30 Under 30
Molly Hayward '10, founder and CEO of the organic premium feminine hygiene product startup Cora, has been named to the Forbes 2017 30 Under 30 list for retail and e-commerce.
Cora provides organic feminine products to women, with a twist: profits from each sale fund a month’s supply of feminine products for girls in a developing country so they can attend school or work.
"Through Cora's commitment… nearly 200,000 pads and menstrual products have been given to women and girls in need," Hayward said. Cora’s products are also manufactured in rural villages and impoverished urban areas to support the local economy and employ women who live there.
Hayward's passion for social justice was initially sparked as a first-year College student, when she participated in a study away opportunity to southeast Asia. The two-week trip through Vietnam and Cambodia exposed her to intense poverty, steering her academic focus from economics to social advocacy and the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy. Since that initial trip, Hayward has traveled to 13 countries to study women’s human rights and socioeconomic empowerment, shaping her company’s vision along the way.
Developing over the past three years, Cora went full bore in 2016, launching its line of organic tampons via online subscription in February. Just seven months later, Cora products could be purchased at Target stores across the country.
And 2017 looks to be an even bigger year for Hayward and Cora. More than $1.6 million was raised by Cora last year and plans are in place for even more funding this year, continuing a path of aggressive growth.
"Our aim is ensuring all women, both here in the U.S. and globally, have access to safe and healthy menstrual products."
January 24, 2017
