Episode: 2 See Jane Enjoy Sex Ed with Polly Rodriguez
Can a sex toy startup qualify as a social impact company?
Oh. Hell. Yes.
Especially when that company was founded by women, for women and femme identifying women (in ALL stages of life, not just the tight and perky years), by a female founder who had to reclaim her sexual well being after a devastating diagnosis opened her eyes to how often women feel marginalized when it comes to whole body health and enjoyment.
Polly Rodriguez has a special place in my heart because her company, Unbound, is part of the See Jane Invest Portfolio. I often talk about Unbound as one of my social impact investments and given that their website features various vibrators and lubricants, this often gets me blank stares and slow, confused blinking.
But in this episode, Polly and I unpack all the reasons why this is so a social impact company.
Like how the origin story of Unbound is deeply personal to Polly and one that, unfortunately, many women (including me) can relate to in one respect or another.
Or how Unbound seeks to empower women with information needed in order to truly be informed and explorative of their sexual health.
And why offering this information has (at best) made some investors shy away and (at worst) led to death threats.
Notable Moments:
- Learn how Polly transformed a cancer diagnosis and early onset menopause at 21 into becoming the founder of a sexual health and wellness tech startup with its own line of vibrators
- Discover how Kelly decided to invest in Unbound after realizing she and Polly had an almost identical freak out moment shopping at their local intimate product stores.
- Find out why both Polly and Kelly believe a sex toy company curated by women for women, femme identifying and non-binary individuals is definitely a social impact company.
- Polly discusses how Unbound offered its customers and followers a chance to engage in the national conversation around sexual and reproductive health with legislators.
- Why really understanding the values of your brand, even if it’s controversial, is so important for attracting the people who will love you over the people who will merely like you.
- How moving into manufacturing both liberated and challenged Unbound.