Stacy Grace, Co-Founder & CEO of Kent (Interview 31/100)

Stacy Grace is the Co-Founder & CEO of Kent which is an underwear and basics brand made of 100% non-synthetic organic cotton. They also have one of my all-time favorite slogans: “plant your pants.” I’ll start with her entrepreneurial pathway that involves a pivot from pricy organic silk to synthetic free cotton basics. She talks about how she knew in her gut basic cotton underwear was more her than the fancier silk version. Next, how “your daily choice can make a daily impact” leads to intentional consumerism. Underwear and daily basics are so much more than just the foundation of what we wear. They’re so much more. This brings us back to the afterlife of underwear. I’ve been writing a lot recently with analogies of cleaning and closets, so the natural thought evolution for me here is the concept of “out of sight = out of mind.” It’s rather harmless when it’s moving clutter into a closet when you have company over, but it gains impact when thinking about how everything we own, touch, and use was created in some way and will continue to live on in some form or another. The universal concept of the circle of life makes a great children’s earworm of a song in the Lion King and brings up images of seeds being planted, growing, and then dying and turning back to soil at turbo speed in my mind during a calming yoga session. But then when we apply that same concept to things thrown away, into a trash truck (I’m picturing that scene in Toy Story…) to the landfill, where it piles up high, emits noxious gasses that contribute to climate change or plastic pieces that continue to degrade until they’re so small that they then invade every crevice of our bodies without serving a helpful purpose like their nutrient neighbors. 

…Or worse, but let’s put a pin in that because Stacy also echoes what so many of the other sustainable brand leaders that came before her have also reminded me: people know that there’s a lot that is harmful to our planet. There’s no need to keep hitting them over the head with it. Instead, I vote that we continue to celebrate folks like Stacy who are using their business savvyness to solve really big problems gently guiding folks into making decisions with a positive impact by pulling them in with something that is good enough that they’ll want to buy them in bulk like the surprising customer base full of men wearing Kent. Whether it’s the consciousness about the impact on male fertility, the eco-friendly manufacturing, the simple breathability & comfort, or just that they’ve been purchased and placed in their drawer to be put on, the reason doesn’t really matter as long as the end result is more people choosing a better for the environment product. 

Keep an eye out for what Stacy (and Jeff!) tackle in the future. It might be the app she talks about that’s a clear break from their current physical goods focus. It might be the 100% natural shoe that she joked about (although, I honestly wouldn't put it past her to figure that out at some point and bring it into the rotation…). Even if it’s just sharing more about what she learns about growing companies with a positive impact led by a strong team of employees that are channeling their entrepreneurial spirit & passion into new solutions, I think we could all learn a lot from her. And for that, I’m incredibly thankful that she took the time to tell us about her experiences. 

Shout out to: 

• Amy Welsman, Founder of Paume, for being another woman killing it in the game of high quality sustainably manufactured goods 

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