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Updated: August 5, 2019 / 2019 40 Under Forty Awards Honorees

Rachel DeCavage

Photo | J. Fiereck Photography Rachel DeCavage

 

Owner + Creative Director, cinder + salt

Age: 35

No. of years with current company: 5 1⁄2

Town where I live: Bristol

Town where I work: Middletown

College: Bennington College

Highest degree: Bachelor’s degree in visual arts

Who is your favorite superhero? Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, for obvious reasons.

Rachel DeCavage is the owner and lead designer of cinder + salt, an eco-friendly clothing and lifestyle brand, founded in 2014. All cinder + salt products are hand-printed by DeCavage using her original designs and recycled inks.

With a core focus on environmental sustainability, DeCavage operates a zero-waste print shop, leads beach and street clean-ups throughout Connecticut and has created clean-waste recycling opportunities through her brick and mortar.

What’s been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career?

Cinder + salt is currently carried in over 200 stores nationwide and remains a micro-business, with a team of just three people. Through a focus on efficient production and sustainable resourcing, I’m able to mass produce my handmade products to meet growing demand.

How are you involved in the community?

Since 2017, I've hosted over a dozen beach and street clean-ups in Connecticut, collecting over 1,000 pounds of litter. I spent three years as treasurer of Cetacean Society International and currently volunteer with The Rockfall Foundation to organize community events.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love vacationing to tropical locales to immerse myself in nature, including swimming with whale sharks and bird watching in rainforests. I also love hiking, paddleboarding and creating art from my home studio. Oh and margaritas! I’ll take any excuse to go out for nachos and margaritas.

Four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty:

• Founded a company that has seen consistent growth for five years and counting.

• Selected for the Workshop at Macy’s accelerator program for female- and minority-owned businesses ready to sell to major retailers.

• Regularly creates and hosts environmental volunteer opportunities throughout the state.

• Founded Evergreen Design Co., a nonprofit whose mission is to educate the community on, provide means to and promote a sustainable way of life through a focus on design.

Fun Fact

I’ve spent hours perfecting my chicken-clucking impression. It doesn’t disappoint.

Return to HBJ's 2019 40 Under Forty landing page

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