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How do you turn textile waste into a thriving fashion brand while raising four small children?

In this episode of Mission-Driven Founders, host Wanda Malhotra sits down with Allison Motoyama, the visionary behind Dona Bela Shreds. What started as a spark of inspiration during a trip to São Paulo, Brazil, has transformed into a powerhouse accessory brand that is saving the planet—one "shred" at a time.

Allison gets vulnerable about the "beautiful chaos" of being a mission-driven mompreneur. We dive deep into:

The Upcycling Revolution: How Allison transforms fashion industry "scraps" into stylish, eco-friendly necklaces and headbands.

From São Paulo to the U.S.: The story of how a visit to Brazil birthed a mission to reduce landfill waste.

The Mom-Founder Reality: A transparent look at scaling a business while raising four small children and managing a growing team.

The Power of Partnership: The vital role of a support system and how Allison’s husband helps anchor the business and the home.

🌿 Join us as we explore the intersection of family, sustainability, and the grit required to build a green empire. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders to catch every story of innovation and impact!

Connect with Dona Bela Shreds: donabelashreds.com

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

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In this episode of Mission-Driven Founders, we sit down with Ada Hsieh, the visionary behind Fluency Beauty. Ada shares her inspiring transition from the world of Wall Street to revolutionizing the beauty industry through a radical commitment to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and regenerative agriculture. 🌱💄

In this interview, we dive into:

• The raw challenges of sustainable product development.
• The power of affirmations: Why every product name carries a deeper intention.
• How Fluency Beauty is setting a new standard for biodegradable and cruelty-free makeup.

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

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In this episode of the Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, host Wanda Malhotra welcomes International Chef Manuela Scalini, founder of Scai Sustainable Culinary Arts and Innovation. With over 16 years of global experience, Manuela shares her transition from the film industry to becoming a leader in sustainable wellness and functional food education.

Manuela’s philosophy centers on "real food for real life." We explore how her background in cultural anthropology informs her "root-to-bloom" zero-waste kitchen strategies and her heart-led work in providing food literacy for those navigating health challenges.

In this episode, we discuss:

Transitioning to a "plant-forward" lifestyle by listening to your body’s unique cues.

Creative culinary solutions: Replacing MSG with natural umami using nutritional yeast.

Why the future of healthcare lies in the collaboration between chefs and functional medicine practitioners.

Practical tips for implementing a zero-waste, sustainable kitchen at home or in a professional setting.

Connect with Manuela Scalini:
Website: manuelascalini.com
Instagram: @manuscalini & @scai.global

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

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Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

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As a mission-driven founder, your business is an extension of your heart—but how often do you extend that same compassion to your own body? In a world obsessed with "optimization" and "performance," we often lose sight of the most fundamental truth: every body is a unique ecosystem requiring its own specific care.

In this episode of the Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, we sit down with Staci Gulbin, MS, MEd, RD, a heart-centered registered dietitian and author whose work focuses on the intersection of nutrition, awareness, and mental health. With a career spanning hospital care, recipe book authorship, and freelance writing for platforms like OprahMag, Staci brings a deeply empathetic perspective to women's wellness.

In this soulful and empowering conversation, we explore:

• Bio-Individuality & Acceptance: Why there is no "perfect" diet and how to embrace a way of eating that honors your specific body and lifestyle.
• The Mind-Body-Health Connection: How our mental well-being and self-love directly influence our physical health, weight, and energy levels.
• Support Through Every Season: Staci shares her wisdom on navigating the unique challenges women face during life’s major transitions—from pregnancy to menopause—and how to provide your body with what it needs in each stage.
• Healing After the Shift: Insights into post-bariatric nutrition and recovery, focusing on meaningful healing and sustainable long-term wellness.
• Awareness as a Tool: Moving away from restrictive mindsets and toward a place of awareness, where nutrition becomes an act of self-care rather than a chore.

Whether you are building a brand or nurturing a dream, Staci’s approach reminds us that the most successful "business plan" starts with a foundation of self-love and gentle nourishment.

Tune in for an interview that will change the way you look at your plate and your reflection. 🖤

Support Staci:

• Instagram: @lighttrack_dietitian
• Website: lighttracknutrition.com

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

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How do you make all-natural products exciting for kids without relying on toxic synthetics? In this episode of Mission-Driven Founders, host Wanda Malhotra welcomes Andrea Ort, the scientist and founder behind The Roxy Grace Company.

Andrea’s journey began 11 years ago with a simple goal: creating a safe, skin-friendly solution for her son’s eczema that also encouraged screen-free family bonding. Today, Roxy Grace is a leading name in all-natural bath and beauty, known for its small-batch integrity and "food-grade" ingredients.

In this candid conversation, Andrea reveals the reality of bootstrapping a brand, the education gap in the "clean" industry, and the pivotal moment she chose mission over marketing trends. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a parent striving for a non-toxic home, this episode offers practical guidance on living—and building—with intention.

In this episode, we explore:

• The transition from a 30-year dental career to small-batch manufacturing.
• Why the "open pore" vulnerability makes bath water quality critical.
• Navigating the challenges of eco-friendly packaging in a small business.

Support Andrea:

• Instagram: @theroxygracecompany
• Website: roxygrace.com

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

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Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

Support the show

Send us a text

What does it look like to turn a lifetime of visibility into a vehicle for social good? In this episode, we are joined by a truly celebrated figure in the fashion and media world: Brazilian Model & TV Host, Fabi Saba. Now based in NYC, Fabi continues to empower audiences through her social platforms, bridging her international career with a deep commitment to advocacy.

Having established an iconic presence on the runways of Milan, NYC, Tokyo, and Paris, and as a beloved personality on Brazilian television, Fabi has spent years in the spotlight. However, her most impactful work is happening now; while remaining a force in the industry, she is using her platform more than ever to champion self-love, authenticity, and the power of the individual voice.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Power of a Platform: How Fabi leverages her career as a top-tier Model & TV Host to act as a vocal advocate for societal change.
• Strategic Collaboration: Her aspirations to connect with visionaries and align with causes—such as those led by Felipe Neto—to amplify meaningful change with authenticity and courage.
• The Next Generation of Impact: While not covered in the audio of this episode, we want to highlight the incredible work happening right now by Fabi's 17-year-old daughter, Victoria. As the founder of the We Still Rise Foundation, Victoria is continuing the family legacy by giving women a fresh start. The mission of the We Still Rise Foundation is to provide essential resources and a community of support to help women reach their full potential. We invite our community to support this vital cause via the links below.

Fabi’s journey is a testament to the fact that no matter your profession—be it modeling, acting, or entrepreneurship—your most powerful tool is your own authentic voice and the courage to stand up for yourself and those you love.

Connect & Support:

• Instagram: @fabisaba
• Tiktok: fabianasabany
• Support We Still Rise Foundation: @westillrisefoundation
• Inquiries & donations: info@westillrisefoundation.org

Photo Credit: Felipe Bauer

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

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The first 1,000 days of life are a sacred window — but for many parents, they can also be the most overwhelming. In this episode of Mission-Driven Founders, we sit down with Naina Jain, founder of MarigoldLife, to explore the intersection of ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and modern family wellness.

Inspired by her grandfather’s legacy as an Ayurvedic practitioner in India, Naina created a Nashville-based brand that provides clean, nurturing support for mothers and babies. In this conversation, Naina discusses the "clean beauty" gap, the challenges of ethical sourcing and sustainable packaging, and the honest reality of bootstrapping a brand from her kitchen to the shelf.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a conscious parent, this episode delivers a beautiful blend of heritage, purpose, and practical advice for building a business with intention.

Support Naina:

• Instagram: @marigoldlife.co
• Website: marigoldlifeco.com

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

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Support the show

Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

Support the show

Send us a text

Food is no longer just fuel — it’s information.

In this episode of Mission-Driven Founders, we sit down with Kristi Stuart, founder of Inner Wellth, to explore the rise of functional foods and the growing movement of using food as medicine.

With a deep background in science, wellness, and women’s health, Kristi shares how her passion for evidence-based nutrition led her to build a trusted brand that empowers women to better understand their bodies. As a fitness, hormone, and nutrition expert, she formulates products rooted in solid science — and embraced by thousands of women across North America.

In this conversation, Kristi breaks down:

• What functional foods really are — and why they matter
• The role of protein in women’s health
• How to transition toward a more plant-centric diet without sacrificing nourishment
• How to read food labels and spot misleading health claims

Beyond nutrition, Kristi also offers honest insights for entrepreneurs building in the wellness space — from staying mission-aligned to navigating the responsibility that comes with creating health-focused products.

Whether you’re a founder, a wellness professional, or someone striving to make more informed choices in the kitchen, this episode delivers practical guidance, clarity, and inspiration for living — and building — with intention.

✨ Tune in for a conversation that bridges science, purpose, and the power of food.

Support Kristi:
Instagram: @yourinnerwellth
Website: www.yourinnerwellth.com

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

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Support the show