The “green revolution” has taken hold of Silicon Valley in a large, high-tech way. From Google’s new renewable energy initiative to Adobe Systems’ green buildings in San Jose, green is this year’s black.
How, in a world of large corporations with high-tech gadgets, do two Woodside mothers with a low-tech idea fit in?
According to the women in question — Kerri Stenson and Stephanie Ashworth — quite easily, thank you very much.
Both former professionals, Ms. Stenson and Ms. Ashworth are full-time mothers with five children between them and a shared interest in all things stylish and sustainable.
While watching their children play over the years, they would discuss how to protect the world for their children’s future, they recall. In 2006, their discussions took a turn, and Olive Smart was born.
The name is meant to suggest the phrase “all live smart,” and the enterprise, which will specialize in “green” consumer products, is dedicated to leading people to a more sustainable existence, the co-founders say. And they add a bit of chic and a dash of style to make the medicine go down.
“We are committed to creating quality products that encourage a more environmentally conscientious lifestyle, but we also want them to be stylish and fun,” says Ms. Ashworth. “We can make changing behavior easier by making it more fun.”
Their first product, the Olive Smart Sack, was born out of the “paper or plastic” debate that is back in the news after San Francisco’s ban of plastic shopping bags took full effect last November. The sack holds six nylon shopping bags, and fits snuggly into a car’s cup holder, a handbag or a briefcase.
It can be extraordinarily difficult to change people’s behavior, but the goal of the Olive Smart Sack, the two women say, is to address one of the last-standing barriers to change: inconvenience.
“How often do you get to the check-out stand, and your canvas bags are in the trunk of your car?” asks Ms. Stenson. “Canvas bags are bulky and hard to remember; we wanted to create reusable bags that are strong, durable and stylish that could easily be kept in the front of the car.”
The Olive Smart Sack is currently being marketed only locally, but Ms. Stenson sees that more as an asset than a liability.
“People have a heightened awareness in the Bay Area for healthier, more conscientious living,” she says. “San Francisco has banned plastic bags, and now other cities are following suit. We live on the cutting edge, and people here are willing to embrace new ideas.”
No matter what the location, starting a small business is challenging, and these two entrepreneurs are tackling most of it themselves.
“The key thing is planning,” says Ms. Stenson, “having your ducks in a row, and being sure of your vision. We knew plastic bags were a problem that could be easily addressed. We researched the market and our competitors and found our place to break in.”
They say they are committed to maintaining a balance between working and being moms, and they bring their environmental values to both. Ms. Ashworth makes deliveries in her hybrid, Ms. Stenson is remodeling her house to make it green, Olive Smart Sacks are shipped without extra packaging, and they have a paperless office.
As participants in the “green revolution,” Ms. Stenson and Ms. Ashworth say they are satisfied tackling the issue of personal consumption and behavior, and leaving the huge, sweeping changes to large corporations.
“It is a long-range goal,” says Ms. Ashworth, “but my vision is that someday my kids will look at me with the same disbelief we ascribe to smoking and say, ‘I can’t believe you ever used plastic bags.'”
INFORMATION
Olive Smart Sacks are sold at Bianchini’s in Portola Valley, Roberts in Woodside, and Kepler’s bookstore and Draeger’s in Menlo Park. They are also sold online at www.olivesmart.com for $39 for a sack containing six reusable bags.
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