REBEL GREEN
Ali Florsheim and Melina Marcus, co-founders/principals
Headquarters: Mequon, WI
Founded: 2008
Number of Employees: 8
Newest Product: Tub and Tile Cleaner with essential oils of orange blossom and chamomile (Safer Choice Certified).

Tell us the back story to starting did Rebel Green—was there an “aha” moment? Back in 2008, we were two good friends with an idea for a green business. We started Rebel Green simply as we wanted safer, eco-friendly alternatives for our families and we were not finding much on the market that could meet our needs. We were worried about the ramifications of the ingredients in all these products on our children who all suffer from sensitivities to ingredients in conventional household cleaners as well as the impact on the planet. One of the first products we launched was Fruit and Veggie Clean which looked so great on your kitchen counter you would remember to use it to help remove waxes, dirt, hand oils and pesticides. We wanted to draw attention to what we thought were highly-overlooked products in the natural products industry through cool and innovative design. Our core mission is to enable consumers to make choices in their everyday lives by providing them convenient, innovative earth friendly shopping choices that leave a positive impact on the planet.

How did you meet? Ali and I met through our spouses and then really got to know each other while training for the Danskin Women’s Triathlon series benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. You can learn a lot about someone when you train for a race with them.

What has been brand’s biggest achievement in the past year? Our partnerships! It is our hope that through our partnerships with organizations such as The Climate Collaborative, Trees For The Future (Buy a Bottle, We’ll Plant a Tree), WBENC—Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, The Paradigm Project and B Labs we can continue to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Late last year we became a Certified B Corp. As a small, women-owned business we know we can be leaders in the field of economic and business development as well as in environmental and social policy. By supporting B Corps, people are supporting businesses that are reducing inequality, lowering levels of poverty designing products for a healthier environment and creating high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. It’s up to us to think about our daily choices and vote every day through our purchases. We try to lead by example in our sector and industry by demonstrating that if a small business can make these changes, other companies can too.

What is the heaviest lift for an indie home care brand in today’s marketplace? As a small women-owned business, it can be challenging getting your brand name and your story out to the consumer in a crowded marketplace. We communicate to consumers our company values and ethos and how we compare to our competition through the certifications we choose which we put right on the bottle and package. We want the customer to see at the point of purchase the causes their money is going to support.

What’s to come from Rebel Green in 2020 that has you most excited? In 2020, we are really excited to offer our customers innovative choices when it comes to more sustainable packaging for our USDA Certified Organic Laundry Detergent and our other household cleaners. After all, our rallying cry is “Bad Habits are Disposable, Good Ones are Reusable!”