Emma Rose Cohen is the CEO and founder of Final, the company that created FinalStraw—the world’s first reusable, collapsible straw that raised nearly $2 million on Kickstarter. Prior to launching Final, Emma earned a Master’s Degree from Harvard in Environmental Management and Sustainability and spent four years working in waste minimization at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In the last decade, Emma’s passion for sustainability motivated her to help create a nonprofit called Save the Mermaids, to educate children about the harmful effects of single-use plastics. Emma has also spoken about the harmful effects plastic straws have on the environment on the TEDx stage and in numerous podcasts.
Show Notes
- How using Red Solo Cups gave Emma the idea for FinalStraw
- A beach cleanup dressed as mermaids with friends that revealed that sustainability doesn’t have to be “crunchy”
- How posting silly environmental memes led to a quick social media growth
- “When you’re an entrepreneur, you have to be passionate because it means late nights and long hours.”
- The grassroots marketing campaigns that led FinalStraw to explode with sales and popularity
- “I am not Final–the team is Final.”
- Emma’s appreciation for Final’s customers and community
- The importance of having a solid brand voice