When Lili Yeo gave birth to her daughter, she couldn’t find baby clothes that were pretty and functional and environmentally friendly. She called Linsey Fuller, her good friend since high school, to find out what clothing she had used for her babies. Linsey was an “old hand” at motherhood, and she had had the same problem. Linsey remembered how her babies wriggled out of their mittens and scratched the soft skin on their faces, arms and chests with their fingernails. Socks that should have been keeping their little feet warm kept fell off. Pajamas rode up and made diaper changes more difficult than necessary.
Lili and Linsey realized there was a need and they could fill it. Lili had spent 15 years jetting around North America, Europe and Asia developing brand identities, product designs and marketing strategies for companies like Nike and Ziba Design. Linsey worked in research and development and sales and had co-founded Age to Come Apparel for children. And GoumiKids was born, named after the small but mighty, scarlet-colored goumi berries that improve the surrounding environment with the nitrogen they add to the soil.
Goumi Kids features naturally antimicrobial baby clothing made from 70% bamboo-derived viscose and 30% organic cotton that is luxuriously soft and environmentally sustainable. The fabric is so breathable that it keeps baby warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Velcro straps and ample elastic around the wrists and ankles keep clothing in place no matter how active your little one is.
- GoumiMitts, for newborns of all sizes, are designed to stay on, engage baby’s senses and are totally adorable. The signature two-part closure system also adjusts so that the mittens fit as baby grows.
- GoumiBoots stay put with the same two-part closure. No matter how clever, your baby will not be able to remove them. They adjust as baby grows. Boots for babies from 6 to 12 months old have a super grip on the soles.
- GoumiJamms can handle all the baby’s wiggles and wobbles. The Jamms are integrated with the Mitts, and the patented reversible bottom pocket allows easy access for the diaper change. Convert from a gown to a sleeper with the snap of a button.
GoumiKids products are now sold in 16 countries, including more than 600 baby boutiques and department stores, such as Nordstrom, across North America, as well as on their website and on Amazon. Hospitals buy directly from the company to use the mittens on newborns in neonatal intensive care units.
Lili and Linsey have created just the kind of company they wanted—one that allows them to produce better baby garments that are beautiful and good for our planet and also allows them to be moms, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
Lili and Linsey donate 10% of the company’s profits and 100% of all profits from their Goumi-giving print. Their primary concern is in preventing human trafficking that is especially prevalent in the Philippines, where Lili was born and Linsey has family ties. Also, Portland, OR, their hometown, has the highest rate of juvenile trafficking in the US. They partner with India Partners in India and Solid Ground International in the Philippines, both of which provide food, clothing, counseling, education and spiritual support for victims. They have also donated more than 12,000 pairs of mitts and boots to babies in need.