From our very beginning (over 30 years ago!), Seventh Generation has been a mission-driven company out to prove that business can be a force for good in the world. Every day we’re inspired knowing that we’re part of something that’s transforming an industry, fostering the health of our environment, and inspiring a consumer revolution to nurture the health of the next seven generations. Our mission is truly what drives us, and its importance is why we recently created a Social Mission Board tasked with keeping that mission burning bright and challenging us to expand its reach.
So, you may be wondering, what exactly is a Social Mission Board? How does it work and who are the people on it? Good questions. Let’s back up for a moment.
In 2017, Seventh Generation made the biggest transition in our company’s history when we went from being a private business to joining the Unilever family—a family that also includes our friends and neighbors over at Ben & Jerrys. A change in ownership can be nerve-wracking, especially when you’ve built your business around values you want to protect. The good news is, our mission is what made us so attractive to Unilever in the first place. As former Seventh Generation CEO Joey Bergstein puts it, Unilever is “not only committed to boosting our shared social and environmental mission, they’re giving us new power to achieve it [1].” To that end, the Social Mission Board was created to make sure that our mission and core values stay at the center of everything we do now, and far into the future.
Our Social Mission Board (SMB) includes a range of dynamic sustainability leaders who meet twice a year (plus two annual conference calls with Seventh Generation leadership), and who push us to take our social mission initiatives even further. For instance, one way Seventh Generation works to reduce our carbon footprint as a company is through an internal carbon tax. Our Social Mission Board recently urged us to double that tax, from $6 to $12 per ton of carbon to really hold ourselves accountable. This increase will help us expand our use of renewable energy, both during manufacturing and in our headquarters, and fund programs focused on sustainability.
Looking ahead to our 2025 goals, the SMB has also pushed us to…
- Protect waterways by ensuring no water is contaminated during a product’s lifecycle.
- Consider consumer use when weighing our carbon footprint and our goal to be a company run by 100% renewable energy.
- Build an employee community that is more diverse with regards to both racial and gender diversity, (including the Social Mission Board itself).
Moving forward, the SMB is focused on both climate justice and on addressing our exposure to toxic chemicals. Current Social Mission Board Member Lila Preston is excited that the board can “push the company to take bigger and bolder steps to tackle issues that Seventh Generation is uniquely positioned to address [2].” Our board members bring a wealth of experience, creativity, and insight to the table so they can address the issues our brand, and our consumers, care about the most.
Let’s meet them:
Jeffrey Hollender:
Jeffrey Hollender is a leading authority on corporate responsibility, sustainability, and social equity. More than thirty years ago, he co-founded Seventh Generation and went on to build the fledgling company into a leading natural product brand known for its authenticity, transparency, and progressive business practices. Hollender grew Seventh Generation to over $150 million in sales. Seventh Generation was sold to Unilever in October 2016. After the sale, Unilever invited Hollender to join its Social Mission Board of Directors.
Hollender is also an Adjunct Professor for sustainability and social entrepreneurship at the Stern Business School, New York University since 2013.
Currently Hollender is the CEO and co-founder of the American Sustainable Business Network, a coalition of over 200,000 business leaders committed to progressive public policy.
From 2013 till 2019 he was the CEO of Hollender Sustainable Brands, makers of Sustain Natural, non-toxic, fair trade, and sustainable personal care and sexual wellness products for women. Sustain was sold to Grove Inc. in 2019.
Hollender's passion for changing the negative impact that industry has on the environment and society is evident in each of his seven books, including 2010's The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win. Hollender has also helped millions of Americans make green and ethical product choices, beginning with his bestselling title, How to Make the World a Better Place, a Beginner’s Guide, in 1990. His most recent book, Planet Home: Conscious Choices for Cleaning & Greening the World You Care About Most (Clarkson Potter/Publishers; December 28, 2010) guides consumers through the dizzying array of decisions they make each day, helping them understand which choices matter most and which have hidden repercussions.
Hollender was the Co-Chair of the Greenpeace US Board of Directors until 2013 and now serves as an advisor to its Board of Directors. He also serves on the Sustainability Advisory Board of Morgan Stanley. He divides his time between Charlotte, VT, Palm Beach, FL and New York City.
Ellen Dorsey:
Ellen Dorsey is an activist and partner to movements advancing economic, environmental, racial, and gender justice. She is Executive Director of Wallace Global Fund, a private foundation recognized for its creative philanthropic strategies and mission-related investing to address climate change, advance human rights, and hold corporations accountable to the public good. She has championed transformative change within philanthropy to give more, invest differently, and support and scale movements.
Under her leadership, WGF helped seed and grow the global fossil-fuel divestment movement and launch Divest-Invest Philanthropy, a group of 200 foundations committed to deploying their investments to address the climate crisis and accelerate the clean energy transition. For this work, Ellen was awarded the 2016 inaugural Nelson Mandela – Graca Machel Brave Philanthropy Award. She has also received other recognition and awards for her leadership in the philanthropic sector.
Ellen has held a series of academic, philanthropic and non-profit leadership positions, including launching the Human Rights and Environment program at Amnesty International, serving as Associate Professor and Executive Director of the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University, and as Senior Program Officer in the Heinz Endowment’s Environment Program. Additionally, she has been a board member of numerous non-profit organizations promoting human rights and environmental change, including Greenpeace USA, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United States Human Rights Network, and Amnesty International USA, where she served as chair of the board.
Ellen holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Pittsburgh. She was a Fulbright Research Fellow in South Africa during that country’s historic transformation. She served on the faculty of several Universities, teaching human rights and environmental sustainability. She has written extensively on effective strategies of non-governmental organizations, the power of social movements, and critical trends in philanthropy. Dorsey is co-author, with Paul J. Nelson, of New Rights Advocacy: Changing Strategies of Development and Human Rights NGOs, Georgetown University Press.
Lorna Davis:
Lorna has lived and worked in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, France, China and the USA. She has served as President of multinational consumer goods companies for 20+ years, in Danone, Kraft and Mondelez. She was a key leader in Danone’s purpose journey and in 2017, Lorna served as CEO and Chairwoman of Danone North America, where she established that $6 Billion entity as a Public Benefit Corporation. It achieved B Corp status in 2018, making it the largest B Corp in the world. Lorna is currently a member of the Social Mission Board of Seventh Generation, the Advisory Board of Radicle Impact and the board of Guayaki.
She was previously a member of the Global board of Electrolux and the board of B Lab Global, the organization that certifies B Corporations. She is now a speaker and coach and is passionate about bringing indigenous wisdom into business and helping leaders to live and lead with love. Her Ted talk on Radical interdependence has been viewed by more than 2 million people.
Lorna is deeply committed to wildlife conservation and is heartbroken by rhino poaching.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez:
Xiuhtezcatl is a musician, activist, and a prolific voice for his community. Pushing the envelope on what hip-hop can look and sound like, Xiuhtezcatl’s message and depth transcends his mere twenty-two years on the planet, yet is still packed with all the hard-hitting grit that appeals to today’s generation of listeners. Xiuhtezcatl’s first relationship with music was as a means of preserving his Indigenous culture and language, which influence the sound and direction of his releases to this day. His thought-provoking lyrics are anchored by his Xochimilca and Mexican roots, and the environmental justice work his mother raised him in.
Growing up with deep ties to family and community on both sides of the US and Mexico border, he incorporates Spanish and English interchangeably into his music, which has become the outlet for representing his generation, and his people. Xiuhtezcatl began playing festivals and touring the world at the age of 12, and has performed and collaborated with artists such as Raury, WILLOW, and Jaden, while building outside the boundaries of the music industry to use art to challenge systems of injustice and envision the future.
Formerly the Youth Director of Earth Guardians, a global environmental activist organization, Xiuhtezcatl has given multiple TED talks, has delivered several speeches before the United Nations, and was named TIMES next 100 in 2019. X has published multiple books on the intersections of community organizing, art and culture, and continues to use his voice and his art to reclaim space, build community and engage his generation in reimagining our future.
Kathleen O'Brien:
Kathleen O’Brien -General Manager Home Care LATAM and Head of Country SOCO. Kathleen is a member of the North America Leadership Team. A seasoned leader in the Consumer Products industry, Kathleen most recently served as CEO, North America of Weleda, a plant-based skincare brand. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is known for fostering a strong organizational culture, building high-performing teams, and establishing key partnerships with retailers to drive innovation and brand growth. In her role with Unilever, she is embracing the opportunity to return to Seventh Generation and step change growth on a brand she loves, while also driving The Laundress.
Kathleen initially joined Weleda in 2023 as VP of Sales & Ecommerce, stepping into the role of CEO later that year. As CEO, she laid the foundational work to accelerate the company’s growth and capabilities. By optimizing spending and implementing a strategic plan to double net sales by 2030 she returned the company to profitability.
Before joining Weleda, Kathleen held senior leadership roles at Grove Collaborative and Seventh Generation. During her tenure at Seventh Generation, she played a pivotal role in the brand's expansion across multiple channels and led its ecommerce growth, increasing online sales by over 40%. Her contributions helped shape the company’s success and eventual sale to Unilever. Kathleen has deep expertise in customer development, retail partnerships, and sustainability. She is recognized for her authentic leadership style, with a focus on transparency, accountability, and empowering her teams. Beyond work, she is passionate about health & nutrition, reading, running, and spending time with her husband and three children in Burlington, Vermont.
Edu Campanella:
Eduardo’s appointment as President of our Home Care business group in 2024 is a testament to his wealth of experience and long-term impact in driving the growth of multiple businesses across Unilever, both in Latin America and globally.
He started his career as an intern at Unilever. After a few years in the foods business in local and regional roles, Eduardo took on new business and skin care category management roles at Natura After returning to Unilever in 2008, he led the relaunch of Sunsilk and the launch of TRESemmé as Hair Care Marketing Manager. Eduardo was also instrumental in the Take Home portfolio transformation programme in his role as Regional Ice Cream Marketing Director.
As Personal Care Marketing Director and Digital Champion for Brazil, he led on Skin Cleansing, Skin Care and Oral Care – including resetting the Oral Care business. He was also the first in Unilever to launch Baby Dove. After a few years as VP Personal Care and Digital Champion for Mexico & Caribbean leading a full reset of portfolio and business performance, Eduardo returned to Brazil in 2018 to take on the role of VP Home Care for Latin America & Brazil. He then moved to London in 2022 as Chief Marketing Officer for Home Care.
Eduardo is a graduate in Business Administration from Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC) in Sao Paulo. His diverse experience has equipped him with invaluable insights that he brings to his position as President of Home Care. In this role, Eduardo spearheads the development and execution of our Clean Future strategy which taps into the vast segment of consumers who want superior home care products that are also sustainable. To achieve this, Clean Future is leading the transformation of a centuries-old industry through the use of science and technology. In his free time, Eduardo enjoys playing beach tennis and spending time with family and friends.
Jen Carnig:
Jen Carnig is president of Spitfire Strategies, a communications firm that advances racial, economic and climate justice. As president, she leads the Spitfire’s day-to-day operations and guides implementation of its overall strategy and vision for a future born from the struggle for freedom and justice. Jen is one of the nation’s leading strategists on the issues of policing and police accountability, community safety and the fight to protect our rights and humanity in the face of new technologies like artificial intelligence. A trusted advisor to leading social change activists, philanthropies looking to live their missions and mission-driven organizations, Jen has more than 20 years of experience leading major campaigns and seeding movements. An award-winning journalist, she previously led communications at the New York Civil Liberties Union for a decade. At Spitfire, Jen takes a particular joy in training the next generation of progressive communicators and is dedicated to creating a space where diverse leaders can hone the skills they need to lead the movements of tomorrow.
Sharima Rasanayagam:
Sharima is a scientist, ex-UK diplomat and former breast cancer advocate dedicated to advancing environmental health and climate justice. She is currently the Program Officer for Environmental Health and Health Policy at the California Breast Cancer Program (CBCRP). In this position she is responsible for CBCRP’s multi-million dollar funding portfolio dedicated to these issues.
Prior to joining CBCRP in 2022, Sharima spent over a decade as the founding Director of Science at the non-profit advocacy organization Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP). There she worked to ensure BCPP’s national leadership in science-based environmental health advocacy. She oversaw all of the organization’s science-related activities. While at BCPP, Sharima and her team produced original research and published reports and scientific articles including “Right to Know: Exposing Toxic Fragrance Chemicals in Beauty, Personal Care and Cleaning Products”. She also provided scientific guidance on program and policy initiatives, helping pass 6 California laws including the California Cleaning Product Right to Know Act in 2017, partnering with Seventh Generation.
Before joining BCPP, Sharima was the founding academic coordinator at the U.C. Berkeley Institute for the Environment, where she built the institute from the ground up. Previously, she worked for the U.K. Government in the Cabinet Office (equivalent of the White House) in a variety of analyst roles that included energy, transportation, criminal justice and public health policies. She came to the U.S. to serve as Consul for Science and Technology at the U.K. Consulate-General in San Francisco, where she built collaborative research and business ties between scientists in the U.K. and California and worked on climate change policy focusing on the Western States. Sharima holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Kent at Canterbury, U.K.
Ashley Orgain:
As the Chief Impact Officer for Seventh Generation, Ashley serves as a senior leader for the Company’s Mission and environmental and social impacts. Ashley oversees the mission, strategy, and implementation of all Environmental and Social Impact priorities including, but not limited to, product standards, sustainable sourcing and supply, strategic philanthropy, business governance and transparency, industry and trade relations, public policy, and advocacy.
In 2010, Ashley became the first President of the Seventh Generation Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to promoting social and environmental progress and has overseen its transition so that 100% of Foundation grants are informed by Indigenous and directed to Indigenous communities and movements. Ashley serves on the board of VT Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) acting as a strategic planning advisor and board chair (2015-2021).
We look forward to meeting the challenges set out by our Social Mission Board as we move boldly into the future. Seventh Generation’s Director of Mission Advocacy and Outreach, Ashley Orgain, believes the SMB will play an essential role on the path ahead, “challenging us and continuing to ask us: are we going far enough?”
We can’t wait for what’s next, and we’re excited to have YOU be part of our journey.
[1] https://www.seventhgeneration.com/sites/default/files/2018-07/SVG_CC-Report_LOWRES-PREVIEW.pdf
[2] https://www.seventhgeneration.com/sites/default/files/2018-07/SVG_CC-Report_LOWRES-PREVIEW.pdf