Rachel Lincoln loved fashion, but she didn’t love how she saw the industry treating workers and the planet. So she joined a small California-based activewear brand prAna and worked her way to Director of Sustainability where she is now transforming the entire industry through the Responsible Packaging Movement (RPM). RPM is a coalition of pre-competitive brands who share knowledge and practices that reduce packaging waste and promote the use of sustainable materials and a powerful example of leading with we.

In this episode Rachel and I chat about this unique collaboration in the sustainability space, the evolution of sustainability in consumer products, and how she, her team, and the 80+ brands who are a part of RPM are making a substantive effort to save the planet. 

Rachel Lincoln:

Rachel K. Lincoln is a sustainability business strategist, connecting product, process,and sustainability within apparel brands. Over the last 11 years at prAna Living, a Southern California apparel brand rooted in sustainability, she has driven the implementation of bluesign® certified products, helped to launch Fair Trade™ Certified products,and been an instrumental contributor to the company’s double-digit growth year over year. She is driven by closing the loop on circularity within the apparel industry, creating humanity in manufacturing, and the promotion of a work/life balance. Rachel serves as a connector between sustainability and a product creation team of designers, developers, tech, and sourcing specialists. Born and raised in California and a graduate of FIDM, she is currently raising two young girls to be strong, independent thought leaders.

Simon Mainwaring: 

Simon Mainwaring is a brand futurist, global keynote speaker, and bestselling author. He is best known as the author of We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World and the Founder and CEO of We First, a strategic consultancy that works with brands to define their business strategy, company culture, and brand communications.

This episode of Lead With We was produced and edited by Goal 17 Media and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. You can also watch episodes on YouTube at WeFirstTV.

Resources:

Learn more about prAna’s Responsible Packaging Movement

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn

For case studies and other free resources about purposeful business, go to WeFirstBranding.com

Simon’s new book, Lead With We, is now available for pre-order on Amazon, Google Books and Barnes & Noble. Check it out!