“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made,” said the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg - and we couldn’t agree more. This International Women’s Day (8th of March) the theme is #BREAKTHEBIAS, and we’ve interviewed female leaders in the sustainable space who are doing exactly that through their business:

Charlotte Morley - The Little Loop

Founded in 2019, online rental marketplace The Little Loop’s mission is clear: save money, save time, save the planet. Its subscription enables parents to rent clothes for their kids and swap them for another size or style when they’re too small. Charlotte says the change she’d most like to see is around flexible working and presentism. The mindset of measuring output over hours is how she runs her own company. “I want to employ people flexibly, particularly parents, if I can,” she says.

Susan Allen Augustin and Tara Chandra - Flo

Flo is a sustainable, organic brand of period products. All packaging is biodegradable or recyclable and 5% of profits go to girls and women in need. Flo also donates products each month to fight period poverty. Flo has quickly become an international company, sold in supermarkets and pharmacies in the UK, France, Netherlands, South Africa and parts of the States. As they grow, the founders are determined to keep doing the right thing, both on recruitment and retention. . “One thing I’m proud to be a part of is thinking really consciously about diversity,” says co-founder Tara Chandra. “We’re constantly asking ourselves: How does our applicant pool look? Do we need to reach out more? You sometimes need to work harder to get a more equitable, diverse applicant pool.

Sophie Slater - Birdsong

This sustainable and ethical fashion brand was launched in 2014 by Sophie Slater. From refugees to adults with learning disabilities, Birdsong employs people from all walks of life to make, embroider, package and market its products. Feminism pulses through every decision she and her business partner make, from materials to models. As a certified London Living Wage Employer, Birdsong is further set apart from other retail brands. “With retail, you’re often made to feel replaceable. People are scared of losing their jobs if they stick up for themselves,” she says. “Retail workers deserve to be paid properly and need decent union representation.”

Marie Cudennec – Goldfinger

Marie launched Goldfinger in 2018 to turn the tide on throwaway culture by rescuing sustainable materials and turning them into high-quality furniture and homeware. The London-based team also offers local residents facing financial hardship training and apprenticeships in sustainable woodworking. Prioritising diversity at all costs, Marie said: “We have a perfect split: four women and four men, plus volunteers. Coming from the luxury beauty industry where it’s 90% women, 10% men, who are always the most senior, I was aware of not making it too female-led.”

Natalie Campbell – Belu

Founded in 2002, Belu provides sustainably sourced and bottled British water and filtration systems to the hospitality industry. It gives 100% of its profits to the charity WaterAid and hires people based on attitude, not aptitude. After running a retail clothing franchise during her university degree, After an impressive career including working on Government entrepreneurship policies, Natalie started A Very Good Company in 2010 and joined Belu as CEO in 2020. “As individuals, we need to start talking about money,” says Natalie. “Do not compromise on what you should be getting paid. Stop thinking about time and start thinking about the value you’re bringing to a business.”

Genia Mineeva - BEEN London

Working with an East London bagmaker, Genia Mineeva creates and sells purses, laptop cases and handbags made from recycled leather, repurposed and processed from off-cuts and trimmings. Zips are made from recycled plastic bottles. Other materials include repurposed cotton, felt and extracted pineapple leaf fibres. BEEN is a Living Wage Employer run by an all-female team, representative of the ripple effect of investing in female founders: believe in one woman, support many more. “I wanted to turn something that people considered waste into something so beautiful, so practical, that it would seamlessly go into people’s lives,” says founder Genia Mineeva. BEEN is that conversation, that product, funded through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

Godie van de Paal - Kingdom of Wow!

Kingdom of Wow is an ethical slipper business founded by Godie van de Paal – it provides free lunches, daycare, insurance, fair wages, and a safe working environment for Khmer women in Cambodia. Godie is acutely aware of how to look after her workers but refuses to compromise her morals when creating certain policies - “We are very flexible and offer daycare, but not permanently. I’m not going to facilitate these existing structures where the woman has to do everything. She can’t be the only one earning an income and also take sole responsibility for daycare.”

Kate Tilbury – Rowdy Kind

In 2020, Kate Tilbury launched Rowdy Kind, a plastic-free zero-waste business selling shampoo and soap bars for children. At the moment, it’s just her and her sister-in-law Anne Marie Wright running the business. But as it grows, she plans to put policies in place to support employees who are parents and to always lead by example. Kate is also an advocate of referring to ‘parental leave’ not ‘maternity’ or ‘paternity’ leave and changing the culture around men requesting part-time work. “If men felt they could apply for part-time work and that request was valued, that would free women up and level the whole playing field.”

Elinor Pitt - Stitched

Stitched brings together Elinor Pitt’s two passions: technology and interior design. With Stitched, 3D and Augmented Reality technology enables customers to build and visualise their product before it’s made. More than 50% of fabrics are made in the UK and all of them are eco-friendly, made from natural and recycled fibres. In the UK, just 16% of technology professionals are women. Beyond encouraging girls and women to pursue careers in technology, Elinor would also like lecturers and mentors broaden the scope of their career advice.

Maame Opoku - MamaSia

Established in 2012, MamaSia is a natural beauty brand that brings Ghanian ingredients and products, such as shea butter, to Britain. “I started the business to help the community back home but also to express the skills and knowledge I’d acquired in my childhood,” says Maame. Skills and knowledge are what she focuses on when bringing people into her business, made up of more than forty Ghanian women. “I feel that we should not be intimidated by one gender or the other shining at the gift they want to express,” she says.

Strong leaders breaking down barriers in order to bring sustainable businesses to the forefront, as well as providing opportunities for women to create better lives for themselves. We’re feeling inspired… hope you are too.

Edited by Emily Weedon