Merry and Tartan
Coffee Dust, cookbooks, cycling gear, concealer and much more — Tartan entrepreneurs at these 13 alumni-owned businesses around the world and across the U.S. are bringing their passion and innovation to the retail sector.
In the spirit of Small Business Saturday, meet these CMU alumni-owned businesses.
The Floral Print Company
Sabrina Black (CFA 1979)
Alumna Sabrina Black’s love of antique lithographs, prints and etchings took root during her childhood summers in Paris and bloomed into a lifelong love of drawing and painting. In addition to running her award-winning design firm Sabrina Black Design, she also releases a classically inspired floral botanical print each month that can be ordered as a hand-colored original or fine arts giclee in three sizes. Custom prints and note cards are available, too.
Type Beauty
Ananya Kapur (MCS 2021)
Before being highlighted in Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, alumna Ananya Kapur’s company started with a tube of lipstick created in The Design of Skin and Hair Products course at CMU. Founded two months after her graduation, Type Beauty merges makeup and skincare. Her vegan, cruelty-free and inclusive line features 24 shades of foundation along with concealers, primers, smudge sticks, lipsticks, lip lustres and eyeshadows. With fun names like Frappe, Chai and Biscotti, each one is formulated to also treat issues such as acne-prone skin, redness, fine lines and dryness.
Atelier De Fer
Matt Marietti (TPR 2010)
In fall 2022, alumnus Matt Marietti and his wife, Vanessa, opened their sixth location of Atelier De Fer in CMU’s Hunt Library — fulfilling a dream he had while studying on campus for his MBA. They’ve got everything a coffee lover could want with bags, subscriptions, single-serve steep packs and sampler boxes of De Fer’s in-house roasted beans sourced from Burundi to Brazil. Not into coffee? They’ve got you covered with tea, chocolates, tins of fish, local spice mixes and much more.
Vashon Island Coffee Dust
Christy Clement (ENG 1999)
Alumna Christy Clement always preferred what could be described as “warm coffee ice cream” until a friend served her coffee brewed with a blend of spices. This newfound deliciousness added to coffee grounds led her to add vastly smaller amounts of sugar and cream. Inspired, she formulated six unique blends featuring cinnamon, turmeric, lavender and more and founded Vashon Island Coffee Dust in 2021. Coffee Dust explorers can try them one at a time or go all in with an expedition kit.
“Fly” and “Forever and Always”
Brittany J. Thurman (CFA 2013)
When alumna Brittany J. Thurman was in first grade, she wrote her first story — and she hasn’t stopped since. Published in 2022, “Fly” tells the story of Africa, who dreams of competing in double Dutch, and — available for preorder with a January ship date — “Forever and Always,” which delves into the day-to-day life, joys and fears of Olivia, a young Black girl, and her family. Both carry Brittany’s message of the power of unlimited possibilities through the support of family, friends and community.
Copilot
Clark Haynes (SCS 2005, 2008) and Micol Marchetti-Bowick (SCS 2016, 2020)
Alumni Clark Haynes and Micol Marchetti-Bowick and their company Velo.ai can help you be an early adopter of the next big thing in cycling with Copilot. Available on a waitlist, the device — harnessing AI and the predictive machine learning technologies found in autonomous vehicles — allows cyclists to watch areas beyond their field of vision. The device, which is slightly larger than a deck of cards, clips onto the same spot as a bike’s rear light. When hazards materialize, Copilot communicates with the rider using a 90-decibel speaker and alerts nearby drivers via a bright flashing light.
Spoons Kitchen Exchange
Marielle Saums (DC 2013)
Alum Marielle Saums wants everyone to be able to stock their cabinets with high-quality kitchenware like Le Creuset, Nordic Ware, KitchenAid and All-Clad, practice sustainability and still have funds and time left to cook healthy, delicious meals. How, you might ask? Founded this year, their online kitchen resale shop finds like-new, previously owned items that would normally take endless weekends to find at thrift stores, yard sales and eBay and sells them to financially-savvy and waste-conscious consumers. It’s an easy way to upgrade your gear and feel good about reducing and reusing, too.
Black Girl MATHgic
Brittany Rhodes (TPR 2010)
The equation for math success is simple for alumna and Black Girl MATHgic founder Brittany Rhodes: Math Confidence + Representation + Empowerment - Math Anxiety = Skills in the Classroom and Beyond Now and in the Future. The monthly subscription box curated for girls at a Grade 3-8 math skills level contains an engaging math activity booklet with support items, a confidence-inspiring affirmation, a profile of a Black woman mathematician and a guide for adult helpers. It’s available in digital and mailed options.
Leaf
Adam Simone (HNZ 2011)
When alumnus Adam Simone wanted to design a better razor, he found it could be a win for the Earth, too. In 2023 alone, Leaf users will keep more than 4 million plastic razors out of landfills by using the company’s reusable and plastic-free razors instead. The razors offer customizable blade options allowing users to select one to three blades based on their preferred shave, and the company’s razors and dermaplaners come in a variety of on-trend, rust-resistant metal finishes like rose gold, prism and matte black. Oh, and all packaging is plastic-free, and blades are recyclable.
ELIMS
Belinda Lau (ENG 2004)
After graduating from CMU, Belinda Lau’s career took her into medtech at global powerhouse Medtronic, but she always felt something was missing. An a-ha moment during a podcast discussing climate change combined with a husband who is a dentist and a friend with an MBA, who also cares deeply about sustainability like Belinda, led her to found ELIMS — an Earth-friendly oral care company. ELIMS' distinctive science-backed toothpaste flavors like lavender vanilla mint and pineapple orange mint paired with its bamboo toothbrush heads and whitening masks are 100% sustainable including their packaging.
Molly Rose Creative
Molly Walter (DC 2012)
Alum Molly Walter is an artist, illustrator and designer leaning into their creative side after nearly a decade in recruiting for Microsoft and Wayfair. In addition to creating custom minimalist-style digital portraits, their inclusive stickers, mugs and coloring books celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and promote reproductive rights, mental health, body positivity and disability awareness. Molly ships throughout North America and does freelance and commission work globally. They can also be found at various pop-up markets in the Boston, Massachusetts area.
Brew Gentlemen (BG Brewing)
Matt Katase (MCS 2012)
From IPAs to sours, stouts to lagers and everywhere in between, alumnus Matt Katase is always brewing up an ever-changing selection of “soft, balanced” beers in the historic steel town of Braddock, a 20-minute drive from campus. Did you know? Matt tested out the company’s first craft beer recipes in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Buggy garage and drafted the initial business plan for a production brewery as part of a CMU entrepreneurship course project. You can visit Brew Gentlemen (BG Brewing) in-person or order your beverage of choice online for delivery within Pennsylvania.
The Vegetarian Reset
Vasudha Viswanath (HNZ 2009)
Alumna, lifelong vegetarian and passionate home cook Vasudha Viswanath says transforming her diet helped her reverse elevated blood sugar and live a healthier life. Released in January 2023, her cookbook aims to equip others to do the same. Featuring 75 low-carb, plant-forward and globally inspired recipes for everything from gazpacho smoothies to shakshuka, Vasudha’s recipes create the “sweet spot” of being healthy, being a vegetarian and being a foodie.
