The MamaP Story - And The Inspiration Behind The Name "MamaP"

In 2017, I started an entrepreneurial journey. After moving to New York City and following the advice Marie Kondo shares in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up — cleansing, decluttering, and releasing what no longer serves us — I became extra intentional with what I brought into my home. I wanted to surround myself with things that aligned with my values and beliefs of helping the planet while giving back. I also wanted the products to be beautiful because I was making my home beautiful. The challenge was finding things that met my criteria. 

I decided to create these essentials for myself starting with bamboo toothbrushes. A toothbrush is something used multiple times a day, needs to be replaced frequently, and is likely to be made of plastic. Every year in the US, 1 billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year. Bamboo toothbrushes already in the market were not beautifully designed and often came packaged and shipped in plastic. The category was ripe for reinvention.

Early on, I started selling at a market in the Upper West Side in NYC. This market drew locals and tourists from across the US and world. In the span of a year, I spoke with over a thousand people about MamaP, sustainability, and social impact. These were rich focus groups built on community and customer loyalty. 

The common thread - people inherently want to do good and have the ability to make choices that align with their values. They wanted to do good and live better, every day. 

Customers returned to the market and told me how a MamaP bamboo toothbrush made them happy. Every time they brushed, they thought about their choice to reduce plastic and how they will continue supporting their cause. Brushing their teeth made them feel happy and fulfilled. 

Hearing real-time customer feedback drove me to keep going and scale the brand. My mission is enabling everyone to have access to sustainable products tied with a social impact mission. MamaP is more than a products company, we are a lifestyle brand building a community to do good, every day.

Today MamaP is a fast-growing sustainable & social impact #CPG featured in the Wall Street Journal and on Good Morning America. Recently signed up with Kroger and other national distributors. MamaP is woman-and-Latinx-owned, with over 80% women/minority employed. The values of diversity and inclusion drive us.

The name MamaP? Inspired by a business school consulting trip to Machu Picchu, where a guide left our group with a message. “Here in Peru, we believe if you take care of Pachamama (Mother Earth), in turn she’ll take care of you.” This message stayed with me through the years. When the company was being created, I used this message as the North Star - building a company that takes care of Mother Earth. So I thought, if Pachamama were reincarnated today, she’d tell you to just call her “MamaP”.

-Suzan Hernandez
Founder & CEO