Written by The Creative Futures Incubator supports the region’s creative businesses, helping each start-up harness the wealth of opportunities available to them. More about Creative Futures here
“Every year 5 million tonnes of wrapping paper are sent to landfill sites around the UK!“
Meet Jessie Danger, (pronounced: anger with a D) a woman on a mission to encourage more considerate and thoughtful giving. Her aim is to make sustainable choices easy, stylish and desirable.
Jessie created her business after graduating in 2020, making handprinted reusable fabric wrapping & eco-friendly gifts. She applied to the Creative Futures Incubator soon after, realising she needed expert guidance and mentoring to help her business succeed. After 6 months in the incubator, which is based at 1 Mill Street in Leamington Spa, she is now confident and focused – with business targets set, and expansion plans already underway – selling sustainable company gifting hampers. She is now looking forward to her first Christmas period, where she will be selling at local markets, pop-up shops and online.
“Gifts with a conscience”
Check out Jessie’s website here: www.jessiedanger.co.uk/
Jessie said: “I strive to make the process of making, packaging and sending my products as sustainable and transparent as possible. All my fabric gift wrapping and bags are designed to be reused by a recipient or passed on to wrap another gift in. This way, I want to eliminate the waste produced by traditional single-use wrapping paper. The paint I use to print my fabric wrapping is 100% solvent-free, vegan and uses GMO-free vegetable extracts. Depending on your order, I send my products in either completely compostable bags or eco-friendly jiffy bags made from 100% recycled paper. My product packaging is made from recycled FSC certified card.”
Warwick Innovation District recently caught up with Jessie in her barn studio near Rugby, watch her at work and learn how start-up businesses can benefit from the free support she gained. Watch below.
Start-up Advice
Jessie said: “My advice to anyone thinking of a starting a business is to give it a go, because whatever happens you will learn so much. My top tip is to network with other start-ups, whether that’s through your University, networking groups, coworking spaces or even social media, because you will be able to give each other so much support. Good luck and be brave!”
“Being on the Creative Futures Incubator and being in a space with other people, to interact with people and share ideas was exactly what I needed.”
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We are passionate about creating a diverse talent pipeline which responds to skills gaps within the creative sector, increasing the opportunities for students, graduates and local business. Our work focuses on knowledge exchange, business engagement, employability and talent, drawing on the University of Warwick’s excellence in education and research.
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