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Motivated by her daughter’s skin conditions and eczema diagnosis with, Satya founder Patrice Mousseau began researching and testing the creation of effective, nontoxic, and fragrance-free skin products. Made with just five certified organic ingredients, Satya’s line provides a simple alternative to traditional skincare. Proudly Indigenous- and female-owned, Satya is also committed to being carbon neutral, not testing on animals, and using sustainable materials in its packaging.
Isabel Aagaard, Kare Frandsen, and Nicolas Aagaard founded LastObject with a mission to design replacements for single-use items. Through successful crowdfunding campaigns, the LastObject team created reusable swabs and tissues that have at least 10 times real environmental impact than their traditional single-use counterparts.
Starting with a single neighborhood café in Santa Cruz in 2007, Mike Eyre, Ryan O’Donovan, and Colby Barrbuilt Verve Coffee into a multifaceted business that includes over a dozen retail locations in the United States and Japan, a wholesale distribution arm, and an online shop. Through it all, Verve has placed its commitment to sustainable growing practices and supporting farmers above everything else, through its Farmlevel initiative, which preserves heirloom coffee varieties, manages nurseries, and pays fair prices.
Wanting to create a beauty company with future generations in mind, Arden Teasdale and Hayley McKenzie started Unwrapped Life to provide products that eliminate the juxtaposition between sustainability and effectiveness. With shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars wrapped in compostable paper, their items are virtually wasteless. Applying this waste reduction philosophy to all areas of business, Unwrapped Life set up an extensive network of wholesalers to help reduce shipping while reaching more users and starting a refill program for liquid products with a retail partner in Calgary, Alberta.
John Nanci founded Chocolate Alchemy to not only provide cacao beans but also his wealth of knowledge to those wanting to enter the world of bean-to-bar chocolate making. The art and science of making chocolate is daunting, to say the least, but John and his team remove some of the mystery. With lessons on beans, nibs, and molds, Chocolate Alchemy is a school for those enchanted by the magic of chocolate.
Benjamin Sehl, Rami Helali, and Mackenzie Yeates launched KOTN with a desire to create simple closet essentials that were both affordable and good quality. Sourcing directly from the Nile Delta, KOTN’s pieces are made with Egyptian cotton that’s finer, softer, and more breathable than other types of cotton. Supporting the local economy and farming families that have seen a massive decline in business since larger corporations moved away, KOTN buys directly from farmers at guaranteed prices while funding the construction of schools in the region to raise literacy rates.
TPMOCS was founded by Maria Running Fisher Jones with a mission to continue the emphasis her mother placed on recognizing and giving back to her own Indigenous roots. TPMOCS’s baby footwear is a meaningful way to address poverty by providing employment and resources for Indigenous communities in need. With teams located in California, Washington, and Montana, TPMOCS currently works with The Blackfeet tribe.
Chip Malt’s extensive ecommerce background complemented Jake Kalick’s third-generation expertise in cookware manufacturing when the two launched Made In Cookware to disrupt the kitchenware industry. Working with multi-generational makers and renowned chefs, Made In Cookware delivers quality pots, pans, and knives directly to cooking enthusiasts at affordable prices, without the layers of traditional distribution models.
Brothers Jamil and Gamal Codner were inspired during a trip to Africa to bring back traditional grooming habits and oils to the US. Fresh Heritage’s products are designed to nourish and strengthen hair specifically for men of color. With grooming kits, beard oils, and combs, Fresh Heritage is servicing a market that’s been underrepresented.
Charlotte Cho, the skincare and beauty curator and founder behind Soko Glam, decided it was time to create a line of skincare products of her own. Then I Met You celebrates the idea of “jeong”—the feeling of empathy and affection for people, places, and things. After a decade-long testing, the line of cruelty-free skincare products was created, bringing to market transformative experiences for users, made by leading chemists and manufacturers in Korea.
