Bella Tunno, a maker of unique baby products, has joined 3,300 other companies world-wide as a Certified B Corp.
The Charlotte-based company, founded by Michelle Tunno Buelow in 2005, is only the 50th company in North Carolina, and one of three in the Queen City, to have earned the designation. Well-known brands like Patagonia, Toms and Warby Parker are among those certified.
To become a B Corp, a company's purpose and profit must be of equal importance. Buelow said the process took about nine months and took a close examination in the startup's team, company culture, community engagement, product sustainability and service and customer base.
"At the end of the day, if you’re certified, that means you are exactly who you say you are," she said. "And that feels really good. We have always existed for a greater purpose, and we know that, but now the rest of the world does too."
The silicone product range includes bibs, teethers, pacifier clips, bowls, trays and spoons that are heat resistant and easy to clean. Other product lines includes plush, machine-washable teethers called Happy Sidekicks, and Happy Knees knee pads to protect your little crawlers.
Buelow founded Bella Tunno during her first pregnancy and after the loss of her brother, Matt. Her mission, from the beginning, was to honor his memory and work to de-stigmatize addiction.
During that time, a portion of every sale was donated to the Charlotte Rescue Mission.
"So often when people die under a dark cloud, there’s so much pain and the only thing people remember is the darkness," she said. "I was determined to start a company that had his name in it because the Tunno name kind of died with him."
In addition to its continued work with the rescue mission, Buelow said Bella Tunno is now focused on helping to combat child hunger across the globe. For every one product sold, a meal is provided to a child through the company's partnerships with Feeding America and The Global Foodbanking Network.
"One in six kids go to bed hungry; that stat grabbed me so hard," she said. "I woke up and went to bed thinking about it."
Buelow said one of the things people most frequently ask her is, "Why baby products?"
"The market was full of ducks and trucks and gingham, and that’s not who I am," she said. "I don’t like expected. I don’t like basic.... I saw an opportunity."
She said Bella Tunno creates top-of-the-line products that are conversation starters.
"They’re fun, cheeky little things, but we also want to start a conversation about bigger issues," she said. "It’s a vehicle to make this world better than we found it. We couldn’t do that if our products weren’t awesome."
Two of the companies product lines --- Kindness Collection, available now; and Little Activist Collection, which launches July 15 --- are aimed at doing just that. The product lines are currently available in Target, Buy-Buy Baby and Nordstrom.
"I feel like we’re at a place where our products are really aligned with our mission," she said. "You’re never too young to start wanting better and doing better. If parents are choosing these messages for their children to wear, other people see that they’re taking a stand, and that's through our products."
