How does it feel looking back at the journey from your first natural rubber pacifier to where the brand is today?

Time is a strange thing. When I see how my children have grown, I feel the same sense of years passing when I look at Hevea. The brand has grown just like they have, from its early baby years to becoming wiser and more mature. When I launched Hevea in 2009, I had a somewhat naive belief that people would immediately understand sustainability, renewable materials, and impact driven business. At that time, almost no one did. Yet natural rubber has always been our DNA, and we continue to help people understand that it is literally sap from a tree and the true alternative to plastic. That part of the journey has stayed constant, even as the world has changed around us.

How have you grown and changed as a founder and leader over the past 15 years and what lessons stand out the most from building a sustainable business in a competitive industry?

I have grown together with the company, and my understanding of what it means to be a founder has changed completely over the past 15 years. A few years ago I actually had a much bigger business in terms of people and structure, but I realised that I had created a machine that no longer felt meaningful or enjoyable for me to be in. I wasn't happy anymore. The pressure of having to cover salaries and many fixed costs was constant, and when you insist on running a truly high quality, sustainable, and fair business, there is not much profit or margin left to absorb that pressure.

I have also learned that leadership is especially challenging when you are self employed, because you carry everything alone while the business environment around you keeps changing. At one point I had to make a very tough but necessary decision to shift from employees to working with freelancers. This gave both me and them more freedom, more flexibility, and the ability to work in a way that suits our lives instead of being tied to a traditional structure. And now I am happy again when working. 

The biggest lesson in all of this is that building a sustainable business requires courage, patience, and a willingness to choose the path that aligns with your values even when it is the harder one. It has taught me resilience, clarity, and the importance of creating a business that feels true both to the mission and to the person behind it.

What inspired this relaunch? Was there a specific turning point or realization that made you decide now was the time to reintroduce Hevea to the world?

The relaunch grew out of a clear feeling that both the world and Hevea have evolved. Over the years we have grown from being a small baby focused business into a broader lifestyle brand, and it became clear that our outward expression no longer matched who we had become. We also have an amazing brand story and heritage, and it was time to return to our roots and bring forward the essence that made Hevea special from the beginning.

The world is crying out for true alternatives to plastic, and we have an important role to play in that shift. The real turning point was recognising that our story deserved to be told with a stronger voice, one that reflects our maturity, our values, and the impact we aim to create. The relaunch is our way of honouring where we come from while stepping confidently into who we are today.

When you think about the next chapter of Hevea, what’s your vision — both for the brand and for the broader impact you want to make in sustainability and living?

My vision is for Hevea to continue leading as a responsible, beautiful, and natural alternative to plastic based products. Hevea is created to replace plastic, and we must continue to push for that change, because the world can no longer afford the impact of unnecessary plastic. I want sustainable living to feel simple, intuitive, and accessible for everyone.

Beyond the brand itself, I want Hevea to contribute meaningfully to society. We live in a world where some have far too much and too many have far too little, and both plastic pollution and poverty must be challenged with the same determination. Period poverty is one area we focus on, and it must be eliminated because no one should be held back or treated unfairly for such a basic need.

I want us to use our voice and our resources to stand for fairness, care, and shared responsibility, and to help reduce inequalities wherever we can. However we can't do it alone. We need to be together on this mission making billions of greener fingerprints as this will actually create a better world. 

Sustainability has always been core to Hevea. How has the sustainability landscape changed since you started, and how is Hevea evolving to stay ahead?

When I started, very few people were talking about sustainability. Today it has become a mainstream expectation, almost a hygiene factor, which is how it should be. But the concept has also been diluted by overuse, making it harder to distinguish real action from empty claims. To stay ahead, we focus on substance rather than slogans.

We are proud to be a certified B Corp, and even prouder that our score has improved by 15 percent in the last three years. This shows meaningful progress, while also reminding us that there is always more we can do. We are strengthening our supply chains, increasing transparency, and continuing to innovate within natural rubber so we remain a genuine alternative to plastic in a world that urgently needs responsible solutions.

Running a purpose-driven brand can be deeply personal. What continues to motivate you day-to-day, and how do you stay connected to the heart of Hevea’s mission?

I am motivated by the knowledge that we are creating products that are better for children, better for pets, and better for the planet they will grow up in. Knowing that Hevea is making a positive impact on people’s daily lives, while being made through a fair and responsible supply chain, gives me a deep sense of purpose. I stay connected to our mission by listening to families, working closely with our team and partners, and continually returning to the reasons I began this journey.

I truly believe that companies should use their business as a force for good, and seeing the difference we can make for people, for animals, and for the planet energises me every single day. It makes the work feel meaningful in a way that continues to guide and inspire me.

If you could fast-forward another 15 years, what would you hope people are saying about Hevea — and about your role in shaping its legacy?

I hope people will say that Hevea stayed true to its values and consistently offered real alternatives to plastic when it mattered most. That we used our business not only to create products, but to create positive impact for people, animals and for the planet. And about my role, I hope the legacy is that I helped prove that even a small company can lead with purpose, hold firm to its values, and contribute to reducing inequality and protecting nature. If people feel that Hevea made a genuine difference, then the journey has been worthwhile.

Best Regards,

Terese Hoffeldt

Founder & CEO