BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 29-year-old co-founders of Susty Party, a women-owned, Brooklyn-based, sustainable, party tableware business, landed a spot on the 2014 Forbes "30 Under 30” list.
Forbes released its third annual 30 Under 30 on Monday morning, which awards 30 top mover-and-shakers under the age of 30 in 15 different fields. Co-founders of Susty Party, Emily Doubilet and Jessica Holsey, were named among the top young innovators and entrepreneurs in the Food & Wine field. Forbes collaborated with expert judges Lee Schrager, Danny Meyer, and Alice Waters to determine their unique list of today’s disruptors and tomorrow’s brightest stars in Food & Wine.
Susty Party makes the only sustainable, disposable party tableware that’s also compostable, renewable, colorful, and manufactured through a partnership with Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Susty Party’s plates, striped paper straws, and cups are available in Whole Foods Markets nationwide, in Wegmans stores, and other natural products retailers.
"This is the time to be young and ambitious,” writes Forbes. “Never before has youth been such an advantage.”
“I started Susty Party because I’m an environmentalist who loves a great party,” said Emily Doubilet, Susty Party co-founder. “However, the party and event industry is a huge contributor to waste in the US. Every year, hundreds of billions of disposable tableware items are discarded. As an Environmental Studies grad from Oberlin College, and as a dancer, musician and entertainer, I’ve always felt: in order to change the world, throw a better party!”
Jessica Holsey, Susty Party co-founder, added, “I was looking to leave my Wall Street job, and put my Harvard economics degree to use creating a business that was good for people and the planet. We wanted to make sustainability into a celebration. So, Susty Party was born. We’re thrilled to be honored by Forbes.”
In the fall of 2013, Doubilet and Holsey were awarded the Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneur Grant by the Hitachi Foundation for their innovative approach to environmental sustainability and commitment to creating jobs for the visually impaired. Later this month, they are launching a new line of products debuting at Whole Foods Markets, including cocktail straws, recycled cocktail napkins, printed wooden cutlery, and the world's first bioplastic tablecloth.
Susty Party is one of the youngest female-owned certified B Corporations, which requires rigorous, independent standards of social and environmental performance. The company maintains a strong partnership with UNFI (a leading North American natural products distributor). Susty Party has also been featured in major media outlets such as Martha Stewart, GQ, and Real Simple.
Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Food & Wine was reported as the most competitive field, boasting more contestants than the other categories. In addition to Doubilet and Holsey, other Food & Wine honorees include: fellow Brooklyn-based entrepreneurs Erica Shea and Stephen Valand (co-founders of the Brooklyn Brew Shop) and Elizabeth Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz (co-founders of The Gefilteria), Meg Gill (youngest female brewery owner), Borahm Cho (co-founder of Kitchensurfing), Leslie Pariseau (deputy editor of PUNCH), and more. Check out the full 30 Under 30 report on Forbes.
Susty Party products make parties more sustainable, and sustainability a bit more fun! Susty Party’s eco-friendly, highly functional, mix-and-match tableware is compostable yet colorful, party-ready, and responsibly made in partnership with non-profit factories who employ and empower the visually impaired community. Respect Earth & Party On!
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