Chatting with the founders of Elemental, an eco-friendly promotional supplier based in California, it’s clear that diversity has been part of their story from the beginning, built into the very foundation of the company they have today.
“Diversity is essential for businesses to succeed,” Vinh Lieu, one of the founders, told me. “It’s not just a nice thing to do – it’s necessary.”
Vinh & Seth Inyang / CEO / Elemental
Founded in 2016 by Vinh and Seth Inyang, Elemental was designed with a purpose: to create sustainable products that people would love using. As engineers who worked in product development, Vinh and Seth know what it takes to create a product from scratch that meets their discerning specifications.
“We wanted to make stylish products people would want to use,” said Seth. “It was important to us to help eliminate single-use products from the marketplace and create something beautiful where eco-friendly would meet functional design.”
As engineers, they were confident that they could make better eco-friendly products than what was on offer seven years ago. Enter their reusable water bottle – the first product they launched using Seth’s creativity and Vinh’s technical expertise. Each bottle is crafted using food-safe stainless steel and copper lining that is BPA-free. But it’s not just the tech specs that make these bottles eminently usable – it is also their beautiful and innovative design. Take, for example, their bottle that incorporates a fidget pop handle so you can relieve stress while staying hydrated.
“There is, unfortunately, still so much waste in the promo industry,” Vinh said. “To make something truly sustainable, it’s not just about the materials you use. You want people to continue using a product repeatedly, which means developing better decoration and more personalization.” The more unique a product is, the more the recipient will want to reach for it. That makes a product already more sustainable than a less durable, less personalized alternative.
To consistently raise the bar for how sustainable promotional products are designed takes a diverse team. “It’s an advantage to be diverse,” said Seth. “When you have a team of people from different cultures and backgrounds, you will get better products because they all think differently and bring something special to the table.”
Vinh echoes this sentiment but adds that Elemental hires “based on abilities, not skin colour.” He points out that many diverse candidates are simply not given a chance to show their skills and are often not even considered for positions. “Even though we are based in California, we hire people from all over the world and from all backgrounds because we know they can do the job,” he explained. “One of our best salespeople – who recently moved to the United States – is originally from Brazil.”
For businesses that are just starting on their diversity journey, Seth advises them to “keep an open mind when hiring and be intentional about the process. It is as simple as hiring based on skill, but you must give people the opportunity first.”
As founders and managers, Seth and Vinh work hard to keep their employees feeling included and heard. “Let people talk so you can understand them,” said Vinh. “As a company, you need to be open to learning about other cultures, to celebrating holidays and birthdays, to getting everyone together. It’s easy to hire a good person, but keeping them is another thing. They need to feel empowered and celebrated in the workplace.”
They are passionate about a diverse team being able to make a better product, and there is no stronger evidence of that than their recent foray into apparel. Launching a shirt made from 50% recycled plastic and 50% used coffee grounds is quite a groundbreaking product for our industry, and it’s one that we here at Genumark are particularly excited about.
“At the 2023 PPAI Expo, everyone wanted to take pictures of the shirt and requested samples,” said Vinh. “There is a demand for these products, but there isn’t a strong enough supply yet. There’s a need but not yet enough solutions.”
Along with the need for a better, more robust, sustainable product supply chain, there is also the need for more diversity in the industry. “The industry has started to be more inclusive, but there is still work to do,” notes Seth. “The goal is to have a completely inclusive work environment because you will get the most out of your people which will serve to boost your bottom line.”
“We are the only black-owned drinkware promo business in the United States,” Vinh points out. “So, yes, we’re a diverse industry in some ways, but we are not diverse enough. We want more outreach to the black community from our industry.”
Looking into the future, Elemental will continue to push the envelope and create sustainable products with a diverse team. “It is our mission to make sustainability cool,” said Seth. “We want to make it a staple for everyone in our industry.”
After all, as Vinh pointed out: “Your company has to stand for something.”
