Benjamin Stern decided he wanted to help the planet while in 9th grade. Stern was watching a documentary in his biology class about the effects of plastic waste. He was horrified by the impact of plastic and decided he wanted to change the way we package products. He created Nohbo, a company that creates plastic-free single-use shampoo packets. The product is in a pod where the casing dissolves to release the product when in water. Nohbo has expanded from just shampoo to now also including conditioner and body wash in the pod format. They did not stop there though. They have created films of soap that turn into foaming soap when added to water and leave no remains behind. Nohbo’s expansion shows how innovation of one product can lead to a bigger need.
Benjamin Stern went on Shark Tank at just 16 years old. He even won the Young Entrepreneur Award from the governor of Florida. His determination to better the environment through a new technology makes him an admirable young entrepreneur. Having a sustainability niche creates a target audience that is definitely growing, so his product has both a clear purpose and aim audience which makes a good business model. Nohbo seeks to provide quality, sustainable products with great performance. He does not want the eco-friendly nature of them to deter from what customers are used to the products doing. Benjamin Stern values having a quality product for his customers.
Stern is a unique entrepreneur, because he was able to create an innovative product to combat a environmental issue. His product is unlike any other shampoo packaging as they all come in large quantity plastic bottles. By changing this, he has challenged the standards of the industry by promoting the environment. He exemplifies what it means to be an entrepreneur by challenging norms and being passionate. He has inspired me to want to challenge the norms that often promote hazardous behavior. He has showed me that innovation does not have to be a whole new product but could be a twist on something like packaging that turns into a huge new idea. He taught me that norms do not have to be the only way and that you are never to young to start creating change. Overall, Stern is an inspiring young entrepreneur who is making huge advances with Nohbo and the eco-friendly market.
You can visit Nohbo’s website to learn more about the technology behind the product:http://nohbo.com
That’s amazing that Benjamin started his entrepreneurial career so young! I think it’s cool that he worked on revolutionizing the container market. I definitively agree we should be open minded to new ideas that could improve what we have. With that said, however, we should cautious because there is also higher risk with higher innovation.
I like the application of existent technology to a demanded market, especially if that market cares for the environment. I hope that this company takes off, and I can definitely see more companies adopting more eco-friendly methods of producing and packaging products.