The Red Sox aren’t the only team celebrating in Beantown.
Boston’s Beantown Bedding®, the female-founded startup that introduced compostable sheets, is proud to announce national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the CWE, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
For co-founders, Joan Ripple and Kirsten Lambert, being “woman-owned” is more than a box to check on a supplier diversity profile. “It’s who we are”, explains Ripple. In fact, at the moment the entire Beantown team is female. Ripple and Lambert were named 17 Women to Watch in 2017 by Women & Wealth Magazine and frequently support female entrepreneurs in the Boston community and startup ecosystem. “We’ve been the beneficiaries of mentoring and encouragement from countless women along our journey, so it’s a joy to be able to help others”, adds Ripple. The founders stressed the value of sharing their ups and downs with other women in business through informal networks, such as one group aptly named SheEO’s.
Lambert was recently a part of the Wahine Forum, held in Honolulu, where wahine (“women” in Hawaiian) were celebrated and challenged to have a stronger voice in boardrooms, classrooms and conference rooms. “The WBENC certification not only helps the woman-owned businesses, but their customers who commit to diversity on a much broader scale. That’s how we make a real impact”, shared Lambert. In the Boston area, Ripple and Lambert have been guest speakers at events focusing on women and entrepreneurship through organizations such as Babson’s CWEL (Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership), MassChallenge, and Magic 106.7’s Exceptional Women Entrepreneurs.
WBENC’s national standard of certification implemented by the CWE is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.
By including women-owned businesses among their suppliers, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier diversity programs.
To learn more about Beantown Bedding®, please visit www.BeantownBedding.com
Beantown Bedding®, the innovative creation of two Boston female entrepreneurs, is helping the world live laundry-free. Its compostable sheets are disrupting the status quo of laundering, offering an easy and eco-friendly alternative. Originally designed as a time-saver for college students, the solution has now helped hospitality, healthcare and emergency management organizations enjoy the operational and environmental benefits of going laundry-free. Beantown Bedding® developed soft sheets, made with TENCEL™ from plants, that can be used for days or weeks, and discarded or composted instead of laundering. The savings of time, water and energy appeals to consumers and businesses alike.
About WBENC:
Founded in 1997, WBENC is the nation’s leader in women’s business development and the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with more than 13,000 certified Women’s Business Enterprises, 14 national Regional Partner Organizations, and over 300 Corporate Members. More than 1,000 corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands as well as many states, cities, and other entities accept WBENC Certification. For more information, visit www.wbenc.org .
