BRANWYN | Performance Innerwear

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is honored to announce the winners in the 2024 Oregon Entrepreneurship Awards presented by Cushman & Wakefield and Umpqua Bank! EARLY STAGE AWARD WINNER Rising Wines Collective | Cori Omundson and Sandra Everingham, Co-Founders A direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform and marketplace dedicated to small-production winemakers. DEVELOPMENT STAGE AWARD WINNER Rock Paper Coin | Elizabeth Sheils and Nora Sheils, Co-Founders A female-founded and led digital platform that offers a transformative approach to how event professionals manage contracts, payments, leads, and client interactions. GROWTH STAGE AWARD WINNER BRANWYN | Performance Innerwear | Jeffrey Shafer, Founder Producing the world’s first and only ethically sourced, naturally sustainable Performance Innerwear made by and for active women. TRAILBLAZER AWARD WINNER A Kids Co. Co | Jelani Memory, Founder A pioneering media company that creates stories for kids on challenging, empowering, and important topics through books, podcasts, and video content. ENTREPRENEURIAL ACHIEVEMENT WINNER Seth Tibbott | Founder, Tofurky COMMUNITY CATALYST AWARD HONOREES EDCO - Economic Development for Central Oregon Chris Maga?a – IMS Capital Management, Inc. Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) Find out more about our finalists and winners here >>> https://lnkd.in/gRGbiiMz

One basic pieces of advice when it comes to avoiding hazardous chemicals in clothing is: “avoid performance and promises.” That means fancy logos and slogans on your clothing that promise it’s stain repellent, water resistant, wrinkle-free, and easy care. But does “sweat-wicking” fall into this category? If something promises to wick moisture away to increase your athletic performance, does that mean it could contain carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and skin sensitizers? Normally this explainer would be only for our Health and Pro members, but BRANWYN | Performance Innerwear has generously sponsored it to make it free for everyone.

Are there hidden chemicals lurking in our underwear? If you listened to the 10-part Forever Chemicals series we released earlier this year, you'll know that dangerous chemicals like PFAS can enter our clothing, including our underwear. The issue is that chemicals like PFAS and BPA are known endocrine disruptors, impacting our hormones. If you're an active individual, those chemicals can be absorbed into some of the most delicate parts of your body. I'm excited to share a conversation I had with Deanne Buck, the current president of BRANWYN, to help explain how these chemicals end up in our underwear and how we can avoid them. Deanne is a driving force behind BRANWYN | Performance Innerwear, based in Bend, Oregon. She is passionate about the world's first ethically sourced, naturally sustainable Performance Innerwear explicitly designed for active women. Deanne's commitment to storytelling and community empowerment is reflected in BRANWYN's ethos, "Find A Way," which inspires women to embrace their unique needs through thoughtfully designed apparel. With a focus on sustainability and social impact, BRANWYN not only revolutionizes women's innerwear but also champions the development of self-confidence in girls and women through outdoor activities and movement. Link in comments to listen. Thank you Stacy Kline for organizing this interview. #pfas #bpa #textiles #outdoorindustry