This month we showcase Rachel Kibbe, founder of Kept SKU which focuses on reimagining fashion returns and resale, and Circular Services Group (CSG) which provides advisory and infrastructure to support the circular economy. Rachel has been a leader in the sustainable and circular fashion space for over a decade. She founded one of the first online stores for ethical fashion, which she later merged with a large-scale used clothing collector. She works with municipalities and fashion brands globally on retail and municipal clothing textile recycling solutions.
What’s keeping you busy?
In addition to my advisory firm Circular Services Group, where we advise global fashion brands on circularity strategy, this summer we launched a resale platform, Kept SKU. We work directly with brands to sustainably manage unwanted inventory and provide consumers with access to high-quality merchandise at accessible price points. My plate is full of running the business, onboarding brand partners, building the team, and preparing for fundraising. I learn something new every day.
What new ideas or opportunities are set to become part of your future business fabric?
Circular services are going to be a new category of business that is as important as traditional brands. That’s where Kept SKU falls. In order to keep products in circulation, new business models like ours will grow alongside the take-make-waste supply chain to recapture and recirculate merchandise. As a service company, Kept SKU has to engage both customers and brands, making it easy and affordable for both to participate so that we can truly scale keeping resources in circulation.
What are the biggest challenges you are facing right now?
The opportunities my business has been presented with are outsized to our maturity as an organization. It’s a good thing and a problem you want to have. Now we need to block and tackle, and set ourselves up for scale, quickly.
Is there anything you know now that you’d wish you’d known at the start of your career?
To focus on being better at asking questions, than you are at answering them. Also, having the right team is key to any successful business. Building and nourishing relationships with talent will be crucial. I used to try to do too much on my own and that’s a lonely and inefficient road.
Who have been your most important professional mentors / influencers?
I have a great circle of mentors, advisors, and colleagues that I check in with all the time. Too many to list. Having people you call, who want to see you as a founder and person succeed but aren’t necessarily dependent on it, is really important.
Which accolades matter most to you and why?
The older I get the less important accolades are to me and the more I just want to build. What I mean is that accolades can be distracting. They are a quick hit of encouragement that disappears quickly. So the goal has to be something bigger than self. If I ever become more known – I want to be known for building better systems that created significant change.
What has been the hardest thing for you to face or learn?
The circular economy is entering a more mature era. It’s an interesting vantage point for those of us veterans who have been working in this space for a long time. I’ve been in the sustainability and circularity space for 12 years. We’ve existed as a bit of a sideshow, with a lack of interest in our work or dedicated resources. Suddenly there’s a global focus on the importance of climate work. The representative stakeholders are increasing – innovators, activists, and finance. We sometimes face conflicting interests. Learning to bridge the gap between innovation, environmental justice, and financial returns is a rocky path and we are all learning how to work together as we go. There’s no time to wait.
What has required the most courage of you in your life so far?
It’s taken courage to bet on myself even when others might not see the future as clearly as I do. When I started 12 years ago people thought I was crazy for talking about sustainability as it relates to fashion, the same with circularity. Now, these topics are table stakes in my industry. I’ve rebuilt my career several times, in the midst of both personal and professional setbacks. I could have given up and switched to a more stable career path but I didn’t and I think that’s courage.
If you could meet any one person (from history or currently alive), who would it be?
These days I’d really like to sit down with Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia. Patagonia is the success story when it comes to marrying the narrative of an environmental mission with the business of apparel. Patagonia remains privately held. Most climate-related businesses with ambitions for large impact, see the path to scale through taking on large amounts of outside investment and I tend to agree. As I think about how I want my business to grow, however, I want to understand both sides better. He’s also just an interesting person who must have a lot of great stories.
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