At Meliora Cleaning Products, doing better is all in the name — literally, as “Meliora” means “better” in Latin. Co-Founders Kate Jakubas and Mike Mayer are on a mission to provide families with the products they need to have clean homes without the exposure to environmentally damaging chemicals and they’re pushing forward with this initiative every single day. Read on to find out more about Kate and Mike and their Chicago, IL-based B Corp.
Our daily reminder to use business for good: “We’ve always viewed business as one tool in the toolbox for change. A successful business can make money to keep its doors open and provide for its workers without sacrificing the community and environment around it. The idea of ‘using business as a force for good’ is one that we remind ourselves of everyday – it’s even on the sign hanging over our shipping area.”
How “B The Change” is reflected in our own name: “The word ‘Meliora’ is Latin for ‘better.’ This is more than a tagline on our products; it’s a daily reminder to keep pushing forward. As a small manufacturing business, it’s difficult to make massive changes within our supply chain, or get to our ideal end-state for low-impact products. However, we can incrementally get better. Whether that’s eliminating single-use plastic from our products and shipping process, tracking waste, or paying our employees a living wage in Chicago, we’re always taking small steps towards where we want to be at the end of the journey – landfill-free with well-paid, successful employees and satisfied customers.”
How the B Corp triple-bottom-line approach is shaking up how business is done: “The most intriguing thing about the B Corp movement is the fact that it’s highlighting that not everyone is in business purely to make all the money they possibly can. The language which protects business owners who have an interest in a triple-bottom-line approach to business is hugely important for their ability to think about new (or very old) ways of doing business more thoughtfully.
It’s allowing people and organizations with similar ideals, who have money to invest in other businesses, to finally have a way to identify the businesses and ideas that align with their values. Instead of ‘I want as much money from my investment as possible,’ it’s becoming cool to say ‘Yeah, making money is great, but I want to help build something that leaves the planet in a better place than where it would be without this idea.’ The B Corp movement and B Corporations give entrepreneurs, investors, and the awesome people all around the world a chance to see we can do great things with our businesses.”
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About Kate Jakubas & Mike Mayer, Founder and Co-Founder of Meliora Cleaning Products
Kate started asking how things worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying Materials Science & Engineering. After graduating, she spent several years in the plumbing products and biking industries, working on material specifications and compliance with increasing regulations around what goes into the products we use every day. She pursued and attained her Six Sigma Black Belt certification in 2015 to make sure our operations are efficient and use a minimum of natural resources. Born and raised here, she’s proud to call Chicago home.
Mike started deconstructing his toys since before he can remember, which logically led to studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He spent over a decade in New Product Development in areas ranging from office supplies, medical equipment, and plumbing products. He then went on to get his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, which led him to work in global supply chain strategy in Chicago before coming on to join Kate’s vision of making “Meliora” a household word.
This has been a Fantastic B Corps post, MyCorporation’s salute to the entity that gives back to business and society. Join us biweekly for a glimpse at the entrepreneurs using their small business to “B The Change” in this global movement for good.
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Meliora Cleaning Products is a Chicago-based cleaning products company that is working to be the most transparent cleaning products company, ever. I hope it will be effective.