Meet meg ferrigno | Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with meg ferrigno and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi meg, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I am (perhaps abnormally) risk-tolerant; I have always been wired as a risk taker, riding my bike full-speed in the woods as a kid, doing every dare that my friends could think of. Testing the boundaries of what is possible and making magic happen involves taking risk. I believe that my life has been greatly enhanced by my acceptance of risk. Many people may point to how my approach to risk has almost cost me my life, and my savings on multiple occasions, but to me, I wouldn’t be who I am had I not been transformed by experiencing of over 70 countries, living off grid with nomads, having fallen in love, or invested in things no one believed in. Bootstrapping a B corp after 20 years in the nonprofit sector is also a big risk, but for me i have endless curiosity, which leads to risk-taking in order to innovate and in turn make change. I hope that MoonPads makes a huge change, that we end period poverty and that all menstruators can have healthy, eco-friendly bleeding!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
MoonPads sells compostable, organic pads and tampons on a buy1 – give 1 basis. MoonPads addresses 3 main problems no one talks about:
1) Period waste: Conventional period products contain petroleum-based plastics and constitute an enormous amount of non-biodegradable waste. MoonPads are completely plastic-free, biodegradable, and compostable while performing as effectively and comfortably as any period product on the market.
2)Toxic Products: Conventional menstrual products contain carcinogenic chemicals like dioxins. MoonPads products are chemical free and non-toxic.
3) Period Poverty: Menstruators experience period poverty when they cannot afford or access period supplies. It prevents 1 in 5 menstruators from reaching their potential due to missed work, school, and participation in their communities because they don’t have a way to manage their periods. MoonPads operates on a buy 1- give 1 model: for every box sold, a box is donated to someone in need.

MoonPads arose from the founders twenty year career with NGO’s in Tibet. She recognized that period poverty isn’t just an issue for remote nomads! MoonPad products fill a market gap, as consumers become increasingly concerned about plastic and chemical ingredients in their menstrual care products. As we grow, so will our capacity to help eradicate period poverty!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love torrey pines and going on hikes there, sunsets at windansea beach, hanging out at dog beach to pet little fur babies, eating off the amazing vegan menu at cesarina, grabbing drinks at the lafayette.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My journey shifted when I landed in Tibet. I first visited when I was 18 years old, and the living landscape and its people forever. changed me. It is the nomadic women from the communities in Qinghai, where I lived and volunteered that taught me skills of survival, resilience and joy. These women faced incredible hardships, and yet they are the most compassionate people I know. Spending hours each day simply gathering water, carrying it on their backs to hydrate their families and herds, working tirelessly to prepare food from almost nothing. Nourishing others with great love, they demonstrated how to operate in an unfair world without anger, but with compassion. It is for these women who we began MoonPads with and for, to address the high rates of infections due to the lack of menstrual products and education AKA period poverty.

Website: http://www.ourmoonpads.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourmoonpads/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moonpads/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourmoonpads/

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