Clean Cut TV celebrates International Women’s Day by shining a spotlight on some incredible female founders who are changing the world one sustainable business at a time.
Meet Maria Chenoweth, founder of Traid
Traid emerged at the end of the 90s against a backdrop of grunge t-shirts, neon rave gear and brit pop parkas, initially with four charity shops and a mission to fight global poverty.
Over the course of the next twenty years, while their customers donated clothes and shopped second-hand, more Traid stores opened across London and fundraising began to focus on supporting the people and places creating the fashion we love.
Every time you shop with or donate to Traid, you're contributing to changing fashion for the better. From supporting organic cotton farmers in Benin to garment workers in India, Traid works to improve the lives of those who make our clothes.
In the UK, they collect and sort second-hand clothes for resale in their London charity shops, giving fashion a new lease of life. Globally, they fund projects supporting organic cotton farmers and garment workers, advocating for a fairer fashion industry where your clothes look good and do good.
Meet Priya Ahluwalia, founder of Ahluwalia
Multi-award winning label, Ahluwalia, was launched in 2018, combining elements from Priya's dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots. Ahluwalia garments are made at female-owned factories using surplus and post-consumer fabrics, and recycled and organic materials contributing to their reduced carbon footprint.
While studying MA Menswear at the University of Westminster, Priya noticed clothing traders in Lagos, Nigeria wearing British clothing brands when visiting. Curious about their origins, she explored Aswani market, a destination for second-hand clothes from Europe and the US. Eager to learn more about clothing waste, Priya then investigated Panipat in India, the world's epicenter for garment recycling. These experiences shaped the ethos of Ahluwalia, with a strong commitment to environmental and socially responsible practices now integral to the brand.
After being featured on the cover of Vogue, honoured for her work in sustainability by Edward Enninful OBE in January this year, and winning Leader of Change' award for the third year in a row at the Fashion Awards 2022 it's safe to say Priya Ahluwalia is headed for greatness.
Meet Sheeza Shah, co-founder of UpEffect
Crowdfunding platform UpEffect empowers and equips founders and brands with a toolbox to address today's most pressing problems including social and economic injustice, climate change, global poverty, illiteracy and more. They do this through rewards-based crowdfunding, crowdfunding coaching, and strategic consulting.
Each of these offerings aims to help companies grow revenue, build a community, create living wage jobs across their supply chains, and operate as a responsible actor in the economy. Since 2016, they've funded multiple companies achieving a 95% success rate, turning climate positive by 2020.
Sheeza's dedication has earned her a spot as a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Asian Achievers Awards in 2018.
Meet Anne Boden, founder of Starling Bank
With 30 years of banking expertise, Anne pioneered eco-friendly finance, running Starling Bank on renewable energy. Starling is committed to fairness, transparency, and supporting the planet. As the first woman to establish a UK bank, Anne earned an MBE for her groundbreaking impact, stating...
“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that we face globally, and Starling is 100% committed to playing its part in the fight against it, not just in the lead up to 2030, but starting right away. This is urgent and we know that our customers expect no less from us.”
Meet Carrie Chan, co-founder Avant
Avant is Asia's first cultivated fish company listed on Forbes "Asia 100 To Watch."
From a young age, Carrie noticed the problems created by the existing intensive animal agriculture operations because of human's growing demand for meat. Not only are animals and the environment harmed in order to supply the demand for fish and meat - we are also placed at risk of suffering from unsustainable practices.
Avant's biotech platform produces fish and seafood without harming the ocean, offering a more nutritious and sustainable alternative. With a recent $10.8M investment, Avant aims to combat overfishing and protect ocean biodiversity.
"Using state-of-the-art cultivation processes that are sustainable and scalable, Avant brings you only the finest of authentic and nutritious fish products."
Meet Isatou Ceesay, founder of Women's Initiative Gambia
Women’s Initiative Gambia (WIG) began as a small, environmental enterprise. Isatou Ceesay and collaborators began recycling discarded plastic bags through crochet, taking trash and turning it into useful products, such as ladies’ bags, purses, balls, and wallets.
As the endeavor grew more successful, they formed local women groups and trained the groups on processing waste plastic into long strips which could then be woven into useful products. The women were able to sell these products, creating income, and at the same time helping reduce plastic waste in their community.
The initiative has grown beyond plastic recycling to include briquette production from discarded groundnut and coconut shells, and bag production from used rice bags - as well as teaching entrepreneurial skills and empowerment to women, youth and disabled groups. Today, hundreds of women, youth and disabled groups across the country are benefiting from WIG
Leveraging her Peace Corps experience, Ceesay has empowered and uplifted hundreds of West African women in the Group. In 2012, Ceesay received the International Alliance for the Defense of Women Award, and in 2015, her story was told in Miranda Paul's book, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, "One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia."
Meet Amelia Gammon, founder of Bide Planet
Bide is a for-profit social enterprise championing ethical supply chain solutions.
"We matchmake home manufacturers with companies desperate to hit their net-zero goals with eco-friendly home and personal care products that pack a punch for both people and planet."
Their groundbreaking eco products are handmade by Bide’s home manufacturing network around the UK and Europe.
They make fighting climate change accessible by enabling those who are socially marginalised to manufacture eco-friendly goods from their home, giving people decent work opportunities and agency to drive environmental change.
Meet Jen Wagner, founder of LAYBL
Jen is the visionary behind LAYBL, a garment traceability app which is transforming the fashion industry.
Jen spent most of her working life in the tech world, specifically within ecommerce for fashion and household brands before creating LAYBL which offers complete traceability for garments, treating each item as an asset. By tracking clothing throughout its life cycle, the platform ensures value retention, longer circulation, and a positive impact on the environment.
The app connects brands, service providers, and owners, fostering collaboration for sustainable fashion. It's not just a solution, it's a new perspective on garment traceability, changing how we view fashion and the journey of our garments.
Meet Genia Mineeva, founder of BEEN
BEEN transforms waste into chic, sustainable accessories. Focused on repurposing coffee cup waste they collaborate with local craftsmen, merging innovation with heritage.
Genia started off as a political journalist, spending years working in the BBC newsroom and ran campaigns for the UN, Change.org and Naked Heart Foundation amongst others.
But one story really got under her skin: coffee cup waste. "How could these recyclable objects be wasted - simply because there was no market for the recycled material?" Genia dug deeper, studying Sustainable Value Chains at Cambridge University and discovered the untapped potential of innovative recycled materials rescued from landfill. Then studied Accessories Design at London College of Fashion, found one of the last bag-makers in East London, and launched the first BEEN London bag on Kickstarter.
This community-driven brand emphasises the potential of waste, showcasing that sustainable fashion can be both beautiful and impactful. Her all-female team is based a stone's throw away from Victoria Park in East London.
Meet Juliet Davenport, founder of Good Energy
Creating a 100% renewable electricity company when only 2% of the UK's power was renewable, Juliet's vision offers a practical solution for climate change.
Good Energy was founded over two decades ago to give people a way to be part of a practical solution to climate change. Leaving fossil fuels behind and supporting renewable energy is essential to reducing Britain’s carbon emissions and Juliet has created a company that is dedicated to providing meaningful ways to do just that.
Though she stepped down as CEO in 2021, Juliet's legacy continues. Good Energy supplies renewable electricity, installs heat pumps, and promotes personal energy generation with solar panels. It is recognised by Friends of the Earth, Which?, and Ethical Consumer. Innovative green practices drives their mission forward, reducing Britain's carbon emissions.
Meet Sarah Pinner, Kate Sanner and Celine Mol, co-founders of Beni
Beni is your new favorite tool for finding great secondhand deals online. The browser extension shows you resale versions of whatever you're shopping for, resulting in you getting the clothes you love, within your budget, in a sustainable way. Once you’ve added the Chrome Extension to your browser, shop normally and Beni shows you resale deals whenever they’re available.
A lot of resources are required to make our clothes - from the production and processing of raw materials, to dying and manipulating fabrics, not to mention all the logistics transporting garments from manufacturing facilities to customers. There are enough garments on Earth to go around for generations to come, buying new isn't necessary.
Sara, Kate and Celine believe that by making resale as easy as buying new, they can transform the norms of consumption and create a positive net impact on the planet - and they're on a mission to prove this with Beni.
Meet Tessa Clarke and Saasha Celestial-One, co-founders of Olio
Olio connects local people to share anything from food to household items, reducing waste and building a global community. Originally a local food-sharing app in North London, Olio has grown into a global movement with millions of users.
"The lightbulb moment for Olio came during Tessa’s house move. Everything was packed, but the fridge was still full. She couldn’t bear to see perfectly good food go in the bin, and knew that someone nearby would take it off her hands.
As she trawled the streets looking for someone who might be able to use her spare food, Tessa knew there had to be an easier way to connect with people. And so the concept of Olio was born."
Olio has over 7 million users around the world, 107,000 volunteers rescuing unsold food from local businesses, 57,000 ambassadors spreading the word, 115 million portions of food shared, 11 million household items shared, 66% of Olio users have said that the app has improved their mental health and 75% say it has improved their financial wellbeing. Wow is all we have to say. If you're a business getting rid of waste or an individual at home start using Olio now.
Meet Marie-Alexandrine Burrows, co-founder of Vertical Future
Vertical Future design, manufacture, and build advanced vertical farms, recognised for positive change and innovation as a member of the World Economic Forum.
Their mission is to improve planetary health and positively impact the global population through a better food system.
Vertical Future’s systems allow for the growing of crops to be closer to the source of consumption, use up to 98% less water compared to traditional farming, are energy and resource-efficient, and can grow the same amount of produce in 1% of the space, when compared to traditional farming methods.
Prior to cofounding this global leader in vertical farming technology and data, Marie worked in health research for the NHS and is passionate about people and psychology.
Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder of ByRotation
ByRotation is a conscious fashion community and rental app - a transformative space for sharing designer fashion sustainably.
As a first-time founder, Eshita prioritises inclusivity and diversity, raising awareness for sustainability in fashion. Allowing consumers to access designer pieces affordably and shift their fashion habits towards sharing.
The peer-to-peer rental fashion app was founded in 2019 and exceeded 100,000 downloads in the first two years. In May last year ByRotation took huge strides launching in the US, and in November launched its first ever partnership with retailer, Net-A-Porter. Eshita is onto big things in the sustainable fashion space.
Meet Katie and Amanda McCourt, co-founders of Pantee
Pantee is a sustainable underwear company founded during the pandemic by sisters Katie and Amanda. The duo design and create super soft sets from deadstock fabrics, tackling fashion waste with style. Since 2021, transparency has been at the heart of their mission. Pantee doesn't claim to be the answer to making fashion entirely sustainable, but they promise progress and transparency on their sustainable journey.
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