Tampon Tribe Founder Jennifer Eden on a New Kind of Menstrual Care

Tampon Tribe is an organic and plastic-free period products company, giving everyone access to high-quality, safe, and sustainable personal hygiene items delivered to their door.

It all began when I had had enough of the excruciating pain that came with my monthly period due to endometriosis. I started researching and found that processed and chemical-filled period products on our shelves could be contributing to all my pain. 

My co-founder, Gaby, and I started searching for sustainable organic period alternatives. We came up short. 

So we started our own brand — a new category of period care.

My co-founder, Gaby, is an expert in international business, operations, and management, and we have worked together for more than 15 years. We both successfully exited our businesses overseas before coming to the US. 

My background focuses on international marketing, product innovation, and business. Athan and Giana bring strong pedigrees in business and sales to the team, and our support crew has a combined experience of 50 years in business operations.

Tampon Tribe delivers safe, toxin-free, organic, and sustainable period products to your door. 

We are the only company in the US to make tampons, pads, and liners 100% Global Organic Textile Standard- and ICEA-certified organic. Our certified hypoallergenic and vegan pads and liners are wrapped in biodegradable potato-starch film, use no glue, and have plant-based backings.

Our leak-free menstrual cups are made of medical-grade thermoplastic elastomer, while our organic Ashers Period Underwear is per- and polyfluorinated substance-free, antibacterial, and anti-odor.

The total addressable period market is $68.7 billion worldwide and $4.2 billion in the US alone. The modern consumer is demanding organic and transparent brands, which are growing at a 7.2% compound annual growth rate.

Sustainability is also key for us. Tampon applicators have the shortest use-life of any single-use plastic on the planet. Seven billion plastic applicators and 12 billion plastic-backed pads end up in US landfills each year (45 billion worldwide)!

When stacked against our competitors, like LOLA, Cora, and L., we are the only company in the US to use only certified organic cotton, leave out fillers and synthetic covers, and be totally plastic-free. 

Sure. In 2020, when we realized that the majority of our corporate accounts would be put on hold due to the pandemic, we pivoted to add personal protective equipment (PPE) and personal care items to our lineup. We sold to some of our largest clients, such as Amazon and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as to a range of schools, companies, and businesses. That made our 2020 revenue skyrocket. In 2021, PPE demand stopped, and we returned to our core products, which still saw 20% year-over-year growth!

We have strong direct relationships with our manufacturers, and we have great inventory and market forecasting capabilities. We also manage the logistics ourselves and speak directly with the shippers. Both Gaby and I are from an international business background, so we ensure that we are always one step ahead.

We plan to use the money as follows:

• $240,000 on experienced sales people
• $300,000 in inventory
• $48,000 on the Amazon team
• $305,000 for marketing on social, influencer, and affiliate programs
• Boosting the core team and tech/software as a service

Yes, this is definitely something that we are looking at. We have a very clear strategic path to hit $50 million in revenue in five years, which will put the company in a very attractive exit position.