S'well: Sarah Kauss

How I Built This · 6 Apr 2020 · 1h 06m

What this episode covers

Sarah Kauss, founder of S'well, explains how she launched a $100 million reusable water bottle company in 2010 by combining industrial design with a social mission to eliminate plastic waste. She details her bootstrapped journey, from designing the bottle in PowerPoint and manufacturing 3,000 units in China to securing early retail placements with Crate and Barrel and a breakthrough feature in O, The Oprah Magazine. Kauss also discusses the critical decision to remain 100% owner-controlled, the strategic use of TED conference sponsorships for influencer marketing, and the legal battles against counterfeiters who copied her logo and design.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies: Crate and Barrel, Starbucks, Bloomingdale's, Paragon Sports, Ernst and Young
Products: S'well, O, The Oprah Magazine
Also: TED, UNICEF, MOMA, Harvard Business School

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S'well: Sarah Kauss

What this episode covers

Most relevant to

Topics

Mentioned

Related episodes from other shows

#118 From Bicycle Beginnings to Global Recognitions with Chlorophyll Water Founder, Matt Levine

#004 - How one green company could beat the odds with a magical pencil and double each year, with Michael Stausholm of Sproutworld, Denmark

Looking on the Starryside with co-founders Liz Seelye & Erin Fasano

#147 - Rising Star: Simon Solis-Cohen, Huxley

#065 - How to care about sustainability to get rid of plastic bottles (and still make a profit), with Moritz Waldstein of Mitte, Germany