Innovating for Impact: Pioneering Sustainability in the Toy Industry
Jessica Rolph ’97, MBA ’04, is a mission-driven entrepreneur and category creator dedicated to addressing the negative impacts of climate change for future generations. As the cofounder and CEO of Lovevery, she promotes an early learning system that provides stage-based play essentials for children and multichannel content to support parents. Rolph is also the cofounder of Happy Family, an organic baby and toddler brand in the US, and Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit that helps companies in the natural products industry take meaningful actions toward reversing climate change.
Through these ventures, Rolph is paving the way for sustainable practices in the business world. Over 22 years ago, “I remember choosing Cornell because it was one of the only MBA programs that had a clear focus on social impact and sustainability,” she says. “The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise formalized my commitment, and I am deeply honored to be included in this celebration.”
She’s one of the 20 for 20 Notable Alumni being honored in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise (CSGE)at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.
Learn more about Rolph in this Q&A.
Fostering sustainability through innovation
Q. What drives your commitment and focus in environmental and/or social impact? What impact do you want to have in the world?
Rolph: There was a time when people thought it was perfectly OK to throw garbage out the window of a moving car. I think our children and grandchildren will look back on a lot of the things we’re doing to the environment now with equal disapproval and regret. I want to mitigate that. When I reflect back on my life one day, I want to see that I did more than my share of the work to stop the negative effects of climate change.
Q. Describe a project or initiative related to sustainability that you are particularly proud of and how it has influenced your role, company, industry, or community.
Rolph: From the outset, Lovevery was designed on the commitment to sustainability, where product lifetime is maximized to eventually be passed down to another sibling, friend, or family member. Realistically, we know that playthings can be easily damaged or misplaced, so we created the lost parts program. Through this program, if a customer happens to lose a puzzle piece or some buttons from the Mosaic Button Board, for example, we send them a replacement. To date, we have fulfilled over 49,000 part requests, preventing incomplete products from automatically going to the landfill.
Q. Can you share some insights or lessons learned from your experiences that may inspire current students who want to be sustainability leaders?
Rolph: When it comes to leading sustainable business, personal passion is critical, along with partnering with like-minded individuals and businesses. My cofounder, Rod Morris, is equally passionate about creating positive climate outcomes for future generations. Our shared commitment allows us to keep sustainable practices at the core of our operations at Lovevery. In addition, we are proud to partner with manufacturers who uphold some of the highest sustainability standards in the industry. In fact, Lovevery products are produced in factories powered by 200,000 square feet of renewable solar energy panels (about four football fields’ worth).
Overcoming cost challenges
Q. Describe the biggest challenge you encountered as you built your career in sustainability and how you overcame it.
Rolph: As Lovevery continues to work towards achieving profitability, there are a lot of pressures surrounding cutting costs. Although lower quality and durability with cheaper materials is an “easy” way to do so, it is also known that these changes lead to an increase in disposable products that eventually end up in landfills.
So how do we cut costs while maintaining our commitment to sustainability?
The answer lies in utilizing the most efficient shipping and transportation possible. By opening up new warehouses and diversifying our ocean freight lanes, we’ve been able to lower the average number of days in transit for every order, which has significantly reduced the amount of carbon we emit. In fact, over the past three years, we’ve successfully lowered the carbon footprint on the last mile of shipping in the US by 63%. Eventually, we aim to achieve a net zero goal in all areas of our supply chain.
Better logistics is a win-win for both financial and environmental sustainability.
Balancing work and life
Q. What do you do to recharge?
Rolph: With a busy schedule, I prioritize spending time with my children and my husband and talking to my parents on the phone. My 14-year-old is learning “Clair de Lune” on the piano as a birthday present for me—I love listening to him practice. I have recently lost multiple games of ping-pong against my 11-year-old son and tried in vain to get a job from my 9-year-old daughter who loves to be the boss and pretend she’s interviewing me in her “office.”