Pingree Detroit, a Small Business, Laser Focused on the Sustainable Well Being of All Living Things
SBN Detroit spoke with Jarret Alan Schlaff, Pingree Detroit & Pingree Mfg L3C co-founder and CEO. Since 2007, Schlaff has launched four separate nonprofit projects and organizations currently making an impact in the youth mentorship, environmental justice, and food access arenas across Metro Detroit. He has 10 years of experience in management and personal, professional, and organizational development. Schlaff was named a Global Leadership Fellow by the Hesselbein Leadership Institute in 2010, Campus 2 Congress Fellow with the Bard Center for Environmental Policy in 2012, was one of 90 leaders selected from across the U.S. as a 2015 Young American Leadership Fellow with Harvard Business School, named an Emerging Leader by the Detroit Regional Chamber in 2015, was a finalist at the 2016 Detroit Regional Chamber Entrepreneurship Pitch Detroit competition, and was named a WXYZ-TV 20/20 Detroit Person of the week in November 2017. Pingree Detroit was awarded the Social Impact award for Sustainability and Standards by Gingras Global in 2018 and 2019. Schlaff shares with us here Pingree’s sustainability mission and practices. Q: What is Pingree Detroit? A: Pingree Detroit, founded in 2015, is a worker-owned (there are nine of us), triple bottom line design and manufacturing cooperative that hand-makes footwear and home, pet, and fashion accessories in Detroit with leather, seat belts, airbags, and other materials upcycled from the auto industry. Our purpose is to bring forth solutions for footwear, accessories, and goods that maximize the well-being of our customers, team, community, and our environment. To accelerate the global shift towards a restorative, equitable, just economy, we move every day to create resilient products that are not derived from fossil fuels or that are carbon negative. All our processes are non-toxic. We upcycle leather and other materials otherwise destined for the landfill. The majority of our equipment and materials are sourced from the USA. All shipping materials we use are 100% recycled and compostable. Q: Please share what work is being done at Pingree toward sustainability. A: We are looking to reimagine what the future looks like in terms of maximizing the well-being really of all living things and to us, that includes seven generations from now. We pay a living wage to our makers, use quality materials otherwise destined for the landfill, and are working hard to eliminate all harmful chemicals and climate change-causing emissions from the entire life-cycle of our production and distribution processes. “ We look at the entire ecosystem input through output and beyond, asking ourselves, where does this material come from, what does it take to make this piece of steel that’s going into one of our bags, etc. By 2025 we are committed to Designing products so that we can source the majority of materials from the Great Lakes Region, have zero carbon emissions, and offer military-grade, fossil-free plant-based alternatives to leather and plastic. In short form, we’ve set the following goals to reach by 2025: Waste-free Toxic free Carbon negative Offer products made from plant-based alternatives to leather and plastic Source majority of materials from the Great Lakes Region Q: How will you reach these goals? A: Looking at the breakdown of these commitments we know it’s ambitious for our small team of nine. Conversely, being a small team allows us to be nimble. We can test out small runs of plant-based materials for our pet collars, etc. Sourcing materials from mainly the great lakes region is really difficult. For example, there are only a few companies that make zippers and Velcro. But we also see that as an opportunity to support Midwest businesses. We also urge our suppliers to push the curve for standards of measuring and offsetting. We’ve partnered with the auto industry to use reclaimed and underutilized materials from their production process. Now, with 3-D printing and 3-D knitting, we are hoping to be able to bring production and supply channels closer to home. When it comes to our carbon-neutral goals, we work to offset the footprint with renewable energy at our workshops. We participate in tree planting and reforesting efforts. Every product bought is offset in production and shipping. Q: What drives your passion? A: Humanity’s current addiction to growth-at-all-costs economic system is threatening our collective home and leaves too many people behind. We are called to do something about it. I truly believe that anything is possible, and I’m committed to being a part of bringing forth ideas whose time has come. I’m motivated and driven by the idea of a future that works for all. Q: What are your biggest challenges? A: Trying to equally balance profit with maximizing well-being and our multiple layers of commitment. We are small and we are self-funded so finances are always an issue. We literally started with $15,000 of my own money seven years ago. Sustainable materials can cost up to seven times the amount of materials made from plastics. Q: From your perspective, what is the role of businesses in Detroit in terms of sustainability overall for the city? A: There is amazing work happening where folks are prioritizing sustainable alternatives. I think businesses have a role to lead by example and offer alternatives for people to participate in. I think recognizing the people behind the products is important. Understanding how it’s made, why it’s made, and where it’s made gives people more of a context for the things they purchase. We also share the name of the maker of every product. From our $9.99 pet leash to our $21 coasters to our $330 leather sneakers that took 2.5 days for a person to single-handedly put together … connecting with the maker changes the way people think and use our products. Q: What businesses and partners can you point to that are doing it well? A: Detroit Denim, Rebel Nell, ISAIC (Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center), and Carhartt. Also, one example of a partner we are working with is AutoLiv seatbelts – they are diverting waste and offering sustainable alternatives. 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Tracy Reese Returns to Detroit to Train Local Craftsmen and Produce For a Global Sustainable Footprint
SBN Detroit spoke with Tracy Reese, an American fashion designer who has been featured in fashion publications that include Vogue, Elle, Glamour, InStyle, and O, The Oprah Magazine; and whose creations have been worn by Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Taylor Swift. In 2018, after 30 years in the industry, Reese moved back to her hometown of Detroit and in 2019 launched Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese. The collection is designed and produced following three guiding principles of sustainability: the health of people, the planet, and equity in profit. Reese serves on the board of directors of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), where she has been a member since 1990. Reese also serves on the board of trustees of Nest Artisan Guild and the advisory council of the College for Creative Studies Fashion Accessories Design Program. She is also part of Turnaround Arts, a Kennedy Center program that transforms schools through the strategic use of arts. She recently served as board president of ISAIC, the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center. She is working to build an artisan studio in Detroit creating economic opportunities for women in underserved communities. Q: Please share how Hope for Flowers and the sustainability aspect came about.A: In 2017, I had three labels and had been working in the industry for more than 30 years with my own brand, functioning as a typical manufacturing wholesaler. All of my production was overseas, and I sourced fabrics from all over the world. I started learning more about sustainability, and around that time, the CFDA + Lexus Fashion* Initiative that focuses on sustainability launched. I missed the deadline to apply in 2017 and was determined to apply the following year, so I did, and I was selected. It was an eye-opener. It was nine months of learning about everything from textiles to carbon footprint to human rights issues within the supply chain to waste in pattern making and more. At the end of the program, we were required to present a blueprint to be judged, and then to follow through with the blueprint. During this time, I started feeling a pull back toward Detroit and bought a house. I was trying to determine how I could be back in the city more. As I created this blueprint, I realized that Detroit was the perfect place to launch a brand. I started changing my perspective on how I was working. Running parallel to this was an impending departure of ways with my partners. There were things we didn’t see eye to eye on that were nonnegotiables for me. They wanted to go for volume, and I wanted to do something smaller and more meaningful and work on giving back to the community. So, I took the blueprint and headed to Detroit. Part of my blueprint included localized production, so training Detroiters to be part of this industry in a meaningful way was a natural next step. I set up a business model with a social and sustainability-focused mission. I worked with Shayla Johnson from Scarlet Crane Creations and interns from Cass Tech, my alma mater. We manufactured in Flint. This set the groundwork for Hope for Flowers. Q: Do you have a set of short-term and longer-term goals you are working toward as you grow Hope for Flowers? A: My short-term goal was and is to address the low-hanging fruit – textiles. Every product we work with falls into the mild zone. We are using bast fibers like linen – a crop that doesn’t require lots of water and doesn’t deplete the earth of nutrients. We also use organic cotton and responsibly forested wood byproduct fibers like Tencel and are experimenting with recycled wool and other fabrics. The idea is to create garments that stand the test of time yet biodegrade over the long haul. We look at biodegradable materials for buttons like natural shells or wood and try to use natural things found on the planet versus man-made We also try to design clothes that are flexible, meaning two different sizes can wear the same garment. This reduces overproduction My long-term goal is to produce in Detroit. To that end, we are training and working with local craftspeople and sewers to develop them to a stage of mastery that’s competitive with what we can import. We are launching an apprenticeship program, and our goal is to start running small-batch production in-house. Q: What impact do you think Hope for Flowers and the vendors and partners you work with are having? A: Each one of us is proving it’s possible, and I think that makes an impression on anyone considering taking steps toward sustainability. When those in doubt see a successful business model that’s working and financially viable, that’s impactful. The more people who choose to work this way, the easier and less expensive it becomes, and we can speak collectively. We need everybody to get on board, so it’s about setting aside the competitive mindset and working as a unified industry. Q: What drives your passion when it comes to the brand and its deep commitment to sustainability? A: I don’t see that it’s a choice really – it’s a necessity. We need to work in a way that’s less harmful to the planet and people. It’s also about holding ourselves to a higher standard, accepting the challenge and being energized by it. The idea of trying to solve this is exciting and I want to be up for the challenge, continue to learn, and continue to grow. Q: From your perspective – what is the role of businesses in Detroit in terms of sustainability? A: Each business has its own role to play. Getting started doesn’t have to be complicated. There are simple internal things that – when built into the company philosophy – begin to embed new habits and practices in the employees. We started composting a few months ago, and we are all working on developing new habits. Understanding
