OmahaNebraska.com visited with Leigh Neary of Exist Green prior to this email interview.
What is your name?
Leigh Neary
What is your businesses name?
Exist Green, a zero-waste market + eco-boutique
How did you start your business?
I purchased the domain name existgreen.com almost 20 years ago, knowing that someday I would launch an eco-friendly business in the name. In the meantime, I pursued my education and career in environmental engineering, specializing in soil and groundwater remediation. As I worked to clean up old environmental disasters, I stayed updated on issues with plastic pollution, evolving data on climate change, and emerging contamination issues associated with personal care products. After 10 years of actively working as an environmental engineer, I decided it was time for me to begin tackling environmental issues from a different angle, and finally open a business under the Exist Green name.
How long have you been in business?
We opened our doors May 6, 2019, so have been open for over 3 years.
I realized as I was answering this that a lot of the questions can be answered by the attached PR sheet I put together and revised earlier this year. Please reference that for answers to some of the below questions (and maybe for a more streamlined answer to the above question).
What is your mission?
Help the community reduce their ecological footprint, while educating them on how to shop plastic-free, focus on reusable, sustainable swaps for everyday items, and buy just what they need to maintain a simple, but fulfilling lifestyle.
What do you sell?
Customers can find fresh produce, organic groceries, and plastic-free alternatives for every part of the home and body. Hundreds of items available for refill.
Please tell us about locally sourced items.
Locally grown hyper-seasonal produce, wild rice, organic popcorn, organic polenta, organic heirloom beans, locally made ceramics. We are constantly open to working with new local suppliers, which meet our strict set of criteria for
Anything special you would like to tell us about your business?
We are solar powered – and have been operating entirely zero waste ourselves since opening our doors in May 2019. All products are carefully curated for sustainable sourcing (e.g., no palm oil, petroleum products, or synthetic fragrances allowed in the products we carry)
What have you learned about business that may help other aspiring
entrepreneurs?
Understand evolution and flexibility must be part of a successful business model.
Why did you pick the Dundee neighborhood?
I lived in Dundee until my 5th birthday, so it feels like home. When moving back from California, I fell in love with the “walkability” of the neighborhood, and saw other environmental leaders residing in this area of the city.
What are some of the things that you like about Dundee?
See above
What is your website, address and public contact information?
https://existgreen.com
4914 Underwood Avenue, Suite A,
Omaha, NE 68132
402-502-0880
Are you doing something special for Dundee Day? If so, what.
Each year, Exist Green donates 100% compostable coffee cups, water and juice glasses, plates, and utensils to the annual pancake breakfast to make it a plastic-free and truly zero-waste event.
Don’t miss Dundee Day, Saturday, on 20 August in Dundee!!
Learn more at:
https://www.dundeeday.org
Want more on Dundee Days?
Check out:
Omaha Interview: Dundee Day Interview-Eric Kaplan
https://www.omahanebraska.com/blog/omaha-interview-dundee-day-interview-eric-kaplan
Dundee Day Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DundeeDay
OmahaNebraska.com Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/OmahaNebraskaDOTcom
