Woman-Owned Business Profile: Regift The Wrap
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on the female entrepreneurs who have come through (or are currently participating in) reSET’s Impact Accelerator program. Linda Longobardi came up with the idea of re-giftable fabric gift wrap while watching her niece’s children unwrap gifts, leaving behind a crumpled heap of wrapping paper waiting to be thrown out and ultimately wind up in a landfill. She knew there had to be a better way to give a gift that didn’t produce so much waste.
Meet Linda Longobardi of Regift The Wrap
Linda Longobardi, Founder & President of Regift The Wrap, is creating a movement to “shift the way you gift,” by replacing wrapping paper and tape with funky, innovative, reusable stretch fabric that prevents trees from being cut down as well as reducing tons of waste in our landfills created by discarded, conventional wrapping paper.
reSET: Tell us about Regift The Wrap.
Linda: I have created a reusable stretch fabric gift wrap that allows a consumer to wrap a gift in seconds without tape or scissors. This beautiful wrap becomes a part of the gift instead of the part that gets thrown away and it reusable over 50 times, saving the environment!
reSET: How did participating in reSET’s Impact Accelerator help you and your business?
Linda: Being a part of reSET was an amazing experience. Learning about business, meeting mentors and investors, learning how to pitch and stay confident is something everyone needs assistance with. The best part was getting to know the other amazing cohort members and learning about their businesses.
reSET: What are some challenges you’ve faced and overcome as a female business owner?
Linda: My challenges as a female were more about how I have lived my married life-very traditional mom/wife with a small interior design business on the side. I didn’t pay the bills, balance the checkbook or know the business world at all. Unfortunately, I became separated a month before starting with ReSet and ultimately got divorced. So I had to learn very quickly many things that were incredibly foreign to me. Being in such a supportive environment gave me the confidence I needed to keep going! Happily, I don’t feel like I have ever been disregarded or disrespected because I am a woman-and actually sometimes it’s just the opposite.
reSET: Who are your female role models?
Linda: One of my female role models is Kelly Brogan, M.D. She is an extremely bright physician and Naturopath who is leading the way to better health care in a more holistic way. She’s not afraid to speak up even when she is talking about very controversial topics. In fact, she delivers her messages with grace, dignity and knowledge.
reSET: What’s one piece of advice you have for fellow female entrepreneurs?
Linda: I would always encourage any entrepreneur but especially a woman because it seems as though we are always putting everyone else’s needs before our own and yet we have the most amazing ideas!! It’s so important to nurture your idea, dream or invention and focus on a direction that will take you where you need to be. I would also encourage her to try hard but to understand that if it doesn’t work out, it will still be a life-changing experience in which she will grow.
reSET: Anything else we should know? Are there any other women that help keep Regift The Wrap up and running?
Linda: I am currently working with Suzanne Annunziata from Blackdog Design Partners for her marketing expertise. Suzanne has taken me under her wing because she too believes in helping other women!
Address:
1429 Park Street, Suite 114, Hartford, CT 06106
Phone:
(860) 560-9120
Social Enterprise Trust, Inc is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501 (c)(3). .