In 2018, Steph Hon confronted a dilemma whereas preparing for a rock-climbing journey in West Virginia’s craggy panorama. Struggling to pack her multistep magnificence routine into a large number of leaky, plastic, single-use bottles. She felt pissed off by each the wastefulness and impracticality of conventional journey containers. Like many outside lovers, she sought an answer that would stand up to rugged adventures with out creating pointless garbage. Even when she recycled the toiletry containers, she knew they’d seemingly wind up within the landfill anyway: In accordance with a current report from Past Plastics, solely about 5 to six% of plastics had been post-consumer recycled in 2021—and far of that also finally ends up incinerated or discarded as a consequence of contamination and infrastructure limitations.
Hon believed there needed to be a greater approach. Whereas the documentary filmmaker and dancer had no background in product design or manufacturing, she did have a transparent imaginative and prescient for constructing one thing totally new: a sturdy, adaptable, and sustainable storage system designed to fulfill the calls for of outside journey.
Constructing something modern takes time, and Hon spent greater than three years, 207 prototypes and 4 patents designing the Cadence refillable, modular storage system. The model’s signature, leakproof Capsules are available a spread of sizes designed to carry all the pieces from tenting and backpacking necessities—like sunscreen, insect repellent and first-aid requirements—to non-public objects like skincare and drugs. The magnetic, customizable Capsules are designed to seamlessly combine into an out of doors pack, making it simpler for adventurers to hold precisely what they want—with out extra weight or waste.
“Everybody instructed us it wasn’t doable,” Hon says. “The fee, the manufacturing, the complexity—it was all an excessive amount of. Modular merchandise are already difficult, and including a patented magnetic system and customized interchangeable labels? Nobody thought it could possibly be accomplished.” However Hon knew it could possibly be—and he or she did it.
Hon designed Cadence to be greater than only a product—it’s a part of your journey. Whether or not you’re backpacking via nationwide parks, climbing regret peaks or heading out for a weekend tenting journey, the sturdy, TSA-compliant Cadence Capsules are constructed to face up to the weather whereas holding necessities neatly organized. Made with as much as 20% recycled plastics collected from seashores and one other 30% from manufacturing scraps, Cadence Capsules replicate Hon’s dedication to decreasing plastic waste within the very outside areas we discover. And when you’re accomplished utilizing your Capsules (years from now), you may even ship them again to be recycled into new ones.
The early days of constructing Cadence had been something however simple. “I didn’t come from this trade, so I felt like an outsider,” Hon says. “My idyllic bubble burst once I realized buyers don’t need to finance new merchandise.” For a lot of outside trade entrepreneurs—particularly founders who’re Black, Indigenous, Latina/o/x and Asian American and Pacific Islander folks—accessing capital, manufacturing capability, and buyer channels may be vital limitations to success. For Hon, discovering the fitting mechanical engineer was one other uphill battle—candidates for the place saved insisting her imaginative and prescient couldn’t grow to be actuality. When she met Graeme Greenwood, nevertheless, their shared scrappy, resourceful mindset instantly clicked. Greenwood grew to become lead of product at Cadence, overseeing high quality management, manufacturing and product improvement.
In 2023, Path Forward Ventures, an REI Co-op company enterprise fund, invested in Cadence as a part of its dedication to supporting numerous founders who’re redefining the way forward for the outside trade. Path Forward Ventures (PAV) is devoted to supporting founders with funding, sources, and networks—guaranteeing that modern, customer-obsessed firms like Cadence can thrive and scale.
Cadence, led by Hon, embodies the values that PAV champions: sustainability, considerate design and innovation that enhances the outside expertise. By becoming a member of the Path Forward Ventures portfolio, Cadence positive aspects entry not solely to capital but additionally strategic mentorship, retail experience and a neighborhood of like-minded entrepreneurs shaping a extra forward-thinking outside trade.
Path Forward Ventures’ funding director, Payam Daniel Abbassian, emphasizes the importance of Cadence becoming a member of the portfolio. “Cadence is an ideal instance of the type of model we need to assist—one that’s dedicated to sustainability, consumer-first innovation and elevating main voices within the trade,” he says. “Hon and the workforce at Cadence are constructing one thing really particular, and we’re excited to assist speed up their progress and assist them ship an distinctive buyer expertise.”
You will discover Cadence merchandise on-line at REI.com and in choose retail areas. Comply with @keepyourcadence to remain up to date, get behind-the-scenes design insights and see how each product is a real labor of affection.
The submit Founder Highlight: Steph Hon, Cadence appeared first on Unusual Path – An REI Co-op Publication.
