Ace of Air: Sustainable Wellness for Super Humans

DEAR ACE OF AIR EARLY ELEVATE-ORS,

In the fall of 2017, Petra and I began creating the business of our dreams—an uplifting, inclusive brand with powerfully nourishing skincare and supplements designed to have a positive impact on our planet. We did this not because we thought the world needed another beauty and wellness brand (it doesn’t); we did this because the planet needs a beauty and wellness brand that fundamentally changes what and how we consume.

We get it—we all want products that help us look and feel great. Unfortunately, the skincare and supplements industry ($50 billion and growing in the US) creates enormous waste primarily in the form of single-use plastic. Did you know that only 7 to 9% of plastic gets recycled in the US? And that number is trending the wrong way. More than 75% of the over 9 billion tons of plastic produced in the last half century is lying in a landfill, swirling in the ocean or has turned into microplastics that kill our wildlife and contaminate our food chain. By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish, by weight, in the ocean. Per capita, the US has the highest plastic consumption in the world. These facts are now as familiar as they are sobering.

The industry is responding to this accelerating crisis with a lot of promises—claims and commitments to be recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, reusable, refillable, returnable, you name it. It’s progress, though not nearly enough.

At Ace of Air, we prefer actions to adjectives, specifically “reduce” and “reuse.” We are a “buy the product, borrow the package” model with valuable packaging designed to be reused 100+ times. 

Ace of Air helps people contribute to a better planet by empowering humans to change their consumption by #aiminghigher. We are 100% responsible for the entire lifecycle of our packaging. Due to complex pumps and mixed-use materials, beauty packaging is notoriously difficult to recycle. Supplement packaging is equally problematic due to the plastic film and extra protections needed to maintain its stability and shelf life. Ace of Air will inspire conscious consumption—making it easier and economically viable for buyers to use, return and reuse their long-life valuable packaging rather than purchasing a throwaway package (AKA the current industry standard.) We are proud to have developed a truly zero-waste system that keeps packaging from ending up in landfills and waterways.

Petra and I are relentlessly focused on delivering a powerfully positive brand. For more than 30 years, I have worked in the consumer goods and beauty industry, including as CMO at Revlon and Coach. My very first assignment at The Boston Consulting Group included evaluating the level of effectiveness of plastic recycling. (The conclusion: very low.) Fast forward 30 years and you’ll see that very little has changed. Sadly, I know firsthand that consumerism and prevailing brand and retail practices are fueling excess waste. I feel deeply disappointed (and personally accountable) for single-use plastic consumption given what we now know, and want to make a difference. 

My amazing and inspiring co-founder Petra Nemcova has been a passionate advocate and supporter of people and our planet for the last 15 years. Petra’s mission is to inspire people and organizations to be a catalyst for a more conscious life on our planet earth. She works closely with Eco-Age and their #GreenCarpetChallenge, #GreenCarpetAwards and other initiatives to inspire and educate people about #Ethical and #SustainableFashion. She is co-founder of not-for-profit All Hands and Hearts—rebuilding schools and homes in a disaster-resilient way and has rebuilt 306 schools, serving over 113,000 children in 15 countries.

In January, we will introduce Ace of Air to the world with the launch of two Beauty Flights (state of-the-art skincare and supplement combos that boost skin from within) and two Daily Elevations (radical results-optimized supplements designed so every being can be super.) This launch is equal parts thrilling and terrifying after having spent over three years building this venture with our incredible development partners. Our partners pulled us through the endless chorus of “no's” we regularly encountered. No we don’t do that, no that’s not possible, no we can’t do that. We joke on our team that if we don’t get at least 3 no's, and a couple of “you’re crazy” looks, we must be asking the wrong question.

From the very beginning, we have been inspired by innovative brands like Tesla and S’well, Beauty Counter and Plaine Products, Patagonia and Rent the Runway, Allbirds and Kjaer Weis. We did lifecycle analyses to ensure we are focused on the highest impact problems, and did materials research to identify the highest impact solutions.

Our north star is Mother Earth, as she produces abundance without waste. Ace of Air will continue to evolve our standards and practices to most closely emulate nature’s cyclical and regenerative systems.

We are incredibly motivated by you. Your knowledge, passion, commitment, questions and support have fueled us through breakdowns and breakthroughs, as well as a global pandemic. We also love hearing how excited you are to work with us. By joining together, we will create positive change at scale; as stated by a future customer, this relationship will be “like joining hands with a brand and doing my part.”

We are excited for this opportunity to partner with I Fund Women and share Ace of Air with you. We are looking to build our community, and raise $100k to fund getting our message to those who want to be a part of changing the world. This funding will also support the launch of our exciting new product category, Seasonal Uplifts, powerful full-body programs that get you in tune with each season’s unique rhythms. We are starting with Spring.

We also have some really cool, fun rewards for you to join our movement. A virtual lunch with Petra and I. Early access to our beta-test group that lets you skip the waiting list and gain instant access to our products. A chance to show off your own eco-friendly activities on our IG feed. And so much more. All levels are welcome and very much appreciated. Most importantly, we hope to rally our Ace of Air “Elevate-ors”—beauty and wellness gurus that love our goals and want to be part of our mission. Thank you so much for your support in helping Ace of Air catalyze change in the industry and elevate ourselves to super human levels.

None of this would be possible without our wonderful co-founder, David Knowlton, as well as our amazingly talented expert advisors, Barent Roth, Brandi Shipp, David Restrepo, Elina K. Restrepo, Marc Reiner, Mitchell Kline and Rebecca Bartlett. It is a true joy to co-create with you.

In a world filled with so many challenges and concerns, we believe (now more than ever) in the power of us—working together to change the world.
 

WITH LOVE, GRATITUDE AND HOPE,
PETRA & STEPHANIE ✨💙💫

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INTRODUCING ACE OF AIR

Our name is inspired by the Ace of Air tarot card that symbolizes a fresh way of thinking, brilliant ideas and positive inspiration through greater self-awareness. In partnership with conscious humans who want to make mindful choices, Ace of Air is the only beauty and wellness brand that’s designed to be entirely circular—with products, packaging and practices that work together to nurture the body, feed the soul, inspire the mind and improve the world.

Expertly formulated at the intersection of herbalist medicine and modern pharmacology, our product rituals work synergistically from the inside out. We are launching in January with two Beauty Flights (state-of-the-art supplement and skincare combos that boost skin from within), plus two Daily Elevations (radical results-optimized supplements designed so every being can be super). A few weeks later, our first Seasonal Uplift (powerful full-body programs that get you in tune with each season’s unique rhythms) will be ready for spring lift off.
 

Ace of Air takes responsibility for the complete lifecycle of our packaging. We are a “buy the product, borrow the package” model where our products are packaged in 100% valuable, durable containers designed to be used again and again.

OUR CONSTELLATION PACT

With the help of our customers, we will put an end to single use packaging—manufacturing less, reusing more and recycling the right way when it’s time to retire a package.

We’ve made it as easy as possible to return every piece of our packaging so it can continue to cycle on.

We can create new connections and uplifting patterns.

Our potential is as bright as the stars and we are the creators of our future.

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