In honor of International Women’s Day, the Springer team spoke to six female founders — including Springer’s own founders Shannon and Diana Ross — about beginnings, innovation, and other female founders they admire. Read on for their inspiring stories and to discover the thoughtful companies they’ve built!
Ella Lim, Verloop Knits founder
How was Verloop Knits born?
Verloop started as a small project to creatively repurpose leftover, deadstock yarn that had accumulated over the years at my family's knitting factory in the Philippines. With every collection, Verloop reimagines this "waste" yarn and transforms it into brightly colored accessories, home decor, and most recently, dog sweaters, which we just launched this year!
What do you hope your business is bringing to the knitwear space?
I hope Verloop shows how resourcefulness and making use of existing materials can spark creativity and ultimately yield better, more interesting designs.
Who’s another female founder you admire?
I admire female founders who forge a genuine sense of belonging and community through their companies. Some names that come to mind are Armi Ratia of Marimekko and Melanie Perkins of Canva. I hope everyone who interacts with Verloop, from our customers and vendors to employees and creative collaborators, feels a connection to our playful brand and mission. And that in some small way, Verloop gives them good feelings and helps enrich their lives.
Christina Tung, SVNR Jewelry founder
How was SVNR born?
I had been repurposing some of my old jewelry, like a broken necklace and a few things I didn’t wear anymore, and made a few different earrings that I gifted my friend. She posted a photo on Instagram and started getting DMs from people in the industry. I decided to pursue it from there by emailing editors. Vogue wrote me back immediately and asked for the exclusive! It was great to receive the attention, but even if no one had been interested, I’d still be tinkering around with vintage beads.
What do you hope your business is bringing to the jewelry space?
I strive to be mindful with what I’m creating, particularly in regards to waste. Overproduction and overconsumption are byproducts of the industry we’ve built, so I’d love to work towards breaking that down, closing the loop, and opening up different perspectives around purchasing.
Who's another female founder you admire?
There are so many! First and foremost is my mom. She moved to this country as a teenager and built herself from the ground up, starting multiple dental practices in the ‘80s, while being a mom of two. She instilled an innate sense of confidence in me that I could achieve anything if I worked hard and set my mind to it.
Hannah Zismnan, Bathen founder
How was Bathen born?
Emily and I launched Bathen in 2019 after noticing a gap in the market for non-boring bathrobes. There were so many solid colors and terry cloth robes, but not a lot of handwoven, colorful styles that were also ethically made. We set off on an inspo trip to visit our co-founder, Elisiana Diaz-Martin, in Panajachel, Guatemala, where she was working with Maya Traditions (a fair-trade social enterprise) to connect indigenous backstrap weavers to the global market. She spent a couple of years there helping to connect traditional women weavers with large-scale partners and saw the massive impact it could have on these individuals and their communities. We were also inspired by the country's colors and techniques, which greatly influenced our designs. To this day, we continue to make our handwoven bags in Panajachel, Guatemala, while our robes and hair wraps are made with an ethical enterprise in Jaipur, India.
What do you hope your business is bringing to the after-bath space?
We want our business to bring fun, style, and comfort to the after-bath space. We also want to ensure we are inclusive, which is why we designed our robes in a gender-neutral style that can fit up to a US size 16.
Who's another female founder you admire?
Charlotte Palermino of Dieux Skin. She is so passionate about the skincare industry, is constantly researching new ingredients and trends, and is super engaging to watch on TikTok. Plus, her products are SO good and reasonably priced!
Kiran Jade, Wolven founder
How was Wolven born?
While in my 200 hour yoga teacher training program, I noticed how boring, generic, and unsustainable the yoga and athleisure market was. I spent my summers traveling to Pakistan, where I fell in love with geometric, colorful patterns and textiles, but also witnessed the unethical conditions and waste within the fashion industry. I set out on a mission to bring the vibrant designs of the east to the west while honoring our planet.
What do you hope your business is bringing to the athleisure space?
What Wolven is bringing to the athleisure space is a brand that is extremely mindful of its impact on the planet. All of our clothes are made from recycled water bottles, so for every order we remove one pound of plastic from the ocean. We also strive to create a vibrant, diverse community while celebrating people’s differences.
Who’s another female founder you admire?
I deeply admire Nadya Okamoto who is the founder of August and non-profit Period Inc. She is a powerful force working to dilute the stigma around periods, making them a dignified experience and also working to end period poverty.
Shannon Ross, co-founder of Springer
How was Springer born?
On a long road trip! We quickly realized the challenges of keeping our family dog hydrated along the way. Outside of water bottles and bulky dog bowls, it seemed like there weren’t a lot of options. So we created a travel bottle that blended the best of the two. Part dog water bottle, part dog bowl, none of the messy spills or overflow. We started thinking about dog parents and how a lot of us love our dogs and good design equally.
People want their pet gear to be as cool and attractive as their own. We spent hours scouring the web for well-made pet gear that looked good. And no brand was really fitting those needs. So we saw a gap to create Springer and a range of products that were beautiful, smart and functional. Because we’re the ones who have to look at it!
What do you hope Springer is bringing to the pet gear and pet owner space?
My vision is for Springer to create more moments of joy between all beings. By designing gear that is functional and truly solves everyday problems, my hope is to make it easier to spend more time with your pup.
Who's another female founder you admire?
Ty Haney, founder of Outdoor Voices, Joggy, and TYB. True innovation is hard to come by. I admire the way she has continued to push the envelope and be original.
Diana Ross, co-founder of Springer
What do you hope Springer is bringing to the pet gear and pet owner space?
I hope Springer is bringing beautiful, functional and original products that make any pet owner's life better. We strive to create products that make a pet owner say "This is genius! Why didn't I think of that?" but at the same time we want our products to look great and have the best quality.
Who's another female founder you admire?
Sherry Huber, who founded Treat Planet. Sherry was one of the first women I met in the pet industry. Immediately Sherry was helpful, full of advice and information in an incredibly generous way. She is successful, gracious, kind and smart.
Who’s a female founder that inspires you? Let us know on Instagram & tag us @springerpets!