Ecovention

My company, Ecovention, designs, licenses and manufactures products intended to improve outmoded, outdated and wasteful food packaging. Our flagship offering, the GreenBox PizzaBox, is a multifunctional container made from 100% recycled material that is both recyclable and compostable. The top of the box breaks down into four dinner plates, while the bottom folds into a handy storage container for leftovers. Our GreenBox line also includes the SliceBox, the WrapSleeve, WingBox and the HoagieBox.

Scope: Six employees at this New York City-based company. The GreenBox line of products is sold through distributors across North and Central America and Australia to retailers, including Whole Foods, one of our largest end-customers.

My ‘aha' moment: My business partners, William Walsh (designer of the GreenBox) and Ned Kensing, and I decided to produce a demo video for the GreenBox (www.tinyurl.com/ckbawe) before we’d even formally set up our company. We uploaded the video to YouTube in mid-2009 and within a few weeks, Ashton Kutcher (the then-champion of Twitter) tweeted about it. We received 55,000 hits overnight and inquiries from across the U.S. and around the world. That’s when we knew we had a winner.

The most fun I’ve had so far was seeing our product on national U.S. network-TV shows. In February, the GreenBox PizzaBox appeared on ‘Rachael Ray’ (CBS) and ‘The Chew’ (ABC) and received enthusiastic responses from the studio audiences. I also get a thrill from walking into a restaurant, grocery store or hotel and seeing our GreenBox products in use!