If you are a new mother or a young mother to a growing, healthy child, your prime concerns will often revolve around the kind of products you choose for your little one be it clothes, things to eat and more. This story and business idea in focus is definitely for you then! Greenkins is an interesting venture that focuses on providing safe yet stylish and eco-friendly products for children.
Read on and see what the founder, Roopali Srivastava has to say,
What line of work are you in? How did the idea of starting Greenkins come about?
Greenkins is an e-commerce venture that promotes safe, stylish and earth-friendly products and brands across categories for children. Greenkins is all about making a sustainable and safe lifestyle accessible to parents.
There has been an increase in asthma, eczema, spots, nappy rash, bugs and other hypersensitivity-related problems in children. As their immune and respiratory systems are underdeveloped, children are more vulnerable to health problems related to harmful chemicals than adults. This is the reason more parents are choosing natural lifestyle alternatives. For instance, organic cotton clothing is gentler on the skin and healthier for babies as pesticides have not been used in the making of the cotton and the fabric has not been subjected to dyes or bleaches or sprayed with formaldehyde to keep them looking bright and fresh. As importantly, the organic cotton supply chain does not contaminate the soil, air and water, and so, by supporting the organic cotton movement, we help protect our children's future by reducing the levels of pollution on our planet. This is true for natural and chemical free products across categories, be it food, toys or art material.
I travelled internationally extensively in the past and over the years, I was often struck by the high quality of products available for children, products that were well designed, functional, attractively packaged and often with educational and fun elements blended nicely together. Once I became a mother, I started veering towards natural products and discovered a world of organic and safe alternatives like clothes in organic cotton, natural non toxic colouring material, wooden toys with water based paints and so on, products which were sustainably produced, healthier for the human health and for the environment, and were also modern and well designed. Such products are usually available in niche stores and boutiques or on some online stores abroad but were either hard to find in India or were un-aesthetic and unappealing from a child’s perspective. Greenkins was born out of the desire to bridge this gap and make such products accessible to parents in India.
What are your long-term business or work plans?
Our vision is for Greenkins to be the largest and the most trusted marketplace for earth friendly, sustainably and ethically made products for children. We plan to do this by constantly adding new brands and products on our platform. We also want to be a one stop resource for information and knowledge on green living through our website, blog, social media and so on.
What challenges do you face as a woman in the workplace?
Before starting Greenkins, I worked for many years in the corporate world. In the initial years, I did not face many challenges as a woman because, I now realise, I was being ‘one of the boys’ – working long hours, going out for a drink with colleagues after work, travelling on a day’s notice and so on. It was only afterwards that one realised how the balance is tilted against women. Making time for family, expecting employers to be flexible, leaving for home on time instead of lingering around working late, are all seen as signs of weakness and are frowned upon. Not obviously but subtly. In fact, I was fortunate to work for an organization that was supportive and understanding, but the undercurrents from the male colleagues were always there!
I think workplaces are still not inclusive and do not fully appreciate the benefits, not just for the women but for the organization itself and, of being more family-friendly and flexible. It is a low hanging fruit that will bring talented women to the workforce in hordes which can only benefit the organizations. With the technology evolving as it has, this is not difficult. The bigger challenge is tackling mindsets and pre-conceived notions!
What does it take to be a successful woman entrepreneur?
Don’t give up! You will feel out of control, you will run out of cash and your head will tell you it’s not worth it. But just keep going.
And dream big! Women often tend to be full of self doubt about their own capabilities and are almost hesitant to dream big which is self defeating.
Learn from your own experiences to create an organization that is women friendly in every sense of the word. Whether making hires or farming out work, get more women involved in your enterprise.
Finally, don’t become brash and arrogant. Retain a sense of gratitude and humility.
How did your past professional experience help you get to where you are today?
Following my post graduation from NIFT, Delhi, I had a career in fashion and lifestyle retail in and outside India. My last two assignments were with the British retailer, Marks and Spencer, first as General Manager heading their franchise business in India and, subsequently, with Marks and Spencer Reliance India Pvt. Ltd. where I spearheaded the design and development of M&S’ first sustainable stores outside the UK which were awarded LEED Platinum and Gold certifications. Marks and Spencer has a sustainability initiative called Plan A that I have always admired hugely. So yes, I would say, exposure to retailers like M&S, The Body Shop etc was the starting point of the interest in sustainability, ethical sourcing and environment in addition to my own experiences as a parent.