22 - From Sustainability to the Shelf: Building a Mission-Driven Pet Brand

In this episode of Innovator Insights from Idea2Impact, host Henrik Johansson interviews Jim Schifman and Melissa Arapaport Schifman, the founders of Project Hive Pet Company, to explore their entrepreneurial journey. The couple shares their backgrounds, the genesis of their mission-driven pet product company focused on saving bees by planting wildflower habitats, and the challenges they faced, including navigating retail relationships and supply chain disruptions during COVID-19. They discuss their unique go-to-market strategy of launching a full product line at once, the importance of US-based manufacturing, and the difficulties of competing with larger companies, while also offering advice to aspiring entrepreneurs about leveraging networks, embracing a problem-solving mindset, and building a business with a meaningful mission.