Producer: ECOS
CEO: Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks
Location: Cypress, CA
Found at the Littleton Co-op: Laundry detergent, cleaning products, soap, and ice melt
Website: Ecos.com
Our modern day food systems were built on the backs of People of Color (POC), particularly the Black community, without making room to acknowledge their important contributions. During the month of February, celebrated as Black History Month, we take intentional moments to celebrate Black entrepreneurs, inventors, and businesses that have shaped the way we eat, drink, and live. Supporting a vibrant and diverse producer network is a yearlong goal of the Littleton Co-op, and we are proud to highlight BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) voices. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
ECOS, a premier creator of plant-based cleaning products and the #1 selling green laundry detergent in the U.S., was founded by Van Vlahakis, a Greek immigrant who recognized the negative health effects of harsh chemical ingredients in cleaning products during his career as a chemist. When Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks took over as President and CEO of ECOS, she wanted to increase the depth and breadth of how the company cares about the health and wellness of people and planet. Kelly is of Greek and African American descent, and has prioritized increased access to opportunities for under-represented identities within ECOS. ECOS is currently made up of 64% of employees identifying as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and an Executive Team that is 40% BIPOC and 60% female. She also prioritizes environmental health; under her leadership, ECOS became a Climate Positivity company — the world’s first to have carbon neutral, water neutral, and TRUE Platinum Zero Waste facilities. Furthermore, ECOS has one of the highest minimum wages in the industry at $17/hour.
ECOS continues to be a company that not only makes great products, but takes great care of people and the planet, under Vlahakis-Hanks’ leadership. She is also making strides so ECOS’s vision and values are passed along to future generations, establishing the Vlahakis Organic Chemistry Lab at Roosevelt University in Chicago (her father’s alma mater) for students to research chemistry based on renewable resources.
Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.
