Corporate Swag Goes Green
Tara Milburn is founder and chief executive officer of Ethical Swag, a certified B Corporation and leader in responsibly produced and sourced promotional products.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Leading Ethical Swag so that it retains its values of sustainability, inclusion, and ethical sourcing, while also building a company that is resilient and agile.
EXPERIENCE: Chief executive officer, Mimir Networks; director, foreign direct investment, Nova Scotia Business, Inc.; director, communications and marketing, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games; director, business development and customer care, Canuck Sports & Entertainment.
EDUCATION: BComm, communication and marketing, Mount Allison University.
I started Ethical Swag because I was interested in doing business differently. I love business. But after 30 years in corporate life, I wanted to start my own company and demonstrate that we could do things differently.
The day after I resigned from my corporate job, I received four job offers. One was with a well-funded cybersecurity startup. I told the founder I didn’t know anything about cybersecurity. He said he didn’t know a lot about business, so together we might be able to do something interesting.
I joined the company. But after 18 months, I knew I needed more control over decisions and the ability to follow my vision. I wanted to create an organization whose mission is to significantly improve the lives of its employees, suppliers, and clients.
Initially, I didn’t know what my company would be. Then during a meeting, I recognized the frequent disconnect between what people said their companies stood for, and the products on which they put their logo. That led me to think about sustainability in the swag industry.
Going All In
In fall 2017, I made Ethical Swag my full-time focus. I launched our website in 2018 and hired my first employee at the beginning of 2019.
During my research, buyers said, ‘I’d love to be more sustainable, but it’s either too expensive or the products are no good.’ I needed to figure out how to procure promotional products in a way that considers the people making them, the people buying them, the materials that go into them, and how they’re transported.
I rolled up my sleeves and pretty quickly found organizations that thought like me. For example, The Quality Certification Alliance was a third-party certification organization within the industry. It looked at product quality, supply chains, security, and labor practices. I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel, and instead, was able to use resources specific to our industry as I built up a certification and compliance department within Ethical Swag.
At Ethical Swag, we have very clear definitions around our mission and values. For customers, we have an emoji system: good, better, best. It’s about meeting our customers where they are. If they can’t do ‘best,’ that’s okay. There’s no judgment.
It’s not about being perfect, it’s about progress. For instance, ‘good’ products are the same products others are selling, but we’ve looked under the hood of the supply chain to make sure we understand where the product is coming from and how it’s made.
Early in my career, I was with the Vancouver Canucks, an NHL team. The owner wanted to build the first privately funded hockey arena for his team. At the time, major sports arenas were publicly funded.
He didn’t have land or money, but he had an idea. And now there’s a state-of-the-art arena in Vancouver, British Columbia that has unlocked other opportunities as well, including the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. His success made me realize you can think things and make them happen.
Through my experience with the Olympic bid, I recognized the ability of business to solve big problems. I was lucky to work with some inspirational leaders who gave me the courage and motivation to look at business as a vehicle for change.
Tara Milburn Answers the Big Questions
1. If you could compete in the Olympics, what sport would you choose?
Soccer. I played semi-pro when I was younger and have always loved the sport.
2. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
The ability to teleport. I’d love to be able to have Easter dinner with my family and not have them have to travel. Instead, they can pursue their dreams, wherever that may be, and I can pursue my dreams, but we’d be able to be together without it being a challenge.
3. What book, movie, or other work has had an impact on you?
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry shows that despite overwhelming hardship, we still have the power to maintain a sense of purpose and dignity. How we show up in the world is important.