Earth Day at Softstar with B-Keeper Hava
This year, Earth Day marks the one-year anniversary of Softstar becoming B Corp Certified. The “B” in B Corp stands for “benefit” and is a legal company structure that is an alternative to a C-corp. While C-corps are structured to maximize profit for shareholders, B Corps are a relatively newer legal structure designed for companies that consider social and environmental impact just as important as profitability. Softstar has had sustainability as a cornerstone of the company’s mission for 39 years, so becoming a B Corp last year was a logical fit. Certification requires a rigorous audit and provides a great blueprint for ongoing improvements. To lead our ongoing sustainability efforts as a B Corp, we are excited to share with you some good news. Elf Hava has recently taken on the role of “B-keeper” at Softstar!
Hava Terry is a 15 year veteran of Softstar who truly embodies Softstar values with her amiable nature, sense of humor, empathy, and leadership. She has an amazing laugh, which radiates through the shop, bringing joy to everyone even on the most stressful days. Hava has an excellent institutional knowledge of Softstar, including its history, culture, and is an expert on how to do just about every production you can imagine. Hava also has a personal passion for sustainability in her personal life, her community and at Softstar. She bikes everywhere around town and was one of the first to invest in an electric car. She supports local community youth programs, reuse/recycling programs, rescues dogs, and is an organic gardener who on many occasions has been found planting blueberry and tomato plants in our employee garden for us to enjoy on breaks.
Waste Warrior
Over the years, Hava has pushed for many sustainable changes here at Softstar. Some of those include:
- Sourcing safer cleaning products
- Expanding our recycling program
- Purchasing supplies locally
- Repurposing shop towels
- Researching and sourcing green leather vendors
- Insisting on recycled paper content
The current improvement project Hava is working on is converting our task lights to LED. While all ambient lighting in our workshop is already LED, the close-task lights are still fluorescent. In May we are partnering with Energy Trust of Oregon to retrofit our existing fluorescent task lights with newer MaxLite DirectFit LED T8 lamps. These changes will save approximately 9,500 KWh per year of energy use.
Every day we work towards our mission of walking lightly on the earth—not just with our minimal footwear, but with our actions and commitments. Having Hava fill the shoes of our “B-keeper” is the latest iteration of this ongoing commitment!
Trish has been an entrepreneur, marketer and maker ever since she crushed her first lemonade stand at age five. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, she spent many summers running barefoot with her sisters. These early memories later inspired her to build a brand which embraced the joy and freedom of childhood with the health and science of minimal footwear.
Trish relishes evolving the company to grow stronger and more competitive with each passing year. She is a frequent expert panelist for both e-commerce and entrepreneurship conferences. Trish enjoys spending time with her family, dogs and ducks on their property in Oregon and loves the proximity to both surf and snow. She has a background in Engineering Physics and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
