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how do two university of missouri students operate a green apparel and accessories online store while in school?we don't sleep much! but we're able to do both factory green and school at the same time because we're incredibly passionate about both. jack and i are a couple of pre-med science geeks, so we've been honing the necessary skills needed for business for years—perfectionism and narcissism!where are you two from, what year are you in school, and what are your majors?jack is originally a texas native, but moved into the same kansas city neighborhood as me when he was eight years old. we both attended the same elementary, middle, and high school in kc, and even shared a dorm room freshman year at mizzou. in the fall, he and i will be starting up our senior year, which will be followed by medical school at the university of missouri-columbia. i double-majored in biology and history with a minor in chemistry, and jack is a biology major with a double minor in chemistry and psychology. major nerd alert!when did you create factory green? how did you even learn about eco-friendly fashion, or is mizzou just a hotbed of sustainable style?it would be somewhat of a stretch to say that anywhere in the midwest is a hotbed of sustainable style. chicago and st. louis are certainly more of an eco-mecca than, say, columbia, missouri. but that's one of the goals of factory green: to change those preconceived notions that those in the middle of the country could care less about eco-friendly fashion or style. not true! a couple of key events occurred this time last year that really set the idea for factory green into motion. jack had spent the spring semester of '07 studying abroad in london, and i spent the first months of the '07 summer in several western european cities on a similar study-abroad program, immediately followed by an internship in washington, d.c. we both were awe-struck by the going-green movements of europe and the u.k., as well as what was beginning to happen on the east coast. people weren't just talking about eco-problems, they were living the solutions. people were embodying the green movement—buying organic foods, wearing clothing with bold eco-slogans, men and women in business suits were riding bicycles to work, and our favorite euro-fashion retailers were producing clothing of organic cotton and bamboo fabrics. it was a coincidence that jack and i both had noticed a lack of these types of offerings not only in the midwest, but across the country in general. in particular, no one in the u.s. had made the green movement attractive (or affordable) to the younger generation. i remember calling jack up when i was in d.c. and saying, 'what if we launched a green company that was geared towards the college-aged demographic?' no one had really done it yet, and the idea really got us excited. that was the initial spark.i have hippie parents who laid a foundation for my interest in eco. ditto for you two?ya' know... no. our families, like many in the midwest, were good about recycling and turning off the lights, but jack's and my interest in eco and enviro-issues began with our science classes in high school and college. for us, it was the science behind global warming and greenhouse gases, as well as society's role in the whole matter, that peaked our interest in learning what solutions were available. the movement has been largely tailored to older adults and over-protective moms, scaring them into buying non-toxic cleaning solutions or water-saving washing machines. how do you excite and motivate a kid from middle america to 'go green' when his only options are to either buy a hybrid car or buy local, organic foods?? that's why jack and i created factory green, to offer young people an opportunity to truly make a difference in the battle against carbon emissions and global warming without having to make sacrifices. people are excited to know that for the cost of a similar shirt at the mall, a purchase from factorygreen.com will have reduced the amount of carbon released from the production of a regular shirt by 90%, will have helped reinforce the ideals behind fair trade manufacturing, and will have donated to the united nations water for life campaign.how many other students are now working with you?working on a college campus is incredible because you're constantly surrounded by other people who are excited about what you're doing and want to offer their own expertise to the company. we currently have a team of about 15 other students who do everything from graphic design to marketing and advertising to web technology. jack and i have surrounded ourselves with a group of brilliant individuals who have a love of the eco lifestyle and a killer work ethic. we're very lucky.what would you say to high school or college students who want to start a green company while in school? any tips about getting investors, generating a buzz, work flow, etc.?i would tell them to get off their ass and get to work! so many people think they have to be out of college before they could ever start a business, but jack and i think that's ridiculous. take us, for example: two pre-med science kids without a lick of business experience, who are now running a successful online corporation selling to people all over the world. it comes down to this question: how bad do you want it? once we had the idea for factory green, jack and i headed straight for the library and read every book on business and online marketing that we could get our hands on. that's the first step. you don't have to have an mba to start a business—just the drive to teach yourself the equivalent of one. when he and i had formulated our business plan, found those friends who were great at website creation or fashion, we then found those friends of the family who had some disposable income. then you've got to sell yourself! your investors could be the most eco people in the world, but at the end of the day they're going to want a plan for how they're going to get a return on their money. a strong business plan and the confidence in yourself to do it is all you need. then read a book on 'generating buzz.'let's talk about the apparel: who designs the hoodies and tees and do they cater particularly to a college buyer's aesthetic?all of our apparel are original designs exclusive to factorygreen.com and were designed by fashion students at mizzou. the accessories and apartment wares found on our site were handpicked from a multitude of companies located around the world and are created by fair trade workers using recycled or sustainable materials. our apparel is manufactured on wind- and solar-powered machines which produce 90% fewer carbon emissions than traditional clothing manufacturing techniques, not to mention that our cotton and bamboo was made without the use of toxic pesticides. if you polled 100 college students, you'd find 100 different fashion preferences. the clothing that was designed for factory green was done from the eco-perspective of several designers. some shirts are bolder about their 'eco-ness' while others are simply more artistic. lots of designs were created in our initial stages, and the ones on our site currently are those that were huge hits amongst the college students that we asked to weigh in during the pre-production stages back in january.how do you make 100% organic cotton products that are manufactured in solar- and wind-powered factories and keep your prices lower than the tees and hoodies they sell in the college bookstore?one of the biggest goals of factory green is to make going green affordable. it's absolute price-gouging to be selling an organic cotton or bamboo tee for $90 at nordstrom’s. our clothing isn't exclusively for the hollywood eco-elite of the world, but for the average collegiate person. not everyone can go out and buy a toyota hybrid, but nearly everyone can do their part to reduce carbon emissions with the purchase of an item from factorygreen.com.what is it about our generation that is producing so many young social and environmental entrepreneurs?a lot of the reliable data on global warming and climate change has only come out within the last decade or so. that with the information explosion on the internet has allowed our generation to be more knowledgeable than our parents were growing up. with the availability of online shopping, it has become significantly easier for young entrepreneurs to get their products, and their eco-messages, out to the world. there's never been a better time to create or buy from an eco-retailer.i would assume you guys generate a lot of free p.r. buzz from facebook. has this and other networking sites been integral in spreading the word about factory green?absolutely. our customers, typically aged 18-28, spend a large portion of their day online. social networking sites such as myspace and facebook have provided an incredible opportunity to get our company's name out there. as a company, we've had to do very little paid advertising since the use of facebook groups and blogs have catapulted our name into the online community.one of your t-shirts has the image of a stick figure looking at a tree stump saying, 'wtf?!' which for those who don't chat online, means 'what the f**k?!' what are your personal favorite online chat acronyms? (mine is c u l8r, translated as see you later.)our wtf?! tee has been one of our most popular! we love it because it not only sends a message about the destructive practices of the logging industry and society's wasteful consumption rates, but it uses an acronym that i'm all too familiar with. jack and i say it like it's going out of style. jack and i both stand firmly in the fight to eliminate 'lol' from the chatting vernacular. it follows after practically every sentence. and trust me, no one laughs that much. no one.what happens to factory green post-graduation? for instance, as you two enter the professional workforce, will you start selling organic wool suits and bamboo ties to match your new lifestyles?jack and i will both be seniors this year at mizzou with medical school starting up the following year, but that doesn't mean that factory green will suffer. on the contrary, fg will continue to expand both in production volume and in employee numbers so that the company will be able to adjust. transitioning into medical school will be a change for the two of us, but one that fg will be able to handle and thrive under from a company perspective. factory green isn't a flash-in-the-pan student company. we have an opportunity to expand the green movement to a demographic that, to this point, has yet to taste it. and not only that, but fg is working closely with the united nations and its water for life campaign to help provide clean water to under-served populations around the globe. a percentage of each sale benefits those individuals around the world who are suffering from disease and poverty due to contaminated water. factory green will continue to evolve and change over the coming months and years, but one thing will remain constant: we're going to stay true to the wants and needs of the younger generation. until college kids starts wearing suits and ties to class instead of t-shirts and sweats, fg will continue to offer those items that best fit the collegiate lifestyle.last but not least, can either or both of you do a really good keg stand?we actually practice daily before breakfast. some people refer to us as 'the best' but you can't listen to the hype, ya' know? you just gotta go out there and give it your all. every day.

how do two university of missouri students operate a green apparel and accessories online store while in school?we don't sleep much! but we're able to do both factory green and school at the same time because we're incredibly passionate about both. jack and i are a couple of pre-med science geeks, so we've been honing the necessary skills needed for business for years—perfectionism and narcissism!where are you two from, what year are you in school, and what are your majors?jack is originally a texas native, but moved into the same kansas city neighborhood as me when he was eight years old. we both attended the same elementary, middle, and high school in kc, and even shared a dorm room freshman year at mizzou. in the fall, he and i will be starting up our senior year, which will be followed by medical school at the university of missouri-columbia. i double-majored in biology and history with a minor in chemistry, and jack is a biology major with a double minor in chemistry and psychology. major nerd alert!when did you create factory green? how did you even learn about eco-friendly fashion, or is mizzou just a hotbed of sustainable style?it would be somewhat of a stretch to say that anywhere in the midwest is a hotbed of sustainable style. chicago and st. louis are certainly more of an eco-mecca than, say, columbia, missouri. but that's one of the goals of factory green: to change those preconceived notions that those in the middle of the country could care less about eco-friendly fashion or style. not true! a couple of key events occurred this time last year that really set the idea for factory green into motion. jack had spent the spring semester of '07 studying abroad in london, and i spent the first months of the '07 summer in several western european cities on a similar study-abroad program, immediately followed by an internship in washington, d.c. we both were awe-struck by the going-green movements of europe and the u.k., as well as what was beginning to happen on the east coast. people weren't just talking about eco-problems, they were living the solutions. people were embodying the green movement—buying organic foods, wearing clothing with bold eco-slogans, men and women in business suits were riding bicycles to work, and our favorite euro-fashion retailers were producing clothing of organic cotton and bamboo fabrics. it was a coincidence that jack and i both had noticed a lack of these types of offerings not only in the midwest, but across the country in general. in particular, no one in the u.s. had made the green movement attractive (or affordable) to the younger generation. i remember calling jack up when i was in d.c. and saying, 'what if we launched a green company that was geared towards the college-aged demographic?' no one had really done it yet, and the idea really got us excited. that was the initial spark.i have hippie parents who laid a foundation for my interest in eco. ditto for you two?ya' know... no. our families, like many in the midwest, were good about recycling and turning off the lights, but jack's and my interest in eco and enviro-issues began with our science classes in high school and college. for us, it was the science behind global warming and greenhouse gases, as well as society's role in the whole matter, that peaked our interest in learning what solutions were available. the movement has been largely tailored to older adults and over-protective moms, scaring them into buying non-toxic cleaning solutions or water-saving washing machines. how do you excite and motivate a kid from middle america to 'go green' when his only options are to either buy a hybrid car or buy local, organic foods?? that's why jack and i created factory green, to offer young people an opportunity to truly make a difference in the battle against carbon emissions and global warming without having to make sacrifices. people are excited to know that for the cost of a similar shirt at the mall, a purchase from factorygreen.com will have reduced the amount of carbon released from the production of a regular shirt by 90%, will have helped reinforce the ideals behind fair trade manufacturing, and will have donated to the united nations water for life campaign.how many other students are now working with you?working on a college campus is incredible because you're constantly surrounded by other people who are excited about what you're doing and want to offer their own expertise to the company. we currently have a team of about 15 other students who do everything from graphic design to marketing and advertising to web technology. jack and i have surrounded ourselves with a group of brilliant individuals who have a love of the eco lifestyle and a killer work ethic. we're very lucky.what would you say to high school or college students who want to start a green company while in school? any tips about getting investors, generating a buzz, work flow, etc.?i would tell them to get off their ass and get to work! so many people think they have to be out of college before they could ever start a business, but jack and i think that's ridiculous. take us, for example: two pre-med science kids without a lick of business experience, who are now running a successful online corporation selling to people all over the world. it comes down to this question: how bad do you want it? once we had the idea for factory green, jack and i headed straight for the library and read every book on business and online marketing that we could get our hands on. that's the first step. you don't have to have an mba to start a business—just the drive to teach yourself the equivalent of one. when he and i had formulated our business plan, found those friends who were great at website creation or fashion, we then found those friends of the family who had some disposable income. then you've got to sell yourself! your investors could be the most eco people in the world, but at the end of the day they're going to want a plan for how they're going to get a return on their money. a strong business plan and the confidence in yourself to do it is all you need. then read a book on 'generating buzz.'let's talk about the apparel: who designs the hoodies and tees and do they cater particularly to a college buyer's aesthetic?all of our apparel are original designs exclusive to factorygreen.com and were designed by fashion students at mizzou. the accessories and apartment wares found on our site were handpicked from a multitude of companies located around the world and are created by fair trade workers using recycled or sustainable materials. our apparel is manufactured on wind- and solar-powered machines which produce 90% fewer carbon emissions than traditional clothing manufacturing techniques, not to mention that our cotton and bamboo was made without the use of toxic pesticides. if you polled 100 college students, you'd find 100 different fashion preferences. the clothing that was designed for factory green was done from the eco-perspective of several designers. some shirts are bolder about their 'eco-ness' while others are simply more artistic. lots of designs were created in our initial stages, and the ones on our site currently are those that were huge hits amongst the college students that we asked to weigh in during the pre-production stages back in january.how do you make 100% organic cotton products that are manufactured in solar- and wind-powered factories and keep your prices lower than the tees and hoodies they sell in the college bookstore?one of the biggest goals of factory green is to make going green affordable. it's absolute price-gouging to be selling an organic cotton or bamboo tee for $90 at nordstrom’s. our clothing isn't exclusively for the hollywood eco-elite of the world, but for the average collegiate person. not everyone can go out and buy a toyota hybrid, but nearly everyone can do their part to reduce carbon emissions with the purchase of an item from factorygreen.com.what is it about our generation that is producing so many young social and environmental entrepreneurs?a lot of the reliable data on global warming and climate change has only come out within the last decade or so. that with the information explosion on the internet has allowed our generation to be more knowledgeable than our parents were growing up. with the availability of online shopping, it has become significantly easier for young entrepreneurs to get their products, and their eco-messages, out to the world. there's never been a better time to create or buy from an eco-retailer.i would assume you guys generate a lot of free p.r. buzz from facebook. has this and other networking sites been integral in spreading the word about factory green?absolutely. our customers, typically aged 18-28, spend a large portion of their day online. social networking sites such as myspace and facebook have provided an incredible opportunity to get our company's name out there. as a company, we've had to do very little paid advertising since the use of facebook groups and blogs have catapulted our name into the online community.one of your t-shirts has the image of a stick figure looking at a tree stump saying, 'wtf?!' which for those who don't chat online, means 'what the f**k?!' what are your personal favorite online chat acronyms? (mine is c u l8r, translated as see you later.)our wtf?! tee has been one of our most popular! we love it because it not only sends a message about the destructive practices of the logging industry and society's wasteful consumption rates, but it uses an acronym that i'm all too familiar with. jack and i say it like it's going out of style. jack and i both stand firmly in the fight to eliminate 'lol' from the chatting vernacular. it follows after practically every sentence. and trust me, no one laughs that much. no one.what happens to factory green post-graduation? for instance, as you two enter the professional workforce, will you start selling organic wool suits and bamboo ties to match your new lifestyles?jack and i will both be seniors this year at mizzou with medical school starting up the following year, but that doesn't mean that factory green will suffer. on the contrary, fg will continue to expand both in production volume and in employee numbers so that the company will be able to adjust. transitioning into medical school will be a change for the two of us, but one that fg will be able to handle and thrive under from a company perspective. factory green isn't a flash-in-the-pan student company. we have an opportunity to expand the green movement to a demographic that, to this point, has yet to taste it. and not only that, but fg is working closely with the united nations and its water for life campaign to help provide clean water to under-served populations around the globe. a percentage of each sale benefits those individuals around the world who are suffering from disease and poverty due to contaminated water. factory green will continue to evolve and change over the coming months and years, but one thing will remain constant: we're going to stay true to the wants and needs of the younger generation. until college kids starts wearing suits and ties to class instead of t-shirts and sweats, fg will continue to offer those items that best fit the collegiate lifestyle.last but not least, can either or both of you do a really good keg stand?we actually practice daily before breakfast. some people refer to us as 'the best' but you can't listen to the hype, ya' know? you just gotta go out there and give it your all. every day.