could easily be replicated Australia-wide. A person's cardiac arrest survival rate can decrease by 10 per cent for every minute a defibrillator is not used during CPR. Ambulance Victoria's median response time for cardiac arrest patients is eight minutes. 'A defibrillator is the number-one intervention that can save a life in the case of a cardiac arrest,' Paratz told this masthead. 'There's clear evidence of its benefits and its utility. On a practical level, it's crazy to have laws in one state that aren't national.' Paratz, in researching the topic, found that Australia's inequitable access to defibrillators contributes to avoidable deaths. NSW is considering mandating them in public venues, but it's not on Victoria's agenda, experts say. The Victorian government instead points to last month's ambulance cardiac arrest registry annual report, which found the state has Australia's best cardiac arrest survival rate – the third-best in the world. 'If [defibrillators] are applied to a person who is not having a cardiac arrest then nothing will happen. The cost is now acceptably low.' St Vincent's Institute laboratory head Andre La Gerche Loading The results are partly because of more than 10,000 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) registered in Victoria, which is more than in any other Australian state or territory, a government spokesperson said. 'We have also made it easier for sporting clubs and recreational organisations to access AEDs through a dedicated grants program,' the spokesperson said. The Victorian government has also rolled out AEDs across the V/Line and Metro Trains network. But St John Ambulance Victoria boss Gordon Botwright looks at the statistics differently. In 2023-24, 141 people were shocked by public defibrillators in Victoria – a record number – and 47 per cent of those people survived, the registry report boasts. Botwright argues those cases only account for a tiny fraction of the total 7545 people who went into cardiac arrest outside of hospital in Victoria that year, and the survival rate was far less overall – just 6 per cent. Applying the 47 per cent survival rate to the total number of patients, more than 3000 people's lives could have theoretically been saved that year if they had a public defibrillator nearby, Botwright said. The report notes that almost 80 per cent of the cardiac arrests happened at home. 'We've got an absolute sign here that we could move the 6 per cent [survival rate] to 47 per cent if we could apply defibrillators in publicly accessible spaces, or people could access defibrillators more readily, even in their homes and suburbs,' Botwright said. 'We could shift that.' St Vincent's Institute laboratory head André La Gerche said virtually all arguments against mandating defibrillators in public venues and spaces were either unfounded, or could be addressed. Loading Defibrillators are completely safe and cannot be misused, he said. 'If they are applied to a person who is not having a cardiac arrest, then nothing will happen. The cost is now acceptably low,' La Gerche said. 'The mandatory placement of defibrillators in public spaces results in awareness and also a degree of predictability, such that when an arrest occurs, the question is, 'where is the defibrillator?', rather than, 'is there a defibrillator?' 'These things save time and save lives.' Sue's son died. Years later, she saved Liam The last thing Liam Birch remembers is a footy being thrown in from the boundary, before his vision went blurry and he hit the ground face-first. Tony Freeman's reaction was instant. He ran over, began CPR, and called for a defibrillator. Within 10 seconds of applying the pads, 19-year-old Birch was 'pretty much back'. 'At first, I thought I was knocked out, but the ambulance let me know that I had a cardiac arrest,' Birch said. Years later, Birch found out the defibrillators at Wallan's Greenhill Reserve, where he was playing that day in 2018, were thanks to Sue Buckman – and the pair shared a tragic connection. Buckman set up Defib For Life after her son Stephen, also 19, went into cardiac arrest while training at Rupertswood Football Club in May 2010. The boys were years apart, but unknowingly rivals – Birch played for Wallan against Rupertswood when he went into cardiac arrest, and Stephen was on the opposing team, preparing to face off against Wallan before he died. Loading Andrew White, a paramedic on the sidelines, tried to save Stephen. He later co-founded Defib For Life, which is behind thousands of Australia's public defibrillators. 'The club didn't have a defibrillator, so all Andrew could do was just to go gung-ho giving his best CPR,' Buckman said. 'A few years later, [things came] full circle. They used a defibrillator [on Liam], and – hello – he's up and running around, as healthy as anything. I'm friends with his family.' On Anzac Day, another player at Rupertswood went into cardiac arrest for the first time since Stephen died 15 years ago. This time, trainers revived the 37-year-old reserves player with two shocks of a defibrillator – the very first defibrillator Defib For Life supplied. The man has since been discharged from hospital. Defib For Life is lobbying the AFL to mandate defibrillators at all levels of the game, Australia-wide, to show it values players equally. The league has not done so and did not respond to questions about the proposal. Buckman, now retired, still lives in a world of 'what-ifs'. What if momentum for her cause slows, and more people end up dead? What if there had been a defibrillator for her son? Would it have saved him? Nobody can know, and after that night at the Palais, Wight feels the same. When he yelled for the show to stop, quiet fell across the audience, and the house lights came on. Staff rushed hundreds of theatre-goers out, and the man who went into cardiac arrest was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. Loading 'If they had a defibrillator on the scene straight away, they could have been [defibrillating] the guy within 1½ minutes, [or] two minutes of him going down,' Wight said. 'That outcome might have changed it.' Live Nation operates the Palais. A spokesperson for the company said the theatre has operational defibrillators in front-of-house and back-of-house areas, and staff are trained to use them. When this masthead attended a recent show at the theatre, there were no clearly marked defibrillators in the foyer, mezzanine level outside the theatre, or the dress circle. Citing a request for privacy from the dead man's family, Live Nation declined to provide more details about whether a defibrillator was offered to the first responders, the locations of defibrillators at the theatre, and why its defibrillators are unregistered. Ambulance Victoria lauded the courageous efforts of first responders at the Palais. 'We encourage everyone in the community to learn CPR and how to use an AED,' an ambulance spokeswoman said. Experts emphasise that it is not enough for defibrillators to sit on a wall, unused. They need to be registered, properly maintained and truly accessible 24/7. Paratz and La Gerche are among cardiologists leading the Australian Sudden Cardiac Arrest Alliance, a national steering committee advocating for public defibrillators to be mandated. Wight has become passionate about the cause since that night at the Palais. One visceral image motivates him: three women, barely able to move, desperately trying to save a dying man by torchlight on the theatre steps.
The Age
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘Stop the show, there's a man dying': As three women struggled to save him, one item could have changed the outcome
Murray Wight was laughing at a comedian's joke, something about cheetahs and greyhounds, when his attention snapped away from the stage and onto a man who suddenly slumped into the theatre aisle. Cramped in the dress circle of St Kilda's Palais, it was dark and difficult to make out what had happened. 'Did he drop something? Is he looking for it on the ground?' Wight and his son leaned over, propping the man up. Within seconds, the scene on those theatre steps became life-and-death. Two nurses and an off-duty paramedic came clambering down the stairs in the darkness – one of the nurses falling and landing hard on her knees. They gripped the man and awkwardly heaved him over his armrest, launching into chest compressions in the aisle. Stunned, Wight and his son stepped back and watched, locked into their seats. Other theatre-goers twisted and craned their necks, shining phone lights to improve visibility. Loading In the 15 minutes it took for paramedics to arrive, Wight shifted from panic, to frustration, to anger. Finally, he heard the first beeps of a defibrillator. 'I yelled, at the top of my voice: 'Stop the show, there's a man dying.'' 'It's crazy': The case for a defibrillator mandate One of the first things triple-zero operators do when they take a call is check whether there is a defibrillator registered with Ambulance Victoria nearby. There wasn't one on the night of March 26 at Melbourne's Palais Theatre. Nor did the venue have a defibrillator registered with GoodSAM, the app for cardiac arrest first-responders. Australia records about 32,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year, which is 25 times the country's annual fatal road toll. Leading cardiologists and CPR advocates are unequivocal: thousands of Australians would still be alive today if a defibrillator had been nearby when they went into cardiac arrest. Yet there is no legal requirement for public venues and buildings to have defibrillators on-site in any state or territory, except South Australia. In Victoria, WorkSafe requires employers to have a defibrillator on-site if cardiac arrests are likely, and if it is a 'reasonably practicable' measure to manage the risk of death. 'A defibrillator is the number-one intervention that can save a life in the case of a cardiac arrest.' St Vincent's Hospital cardiologist Elizabeth Paratz As for public venues, registered and publicly accessible defibrillators are recommended, but not mandatory. South Australia's mandate demands defibrillators at public venues and threatens fines of up to $20,000 for any venue that does not comply. The mandate took effect for Crown-owned property – like schools, swimming pools, libraries and town halls – in January this year and will extend to some private businesses, buildings and public transport in 2026. Theatres, yoga studios and sports bars will be among those it applies to, and registering defibrillators within two weeks of installation is one of the strict requirements of the legislation. St Vincent's Hospital cardiologist Elizabeth Paratz said early defibrillation can improve a person's chances of surviving a cardiac arrest by more than double, and South Australia's mandate could easily be replicated Australia-wide. A person's cardiac arrest survival rate can decrease by 10 per cent for every minute a defibrillator is not used during CPR. Ambulance Victoria's median response time for cardiac arrest patients is eight minutes. 'A defibrillator is the number-one intervention that can save a life in the case of a cardiac arrest,' Paratz told this masthead. 'There's clear evidence of its benefits and its utility. On a practical level, it's crazy to have laws in one state that aren't national.' Paratz, in researching the topic, found that Australia's inequitable access to defibrillators contributes to avoidable deaths. NSW is considering mandating them in public venues, but it's not on Victoria's agenda, experts say. The Victorian government instead points to last month's ambulance cardiac arrest registry annual report, which found the state has Australia's best cardiac arrest survival rate – the third-best in the world. 'If [defibrillators] are applied to a person who is not having a cardiac arrest then nothing will happen. The cost is now acceptably low.' St Vincent's Institute laboratory head Andre La Gerche Loading The results are partly because of more than 10,000 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) registered in Victoria, which is more than in any other Australian state or territory, a government spokesperson said. 'We have also made it easier for sporting clubs and recreational organisations to access AEDs through a dedicated grants program,' the spokesperson said. The Victorian government has also rolled out AEDs across the V/Line and Metro Trains network. But St John Ambulance Victoria boss Gordon Botwright looks at the statistics differently. In 2023-24, 141 people were shocked by public defibrillators in Victoria – a record number – and 47 per cent of those people survived, the registry report boasts. Botwright argues those cases only account for a tiny fraction of the total 7545 people who went into cardiac arrest outside of hospital in Victoria that year, and the survival rate was far less overall – just 6 per cent. Applying the 47 per cent survival rate to the total number of patients, more than 3000 people's lives could have theoretically been saved that year if they had a public defibrillator nearby, Botwright said. The report notes that almost 80 per cent of the cardiac arrests happened at home. 'We've got an absolute sign here that we could move the 6 per cent [survival rate] to 47 per cent if we could apply defibrillators in publicly accessible spaces, or people could access defibrillators more readily, even in their homes and suburbs,' Botwright said. 'We could shift that.' St Vincent's Institute laboratory head André La Gerche said virtually all arguments against mandating defibrillators in public venues and spaces were either unfounded, or could be addressed. Loading Defibrillators are completely safe and cannot be misused, he said. 'If they are applied to a person who is not having a cardiac arrest, then nothing will happen. The cost is now acceptably low,' La Gerche said. 'The mandatory placement of defibrillators in public spaces results in awareness and also a degree of predictability, such that when an arrest occurs, the question is, 'where is the defibrillator?', rather than, 'is there a defibrillator?' 'These things save time and save lives.' Sue's son died. Years later, she saved Liam The last thing Liam Birch remembers is a footy being thrown in from the boundary, before his vision went blurry and he hit the ground face-first. Tony Freeman's reaction was instant. He ran over, began CPR, and called for a defibrillator. Within 10 seconds of applying the pads, 19-year-old Birch was 'pretty much back'. 'At first, I thought I was knocked out, but the ambulance let me know that I had a cardiac arrest,' Birch said. Years later, Birch found out the defibrillators at Wallan's Greenhill Reserve, where he was playing that day in 2018, were thanks to Sue Buckman – and the pair shared a tragic connection. Buckman set up Defib For Life after her son Stephen, also 19, went into cardiac arrest while training at Rupertswood Football Club in May 2010. The boys were years apart, but unknowingly rivals – Birch played for Wallan against Rupertswood when he went into cardiac arrest, and Stephen was on the opposing team, preparing to face off against Wallan before he died. Loading Andrew White, a paramedic on the sidelines, tried to save Stephen. He later co-founded Defib For Life, which is behind thousands of Australia's public defibrillators. 'The club didn't have a defibrillator, so all Andrew could do was just to go gung-ho giving his best CPR,' Buckman said. 'A few years later, [things came] full circle. They used a defibrillator [on Liam], and – hello – he's up and running around, as healthy as anything. I'm friends with his family.' On Anzac Day, another player at Rupertswood went into cardiac arrest for the first time since Stephen died 15 years ago. This time, trainers revived the 37-year-old reserves player with two shocks of a defibrillator – the very first defibrillator Defib For Life supplied. The man has since been discharged from hospital. Defib For Life is lobbying the AFL to mandate defibrillators at all levels of the game, Australia-wide, to show it values players equally. The league has not done so and did not respond to questions about the proposal. Buckman, now retired, still lives in a world of 'what-ifs'. What if momentum for her cause slows, and more people end up dead? What if there had been a defibrillator for her son? Would it have saved him? Nobody can know, and after that night at the Palais, Wight feels the same. When he yelled for the show to stop, quiet fell across the audience, and the house lights came on. Staff rushed hundreds of theatre-goers out, and the man who went into cardiac arrest was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. Loading 'If they had a defibrillator on the scene straight away, they could have been [defibrillating] the guy within 1½ minutes, [or] two minutes of him going down,' Wight said. 'That outcome might have changed it.' Live Nation operates the Palais. A spokesperson for the company said the theatre has operational defibrillators in front-of-house and back-of-house areas, and staff are trained to use them. When this masthead attended a recent show at the theatre, there were no clearly marked defibrillators in the foyer, mezzanine level outside the theatre, or the dress circle. Citing a request for privacy from the dead man's family, Live Nation declined to provide more details about whether a defibrillator was offered to the first responders, the locations of defibrillators at the theatre, and why its defibrillators are unregistered. Ambulance Victoria lauded the courageous efforts of first responders at the Palais. 'We encourage everyone in the community to learn CPR and how to use an AED,' an ambulance spokeswoman said. Experts emphasise that it is not enough for defibrillators to sit on a wall, unused. They need to be registered, properly maintained and truly accessible 24/7. Paratz and La Gerche are among cardiologists leading the Australian Sudden Cardiac Arrest Alliance, a national steering committee advocating for public defibrillators to be mandated. Wight has become passionate about the cause since that night at the Palais. One visceral image motivates him: three women, barely able to move, desperately trying to save a dying man by torchlight on the theatre steps.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘The platform has become obsolete': Albuquerque Fire Rescue ditches PulsePoint app
**Editor's note: The video above is part of separate related coverage on heart disease. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An app that notifies CPR-trained citizens that someone nearby is experiencing a cardiac emergency, in hopes that the trained individual would respond and provide life-saving care, is no longer being used by Albuquerque Fire Rescue. AFR announced that it has decided not to renew its paid subscription to the app PulsePoint, saying it has become 'obsolete.' In addition to cardiac emergencies, the PulsePoint app displays information about other types of calls firefighters and/or EMTs are dispatched to, such as fires, crashes, hazmat incidents, alarms, medical emergencies, and more. Users also could see the exact address crews were dispatched to, which AFR said is a privacy issue. 'Members of the public were not using it to respond to provide bystander CPR,' AFR Lt. Jason Fejer wrote in an email to KRQE. Bernalillo County installs speed cameras on some state roads According to Fejer, in the 10 years that AFR has utilized PulsePoint, the department is only aware of two instances of bystanders reporting to on-scene crews that they were notified via PulsePoint. If someone should need help in a cardiac emergency, Fejer said AFR dispatchers can coach members of the public on how to perform CPR over the phone. He also said AFR's use of the 'GoodSAM' platform allows dispatchers to do a video call with 911 callers to help instruct them on how to perform CPR. AFR is hoping to use the $13,000 it set aside for PulsePoint each year for community training. 'AFR determined the funding would be better served to enhance our Lifesaver program which teaches members of the public how to perform hands only CPR, naloxone administration, and bleeding control,' Fejer stated. According to a post by AFR on Facebook, the department is looking into other options for the media and the public to follow AFR's responses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
This Australian state's heart attack survival rate is among the world's best, and it's not down to luck
There were no warning signs when teenager Austin Blight went into cardiac arrest. The 17-year-old collapsed unconscious at the gym, where staff rushed to his aid and quickly realised he didn't have a pulse. He survived because staff performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator to shock his heart before paramedics arrived. Since his medical condition in 2024, Austin has returned to school to finish year 12 and is back working out in the gym. He lives in Victoria, where residents are more likely to survive a heart episode than any other Australian state and almost any other place in the world. Groundbreaking advances in response and survival rates across the state have been revealed in the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry annual report for 2023/24. It found Victoria has the best cardiac survival rate in the nation, and the third-best in the world behind King County in the US and Denmark. This is all thanks to early intervention, with bystander CPR administered in 79% of witnessed cases and 141 cases receiving a shock from a public automated external defibrillator (AED) – the highest number on record. As a result of these interventions, and the work of paramedics and first responders, 422 cardiac arrest patients were discharged from hospital, with 84% returning home to their families. Victoria has more than 7500 publicly accessible defibrillators, significantly improving the survival rates for cardiac arrest patients, who without CPR or defibrillator intervention have only a 5-10% chance of survival. Ambulance Victoria's free GoodSAM app, which alerts people to someone in cardiac arrest nearby, is also making a difference with 17,327 registered responders and 793 cases attended by volunteers in the last year. Integrated with the triple-zero emergency service, the app connects patients with registered volunteers who can provide CPR and defibrillation until an ambulance arrives. Ambulance Victoria's director of research and evaluation Ziad Nehme praised the collective effort that led Victoria to its highest internationally comparable rate of 41% of patients surviving to hospital discharge. The rise from 36% in 2022/23 marks the largest annual increase in the past decade. 'These improvements in survival are not by chance,' Dr Nehme said. 'When CPR and defibrillation are provided quickly, survival chances increase significantly.' Ambulance services minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, said it was impressive to see Victorians going out of their way to help others in need. 'Minutes matter in cardiac arrests and when a patient receives CPR and defibrillation before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival increases significantly,' she said on Monday.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GoodSAM Foods Secures $9M Series A to Scale Regenerative Food Movement
This funding milestone for a woman-led regenerative food brand, will fuel expansion and deepen farmer partnerships worldwide GoodSAM Foods The round was led by Alive Ventures in Bogotá, Colombia and Desert Bloom in the U.S. Greenwich, Conn., March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GoodSAM Foods, the mission-driven food brand dedicated to regenerative agriculture, transparency, and farmer empowerment, today announced a $9 million Series A funding round. This milestone reflects growing investor confidence in sustainable food systems and patient capital models that prioritize long-term impact over short-term gains. The investment also marks a notable achievement for a female-founded and led company, as women entrepreneurs continue to face disproportionate barriers in fundraising. In 2023, companies founded solely by women garnered just 2% of the total capital invested in U.S. venture-backed startups (PitchBook), underscoring the significance of this raise. The round was led by Alive Ventures in Bogotá, Colombia and Desert Bloom in the U.S., with additional participation from LATAM Impact Fund (Sonen Capital & Fondo de Fondos, MX), Promotora Social Mexico, One Small Planet (Peterffy Family Foundation) and Connecticut Innovations. With this funding, GoodSAM has raised a total of $10.5 million, including previous investments from entities such as Thrive Market, JellyShot, Cynthia Tice the founder of Lily's Sweets, and BeyondBrands. 'Raising capital in the last two years has been extremely challenging and statistically, for women, it's been nearly impossible. To have LATAM investors step up to support our vision as an American company, with the majority of our supply network in LATAM, has been humbling and deeply moving,' said Heather K. Terry, CEO and Founder of GoodSAM. 'This funding gives us the resources to scale not just in numbers, but in a way that meaningfully changes lives, communities, and economic realities. We are proving that a regenerative business model isn't just viable—it's thriving.' The funding will enable team expansion, new product line launches, and continued direct trade support for smallholder and indigenous farmers in the nine countries where GoodSAM operates, including Colombia, Mexico and Kenya. The company's unique model eliminates middlemen, ensuring fair wages and reinvestment directly into farming communities. 'We are excited to support GoodSAM, a company that is helping smallholder farmers engaged in regenerative agriculture to access premium markets, thus driving prosperity and climate resilience in rural areas,' said Virgilio Barco, Managing Partner at Alive Ventures. 'At GoodSAM, we're building a small farms-focused food brand with the mission of making regenerative farming a staple in the American pantry. Our impact-first Series A round reflects our commitment to doing things differently in a food system still dominated by ultra-processed, industrially farmed products. We believe better food starts at the source, and GoodSAM is here to help drive that change,' said Greg Krupa, GoodSAM Head of Investor Relations. In addition to the funding, Virgilio Barco (Alive Ventures) and Julia Paino (Desert Bloom) will join GoodSAM's board, bringing expertise in sustainable investment and ethical supply chains. GoodSAM continues to expand its reach, providing consumers with high-quality, traceable, and eco-conscious food products. With this funding, the company is well-positioned to scale its impact while reinforcing the business case for regenerative agriculture and transparent trade. GoodSAM's products are available nationwide at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, and a variety of natural, independent and specialty retailers. Top product categories include: organic nuts, organic chocolate, organic coffee and fruit chips. For more information on GoodSAM's mission and products, visit Sales inquiries can be directed to Kari Janapareddi, kari@ About GoodSAM FoodsFounded in 2019 by natural products industry veteran Heather K. Terry, GoodSAM P.B.C. is a B-Corp Certified snack and food brand on a mission. At GoodSAM, we're dedicated to creating food that's Good for You, Good for Farmers, and Good for the Planet. Building strong, meaningful connections with our supply networks, manufacturers, and smallholder and indigenous farming communities is at the heart of everything we do at GoodSAM. Our mission is rooted in regenerative farming practices, which help keep soil healthy and ensure that our farms can thrive for generations. When you choose GoodSAM, you can feel confident that you're supporting a brand that genuinely cares about making a positive impact through its products. With every bite, you're choosing food that reflects our commitment to sustainability and community. Through food, we care. About ALIVE VenturesAcumen Latam Impact Ventures—ALIVE—is a new type of Latin American fund manager. A manager that places impact at centerstage. A manager that incorporates gender lens investing every step of the way. A manager that has built a climate smart investment approach to support communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of climate change. And finally, but equally important, a fund manager that seeks to provide attractive risk-adjusted returns to its investors. ALIVE currently has over USD 75 million in AUM and is the largest Andean Region venture capital investor. For more information: Attachments GoodSAM Foods The round was led by Alive Ventures in Bogotá, Colombia and Desert Bloom in the U.S. CONTACT: GoodSAM PR Molly Antos T: (847) 848-2090 GoodSAM@
