What problem does Cork Yoga Mats solve?
42 Birds has a collection of sustainable cork yoga mats and accessories that provide alternatives to the chemical-based options that saturate the marketplace.
Tell us about the founder. What is their background?
Addie Conner has a background in digital advertising with roles at some of the industry’s biggest players including Facebook and Twitter. Addie has a passion for health and wellness and has recently shifted her focus to that space entirely. She is a co-founder and CMO of Breathwrk, which offers guided breathing exercises through its app. Cork Yoga Mats
Robyn Shapiro is an experienced leader, marketer, operator, executor, and speaker, devoted to finding solutions for the world’s greatest issues. She has founded two sustainable health and wellness brands with 42 Birds being one of them. In early 2020, she launched TAC Possibilities to provide early response services to the Covid-19 pandemic by supplying vital medical supplies and equipment. Cork Yoga Mats
Both Addie and Robyn are still active advisors in 42 Birds. The company is now owned and managed by Victoria Fortnum Walker and Andrew Fortnum.
How did they come up with the idea?
Addie Conner is an avid skier and was constantly rolling to get rid of aches and pains from the sport. After spending way too much money and time on finding the perfect massage roller, she decided to make her own massage ball and the cork was her material of choice. From there, she and her partner Robyn Shapiro started to learn more about the material, its sustainable attributes and decided to investigate how it would work for yoga mats. Cork Yoga Mats
How can this transform the world or our day-to-day lives?
All of our products are made from cork. Cork is a 0% waste product and the most sustainable type of forestry as trees are never cut down, rather only the bark is peeled back and used. It is a unique natural resource in that the more you use it, the more you help save vulnerable cork forests. The cork forests also contain the third-highest biodiversity in the world and thousands of plants and animal species call it home, including 42 different species of birds – which is actually how we got our name! Cork Yoga Mats
Every product purchased helps support the cork forests and we are a proud member of 1% for the planet, meaning we donate 1% of our proceeds to the organization.
What do customers love most about the product?
Depending on the customer, I would say there are three primary things customers love about our products. Cork Yoga Mats
- All of our products are extremely performance-driven and that doesn’t mean you need to be an expert yogi to use them. They take into consideration what your body needs during practice. For example, all of our mats get grippier the sweatier you get. So if hot yoga is your thing, you can ditch the towel that needs to be placed over your mat. Cork Yoga Mats
- Our brand is built on sustainability and bringing eco-friendly products into the market. Customers are proud to own our products as they do not harm the environment and every purchase supports the 1% for the Planet Foundation. Cork Yoga Mats
- We offer a design-driven approach to all of our products. Especially since working out from home has become a much more common thing, customers really like the fact that they don’t have to hide their equipment once they are done working out. Cork Yoga Mats
Where can people get this product?
All 42 Birds products can be found on our e-commerce website – 42birds.com. Select products can be found on Amazon and through our retail partnerships, including Anthropologie, Free People, Goop, Madewell, and Urban Outfitters. Cork Yoga Mats
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