IBN Seed Members
When IBN formed in early 2002, several "Seed Members" were asked to provide expert input on a regular basis. These Seed Members committed to a certain level of participation to assist IBN as it ramped up its members services and departments. Each member is owned and managed by an expert product manufacturer and IBN owes them a significant debt of gratitute for the input and assistance they provided to help the organization start and grow.
Please feel free to visit Seed Members' web sites and/or send them emails to let them know what you think of IBN.
Vicki Bedell | Scott Blackson | Charlon Bobo | Ricey Clapp | Leslie Plant | Donna Maria Coles Johnson
Vicki Bedell, Seed Member
Essential Restoratives, Inc., Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Vicki Bedell, a former graphics artist and textile designer, owned Essential Restoratives
from 1992 until it closed a few years ago after she and her partner had
their first child. We've lost touch with Vicki, but here influence is still
with us. Vicki taught aromatherapy and natural skin care product making at several locations in the Cape Cod area including the New England School of Aromatherapy (under the direction of Jade Shutes), Cranberry Point Nursing Home and Provincetown High School, and regularly teaches classes at her Cape Cod shop. Vicki was recently selected to be an instructor at the Massage Therapy Institute of Cape Cod, where she will teach Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy. Vicki brings her teaching skills and insights regarding customizing skin care products to IBN, and
is instrumental in formulating a suite of products and services to cater to IBN member needs.
Scott Blackson, Seed Member
The Soap Fairy, Inc., Lewes, Delaware
http://www.soapfairy.com
scott@soapfairy.com
A former freelance photographer, Scott is the CEO of The Soap Fairy, Inc., in Lewes, Delaware. The Soap Fairy specializes in natural handmade soaps, bath salts, lip balms, aromatherapy products, and lotions. All Soap Fairy products are handmade "from scratch".
Scott teaches soap making and balm and salve making at several shops, and at The First Class, Inc., in Washington, DC. His products have been featured in numerous newspapers, and he has appeared on a local morning talk show to discuss natural toiletries manufacture. Scott is also a staff writer for the Delmarva Parent magazine. Scott's plans for 2000 include opening a small retail shop to showcase The Soap Fairy products, and expanding the wholesale/internet/private label portions of the business. Scott is also pursuing a Master's Degree in Natural Health at The Clayton College in Birmingham, AL. IBN benefits from Scott's experiences as a writer and as the owner of a fast-growing handmade toiletries business.
Charlon Bobo, Seed Member
editcopyproof.com, Santa Cruz, California
http://www.editcopyproof.com
Charlon Bobo has been making her own handmade toiletries from scratch for several years. She is the organizer of the California
Soaper's Gathering, an event which has become a mainstay of the California handmade soaping community. Charlon owns The Utopian Garden Soap Company which provides a steady stream of handmade soap to select retail outlets in the Los Angeles area. Charlon also owns The Packaging Goddess and scours the globe to provide unique and hard to find packaging materials such as beautiful organza gift pouches, decorative cello bags and tissue paper bags. Her insights into the handmade toiletries industry make her a valuable part of IBN. Charlon is a member of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild.
Ricey Clapp has been making her own aromatherapy blends since 1986 and loved doing it so much she started Aromatic Alchemy in 1991, offering catalog sales of her handmade creams, spritzers, lip balm, perfumes and more. In March of 2000 she opened Inner Sanctum Salon & Day Spa specializing in natural and holistic skincare and spa therapies. She is an esthetician with a post-graduate diploma from the International Dermal Institute, and is also certified in the highly-regarded Dr. Hauschka method of holistic skincare. Ricey is a massage therapist and physician assistant maintaining a practice in integrative bodywork and health education at Crossings: A Center for the Healing Traditions in Takoma Park, MD. She is a member of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, the American Massage Therapy Association, the National Center for Homeopathy and Artemisia Association for the Anthroposophical Renewal of Healing. IBN benefits from Ricey's expertise as a complementary care specialist, and her perspective and insights as a day spa owner.
Leslie Plant, Seed Member
Leslie's Garden, Riverdale, Maryland
http://www.lesliesgarden.com
soaplady@lesliesgarden.com
Leslie Plant tends her herb garden in Riverdale, MD, where she consistently turns its bounty into natural toiletries and healthful remedies. In 1994 she opened Leslie's Garden Handmade Soaps and has watched her business grow several-fold ever since. As a handmade toiletries maker, Leslie is intimately acquainted with the challenges associated with competing in a competitive, commercial industry while maintaining the quality associated with a real, handmade product. Leslie sells her fine handmade soaps by mail and at craft shows throughout the mid-Atlantic US, and conducts soap making and cream/salve making workshops at local recreation departments, nursuries and museums. She co-founded Joe Pye and Friends Capital Area Herbal Network, and has served as a volunteer gardener at the National Herb Garden. Leslie brings over 20 years of herbal expertise to IBN, and her experiences as a handmade soap maker
are invaluable as IBN strives to serve the needs of handmade soap makers everywhere. Leslie can be reached at soaplady@lesliesgarden.com.
Donna Maria Coles Johnson, Esq., Founder & President
donnamaria@indiebeauty.com
Donna Maria is IBN's founder and president. Donna Maria has been intimately involved in the
indie beauty industry since 1992.
Donna Maria is a graduate of the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy and has authored four books on handmade toiletries making. Her fourth book, "Making Aromatherapy Creams & Lotions," was published by Storey Books in July 2000 and is available for purchase online and in bookstores nationwide.
As an attorney, Donna Maria has several years of experience representing companies before local, state and federal regulatory bodies. Her unique legal skills and advocacy talents, coupled with her experience as a handmade toiletries manufacturer, retailer and entrepreneur, combine to provide IBN members with the most effective representation available in the industry today.
Donna Maria is a member of the public affairs and small business standing committees at the Cosmetics, Toiletries & Fragrances Association in Washington, DC. She is also a member of the the Aromatic Plant Project, the American Society of Association Executives, the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy and the Handcrafted Soap Maker's Guild. Donna Maria subscribes to dozens of trade journals and web site resources that are pertinent to the handmade toiletries market. She has been a speaker at several industry events and has authored several articles for industry trade publications including The Natural Foods Merchandiser, The Handcrafted Soap Maker's Guild Newsletter, The Aromatic Thymes, the Aromatherapy Journal (a publication of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy) and The Saponifier. Donna Maria has also been featured in several publications including Women Today Magazine, Natural Health Magazine, Pregnancy Magazine and others.
Donna Maria is at the forefront of the handmade toiletries industry and is highly qualified to represent IBN members' interests before policy makers, fellow toiletries manufacturers and consumers.
