Welcome to Broadway Stages’ Spotlight, where we feature local shops, restaurants, organizations, individuals, and venues. In celebration of Earth Month, we feature and celebrate exceptional people, businesses, and organizations who have chosen to invest their time, effort, and money in our planet. We invite you to join us in recognizing what they are doing to nurture our earth and help ensure a better world and future for us all! This week we share the story of Brooklyn-born vegan apothecary, Meow Meow Tweet.

Jeff Kurosaki (they/them) and Tara Pelletier (she/they) met in art school and work together as a collaborative artist team, where they create sculpture, music, and performances. One day in 2009, after using a gift of handmade soap, they wondered why it left their skin feeling so much better than a commercial bar. So, they set out to learn everything they could about making soap, turning their home in Brooklyn into a mini soap factory.

They loved the result and asked the opinions of their family and friends. With rave reviews from all who tried the soap, the pair were inspired to found an all-natural, vegan apothecary. Jeff and Tara named the venture Meow Meow Tweet after their two beloved cats and Jeff’s bird.

Today, Meow Meow Tweet is a small-batch skincare company that creates vegan products with pure, all-natural, and organic ingredients. From soap, natural insect repellant and deodorant to a complete facial regimen, Meow Meow Tweet is committed to creating pure, all-natural, plant and mineral-based formulas.

Meow Meow Tweet take pride in being a vegan brand and use no animal-derived ingredients. All of their products carry the Leaping Bunny International certification showing no new animal tests were used in developing any product displaying the logo.  Additionally, their Plastic Negative certification confirms that they remove twice as much plastic from the environment as they produce.

Drawing on Tara’s background as a chef and herbalist, all goods are developed as modern culinary dishes – from the sourcing of ingredients to the final creation of beautifully scented, healthful products – attention to detail (and TLC) is paramount. Moreover, Meow Meow Tweet inclusively embraces sustainability. All the packaging they use is biodegradable, recyclable, and/or reusable (and features whimsical illustrations by Jeff). But wait, their’s more! Jeff and Tara ensure that the love extends beyond their products. They champion diversity, equity, and inclusion on their team and offer living wages and benefits. For their efforts, they have received a B Corporation certification. This verifies social and environmental performance in everything from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.

As if that were not enough, Meow Meow Tweet chooses an organization every month to which they redistribute funds. They prioritize small, mutual-aid, grassroots-focused, BIPOC- and queer-led organizations that align with their values.

Meow Meow Tweet is an incredibly caring, creative, and dynamic business that is genuinely Investing in Our Planet. With so much going on, you simply must follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to keep up.

And to think that all of this grew from a simple question asked by two inquisitive and talented people one casual day in Brooklyn. Broadway Stages knows many more great sustainable ideas are growing in the minds of our New York neighbors. Together, if we all Invest in Our Planet, we can make this a safe, happy, and healthy world for generations to come!