Sometimes, the biggest sustainability gaps are hiding in the smallest items. The story of KENT begins with a simple but profound realization. Stacy Grace, a Canadian sustainability expert living in Los Angeles, was frustrated by the lack of natural, comfortable underwear options in the market. After years in sustainable fashion, she discovered that even the most eco-conscious brands relied heavily on synthetics.
This frustration led her to create what would become the world’s first compostable clothing brand. KENT’s name nods to Superman’s alter ego, reflecting the brand’s mission to be a superhero for the environment. Stacy’s background in backyard gardening and composting, combined with her graduate studies in sustainability, sparked the revolutionary idea: why not create underwear that could literally return to nature at the end of its life cycle?
The Entrepreneurial Journey
After extensive research and speaking with over 1,000 women about their underwear needs, Stacy developed her first…
product, the Annual Brief. She partnered with her husband, Jeff Grace, whose background in advertising and comedy brought valuable marketing expertise to the venture. Jeff had previously worked at Leo Burnett, where he helped transform Altoids into a household name.
The couple launched KENT in 2020 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic presented immediate challenges, but despite delays, customers were thrilled with the finished products, validating the couple’s vision.
The Shark Tank Pitch On the live Season 14 premiere of Shark Tank, Jeff and Stacy Grace entered the tank seeking $200,000 for 5% equity, valuing their company at $4 million.
Their pitch brought attention to a staggering environmental problem: 11 million pounds of underwear end up in landfills daily in the USA, and 85% of textiles are made from plastic fibers…
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