Episode 646 is an interview with three young entrepreneurs. Thom met the founders of Hempress Hygienics when he was the Master of Ceremonies for the 2021 San Diego Angel Conference. While this company did not win the cash prize in the angel funding competition, they are huge winners in the world of launching a start up. These women are onto something and everyone should hear their story. Marilyn Austin, Halli Briscoe, and McKenna Avery are smart, determined, and doing work they love. 

This interview is the first time Thom has talked about feminine hygiene products (including tampons, pads, and liners) on this podcast. This company makes their products from Hemp, so they are 100% biodegradable. This company is "making waves" and changing an entire industry.  

About Hempress Hygienics 

Hempress Hygienics is an innovative feminine hygiene brand with the mission to provide products that are good for women's bodies AND the environment, and we do this through utilizing the power of hemp fiber. Our 100% hemp tampons, pads, and liners, are 100% biodegradable, chemical free, and plastic free. Hemp is also naturally antimicrobial which reduces the risk of infection and has 1/4th the carbon footprint of its main competitor cotton. We plan to launch in Q4 of 2021, and a portion of our profits go to women friendly charities focused on providing women access to healthcare, education, and products worldwide.

About the Hempress Hygienics Founders

Marilyn Austin is the CEO and is focused on the finances and marketing for Hempress. Marilyn is from San Diego, California and attended Oregon State University, where she and her co-founder Halli started Hempress. She graduated in 2019 with a double major in Economics and Business and went on to work in finance at TD Ameritrade and now Bank of America. Marilyn has her series 7 and 66 licenses and is pending CFP certification. She is passionate about social entrepreneurship and is an outspoken advocate for sustainability and women's rights and advancement worldwide.

Halli Briscoe is President and her roles are focused on operations and legal. Halli is from Dallas, Texas and attended Oregon State University where she competed as a D1 All-American gymnast. Halli graduated in 2019 with her Honors degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, and went on to earn her MBA in Organizational Leadership from OSU and graduated in 2020. She has served at Meritize under the strategy and growth department where she was in charge of writing industry theses and presenting competitor case studies to the CEO of the company as an advisor. Halli also worked at a nonprofit care center in Ghana, Africa for previously trafficked children which further developed her passion for philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. Halli now works as a middle school science teacher and plans to go full-time with Hempress once her teaching contract ends.

McKenna Avery is Vice President and is responsible for Hempress's product development and sustainability. McKenna is from Redlands, California and attended San Diego State University where she graduated with a degree in Sustainability. McKenna was a former chair of her campus’s Sustainability Commission, a member of the University’s Senate Sustainability, and is a contracted sustainability consultant in Southern California working with a variety of businesses and cities. She also worked internationally to develop sustainable waste management systems in Cambodia. McKenna is extremely passionate about sustainability, women's health, and philanthropy overall. 

https://thomsinger.com/hempress-hygienics 

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