Inspiring Women CEOs: Lindsey McCoy and Alison Webster

Called the “Netflix of shampoos”, Plaine Products is a rapidly growing company with the goal of significant environmental impact.

As co-founder with her sister Alison Webster, Lindsey McCoy (formerly Delaplaine) is finding ways to address one of the major environmental issues of our time. Drive down any road, walk on any beach, and you’ll see the consequences of our disposable lifestyle. Plastic is everywhere.

Sustainability is a primary motivator at Plaine Products, a body and hair care product company with a twist. Lindsey and Alison have personally tried and approved all products to ensure that they are environmentally friendly: biodegradable, paraben-, sulfate-, and toxin-free with all organic and vegan ingredients.

Here’s where they have taken the opportunity to innovate further for environmental change: packaging can be sent back to them for a refill at no extra charge. You can also recycle the containers (100%), which are made of aluminum.

“Every piece of plastic that has ever been made still exists,” says Lindsey. “It is inherently designed to last for hundreds or thousands of years.” You’ve heard about plastic islands floating in the oceans. We are flooding the world with single use plastic. Plaine Products offers an alte
ative, something families and individuals like you can do in your household to effect environmental change.

Lindsey lived for 10 years in the Bahamas running an environmental nonprofit and saw the problem first hand, with plastic on the beach, in the ocean, and roadside. She noticed just looking around her bathroom just how much plastic she owned, and started talking with her sister about how to change that.

These CEOs’ environmental impact commitment is real: Plaine Products is a certified B corporation. Lindsey and Alison have chosen to introduce mission lock into their governance documents, a way to preserve the company’s environment impact focus during high growth and when attracting investors. All Plaine Products are natural, high quality, and chemical-free.

In only two years since startup, they are on track to exceed $1 million in sales and divert more tha
100,000 plastic bottles from landfills. The company has over 1000 subscribers and has run a Kickstarter campaign, along with increasing wholesale and online sales.

One reaso
I think this company works is that they are building community around the brand. They ask you to be an ambassador, spreading the word face-to-face and via social media. They’ve also had considerable coverage by beauty bloggers: Lindsey says that they couldn’t have built the company without their contribution.

Lindsey McCoy and Alison Delaplaine are examples of women CEOs who saw a problem and built a company around solving it in innovative ways. Even small companies can start to make a significant difference, to have impact, and as her company grows, her impact will grow.