I like my stuff like I like my friends: cool, smart, funny, and pretty nerdy. And while my hometown of New London does a good job of providing me with the latter, for the former, I have to do a little bit of looking around. So imagine my delight when Cognitive Surplus popped up! Science-themed, useful products produced thoughtfully and sustainably by a minority woman-owned business – pretty perfect, right?

In 2013, Kristen and her husband Geoff started designing and hand-making sustainable goods to celebrate science in a tiny NYC apartment. From those days of screen printing and storing wares beneath a lofted bed, they’ve come a long way. They traded Manhattan for Central Oregon’s high desert, but their mission has stayed the same: design and build goods that show-off the beauty of science while trying to leave the world just a little better than they found it.

The company’s current staff ranges in age from people in their early 20s to their late 60s, are a pretty balanced array of genders and orientations, and 30% of the staff has a disability. In addition, they have an onsite compost bin to turn food scraps and coffee grounds into garden soil, they collect and drive plastic film to a special drop point where it can be recycled, and each year they conduct an energy audit to look for ways to improve efficiency. From certified fair-trade organic to 100% recycled materials, this business is always working to find opportunities to use less water and fuel, eliminate plastics, and minimize waste so that they can continue to operate with pride for decades to come.

Check it out for yourself! Visit www.cognitive-surplus.com today!