Women-owned Brands Making Waves in the Kindhumans Movement

Women-owned Brands Making Waves in the Kindhumans Movement

Entrepreneur

Women-owned Brands Making Waves in the Kindhumans Movement

As women’s history month wraps up, we wanted to give one more nod to the women Kindhumans partners with who are making history right now. We’re featuring seven of the women-owned brands we carry on our site, and as you’ll see, all of these ladies have something very inspiring in common: their brands were born from feeling that there was something missing in the market, and deciding to make it themselves. 

Some started their brands while raising young kids, many left successful careers to take a leap and founded their own businesses. This type of initiative is worth celebrating not just this month but every day, so here are the stories of seven women-owned brands you can support when you shop.

And don’t forget, Kindhumans carries more women-owned brands than just these seven! You can find the full list here.

Buddha Babe by Tina Dixon Spence

Tina Dixon Spence had a problem that was driving her crazy: drool. Her baby son had lots of it, and she couldn’t find any bibs that matched his hip style. So she taught herself how to sew by watching YouTube videos and launched Buddha Babe—a line of hip bibs, clothing and blankets for fashionista babies. Buddha Babe might be about elevating your baby’s style, but not without a sense of humor and some spunk, just check out the Buddha Babe Big Poppa bib.

In 2020, Buddha Babe’s storefront was broken into during civil unrest just a month before their grand opening. It had already been a tough year with the pandemic, and the break-in only added to Tina’s challenges. They did the rest of their setup for the opening with the windows still boarded up, but were able to open as planned this last November. And she says, “If everything were going smoothly, that just would not be the journey of an entrepreneur.”

Tina takes pride in making Buddha Babe more than just a brand, but also a job creator and community staple. The mother of two boys, she founded the company at her dining room table, and she makes a point to employ other young moms who might be in the position she was in when she first started her brand. “Budda Babe is all about love,” she says, “love for babies, for family, for Philadelphia.” Watch our full Q&A interview with Tina here.

Shop Buddha Babe»

 

Genusee by Ali Rose VanOverbeke

Ali Rose VanOverbeke’s socially innovative eyewear brand Genusee is all about giving back to her home state of Michigan. The entire supply chain of Genusee’s eyewear (except for the Italian-made hinges) exists within 80 miles of Flint, where she lives. The frames are made from recycled plastic water bottles recovered from the Flint water crisis, the polishing bags are sewn locally, and even the shipping boxes are made from recycled cardboard sourced from Lansing. Genusee’s operations create jobs in a town where 88% of the population does not have a college degree and 41% live below the poverty line, with a special focus on returning (previously incarcerated) citizens.

Ali was born and raised in Detroit and spent 10 years in New York before returning to Michigan with a mission to create a business that could uplift her community and lead in sustainability. Ali tries to live zero-waste, but she acknowledges she’s not perfect and that she tries to make progress where she can. She runs her business by the same mantra. “We may not be able to change the world,” she says, “but we can change someone’s world.” Read our full Q&A with Ali here.

Shop Genusee»

 

KASSIA + SURF by Kassia Meador

Kassia Meador is one of the best known female longboarders of her generation. A competitive surfer since age 17, Kassia spent years riding for brands and promoting their products, but her dream was to have her own brand, focused on quality over quantity and on making women feel empowered while surfing. 

KASSIA + SURF is a realization of that dream. Launched in 2015, Kassia’s brand makes a full range of wetsuits infused with tie-dye accents reflective of Kassia’s fun, psychedelic vibe. Designed by one of the most stylish longboarders to grace Malibu’s waves, these wetsuits are all about function but still filled with stoke.

KASSIA + SURF also makes palo santo-infused surf wax, candles, socks, and partners with other female-owned brands on rashguards, swimsuits and bags with Kassia’s signature accents.

Shop KASSIA + SURF »

 

RAIS CASE by Julie Rais Ellis

Julie Rais Ellis was working as an art teacher when she decided to try to sew her own computer bag. She bought a sewing machine and some fabric, and with no previous training in sewing, got to work. Creating that piece sparked her passion for making “practical goods,” designing items that were functional and beautiful and that solved a big sustainability problem: waste. 

Many of Rais Case’s products are made from upcycled waste, whether that is leftover leather scraps or even plastic bags, like in our Kindhumans x Rais Case Refusion Zipper Pouch bag, which is made from plastic bags recovered from our own operations, keeping our own waste out of the landfill. Rais Case is always on the search for more sustainable materials, even crafting bags from pineapple leaf fibers.

Julie is also a co-founder of The Rising Co co-op retail shop and community space in Oceanside, California, which is a shared home for multiple small brands, complete with a coffee shop, art gallery, and space for community events and workshops. On top of running two companies, Julie is also raising two young children with her husband. Julie’s energy and creativity seems endless and we can’t wait to see what she innovates next. Watch our full Q&A interview with Julie here.

Shop Rais Case »

 

Billet + Blade by Kelly Roley

Kelly Rowley spent her childhood watching her grandfather work in his woodshop making furniture. She loved watching as a block of wood slowly evolved into a piece that would last generations. She went to woodworking school and followed in her grandfather’s footsteps making furniture. 

Today, she works on smaller pieces, but with the same concentration and care. Her brand, Billet + Blade, offers kitchen pieces like bowls, cutting boards and spoons. Every piece that Kelly crafts in her woodshop in Nashville, Tennessee, is made from fallen or trimmed trees and finished with local beeswax.

Kelly once said in an interview that she loved the simplicity of carving wood. “I can sit and carve and have a conversation with my kids,” she says. “Using the same techniques, tools and materials that have been used for hundreds and thousands of years keeps me connected to the past and the world around me. The tradition of heritage craft needs to be preserved and passed on”.

Shop Billet + Blade»

 

Marley’s Monsters by Sarah Dooley

When Sarah Dooley was pregnant with her first baby, Marley, she wanted to make something special for her. She dusted off an old sewing machine that was in her closet and set out to make Marley a little monster, stuffed with old fabric scraps she had collected. 

Sarah was working as an interior designer at the time, but she loved making Marley’s monster so much that she kept her new hobby going, sewing everything Marley needed rather than buying it at the store. A year later, Marley decided to leave her job and pursue her line of sustainable sewn goods full time, and she would call it, of course, Marley’s Monsters.

Today, Marley’s Monsters has grown more than Sarah could have dreamed: she has a storefront in Eugene, Oregon, and a whole team of makers who create the products in-house. Marley’s Monsters carries reusable paper towels, cotton pads, and organic cloth napkins, and have even been able to expand far beyond that into sustainable wood products now that Sarah’s husband has joined her team, bringing along his woodworking skills. Along with her business, Sarah’s family has grown too: they now have another baby named Fox, and she continues to think up new products based on her life raising two kids in harmony with the environment.

Shop Marley’s Monsters »

 

The Foggy Dog by Rose Shattuck

All her life, Rose Shattuck loved two things: dogs and design. So when she got a puppy of her own and couldn’t find a dog bed that fit her aesthetic—not to mention her standards for her beloved pup—she bought some fabric and hired a seamstress to make her the perfect bed.

Rose knew she couldn’t be the only dog owner who’d found themselves looking for beautiful dog products and coming up short, so she left her job as a vice president of merchandising and put her Stanford MBA to work creating The Foggy Dog. 

The name is a nod to Rose’s hometown of San Francisco, which is where all the Foggy Dog’s beds, leashes, toys and other accessories are sewn by family-owned manufacturers. The Foggy Dog’s products are stuffed with 100% recycled fibers and use repurposed fabrics whenever possible. But the best part about them is how cute they are, the perfect product for dog owners who want everything in their house to look good, even the dog bed.

Shop The Foggy Dog »

 

Shop Women's Owned Brands

Rebels of Kindness

"Happy Human Club" Unisex Tee

$42.00

 
Clear
Rebels of Kindness

"Say No To Toxic Vibes" Unisex 100% Organic Cotton Tee

$42.00

 
Clear
Rebels of Kindness

"Trust Your Vision" Women's 100% Organic Cotton Crop Tee

$42.00

 
Clear
Rebels of Kindness

"Trust Your Vision" Unisex 100% Organic Cotton Tee

$42.00

 
Clear

Share this story

More Kind Stories

Share via
Send this to a friend