Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Pinner.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a self-proclaimed “circular economy nerd.” I am deeply passionate about designing products and systems that reduce waste by “doing better with less.” Before Beni, I pursued this passion at Imperfect Foods, an online grocery company focused on fighting food waste.
While at Imperfect Foods, I saw the power of creating products and services that make sustainable alternatives very easy and accessible to everyone. I took this lens with me when I went to Northwestern to pursue my MBA. Not intending to start a business, while in business school, I was struck by how often I kept having the same conversation with friends related to secondhand shopping. They’d say: “Yea, I know I should buy secondhand – it’s cheaper and more sustainable – but I just don’t want to learn a whole new way of shopping.” I recognized that there was a big opportunity to make shopping secondhand more accessible to everyday shoppers, which would in turn, reduce the burden of fashion on the planet. This is what led to Beni.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy bumpy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely bumps! I think with any startup, there are challenges. Like many startups, there have been times where we broke things, almost ran out of money, and felt burnt out. But overall, the trajectory has been positive, and we are fueled by all of the users who are using Beni and the purchases we are redirecting to resale.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
You can think of Beni sort of like a secondhand shopping assistant. We know that, while many shoppers want to buy clothing secondhand, most folks simply don’t have the time, desire, or know-how to sift through all of the marketplaces online. Beni is designed to make it super simple for these shoppers to find and buy through resale. Beni partners with 100 resale marketplaces, aggregating over 200M resale listings into one place. Through the Beni Extension (on mobile and desktop), we nudge shoppers when they’re browsing a specific retail product to let them know we’ve found a secondhand version of that item. Through Beni Search (beta), we let customers directly access our database of 200M resale items by looking up specific products they want to buy. Beni Search is basically like Google flights for resale. Together, Beni is designed to meet customers where they’re already shopping, helping shoppers to buy used over new.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’ve always been driven by the sentiment that one should “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” I’ve always been motivated to make a difference and to have an impact on the people and places around me. I usually would volunteer to lead groups or start a new project. Creativity has also been a big part of my life. I’m a lifelong dancer and painter. I like to perform and have never been afraid of public speaking. My family would probably say that when I was young, I was creative and driven, a bit of a know-it-all, and was always “collecting” things (trash) to turn into art projects.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joinbeni.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/join_beni/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopwithbeni
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbeni/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@join_beni?lang=en
