(FSB Magazine) -- Nestled in the coolers of more than 7,000 Starbucks (Charts, Fortune 500) stores sits Ethos Water, a 23.6-ounce bottle festooned with a map of the world. What distinguishes it from other brands? The company was founded by Peter Thum, a former strategy consultant who dreamed of providing clean drinking water to Third World countries by selling expensive bottled water in the West. His idea was simple: For every bottle sold, Ethos would donate part of the profit to clean-water initiatives in developing countries such as Honduras and Kenya. After three years of bootstrapping a concept that repelled most investors, Thum sold Ethos to Starbucks for $7.7 million in 2005. Already Ethos's per bottle donations have increased by 263%. By 2010, Ethos plans to give at least $10 million a year to nonprofits that fund safe-water projects. From his new digs in the coffee giant's Seattle offices, Thum, 39, tells FSB how he got Ethos off the ground.
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