Seventeen years later, and Carinne and Diva are leading a long-awaited revolution in women\u2019s menstrual care.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor generations, women had used tampons and pads, which are expensive and non-biodegradable, polluting our oceans,\u201d Chambers-Saini told CEO Magazine of how the Diva story began. \u201cBut my mom, who hated the bulky menstrual care products of her day, dreamed of a better way. And she found it in the menstrual cup–an eco-friendly, reusable, comfortable way to handle period care. As soon as I graduated university, we went into business together.<\/p>\n
“We designed our own silicone cup to replace the old rubber version that had been around since the 1930\u2019s. But we faced stiff opposition from male buyers who were only accustomed to selling pads and tampons. It took us eleven years to get our first national account. But we knew that people around the world could benefit from a reusable product, both in terms of protecting the environment and promoting a healthier option that doesn\u2019t expose our bodies to chemicals .”<\/p>\n
Founded in Kitchener, Ontario, in 2003, Diva International Inc. works closely with its industry, trade and distribution partners to create a better period care experience through their DivaCup and DivaWash products. Furthermore, the company ensures that every process, from manufacturing and packaging to distribution and sales, contributes to its founders\u2019 heartfelt commitment to providing sustainable period care options worldwide.<\/p>\n
For Chambers-Saini, these values are key. As a Certified B Corporation, Diva is one of a number of businesses looking to put core progressive values above profit, and help make the world a be er and more sustainable place. \u201cWe saw an opportunity to innovate the industry, creating an entirely new category, while also using our corporate position social responsibility to really take a stand on natural health education,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ceo-na.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/div2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
A different kind of hygiene<\/h1>\n\n\n\nDiva designs and manufactures a reusable menstrual cup known as the DivaCup, which is an eco-friendly, cost-effective alternative to disposable cups and tampons, and can be worn comfortably for up to twelve hours. The company also offers the DivaWash, a botanically-based, all natural cleanser specifically designed to protect the silicone material of the DivaCup, and your body, without leaving behind harsh residues.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\u201cWhen we first started out, the big players in drug store chains thought we were crazy,\u201d Chambers-Saini explained of the company\u2019s early days. \u201cThey worried that the DivaCup couldn\u2019t compete against the tampons which guaranteed repeat business, so they laughed us out of meetings, convinced that women would never use it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\n\nNevertheless, the menstrual cup movement has since expanded to thirty-plus countries and in all major drugstore chains in the US and Canada. In the past five years alone, by fine-tuning corporate messaging and expanding the company\u2019s reach, Chambers-Saini has led Diva International to triple-digit growth, outselling established brands and seeing the DivaCup top Amazon\u2019s sales charts in the personal care category.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur company has not only revolutionized the way that people handle their periods,\u201d she insisted. \u201cWe\u2019re now part of an incredible movement that\u2019s changing the conversation around periods and bringing issues such as period poverty to the forefront.\u201d<\/p>\n
Period poverty<\/h1>\n\n\n\nPeriod poverty is a term used to describe when women struggle or are unable to afford menstrual products and the impact this has on them. The issue affects people around the world, including in Canada. According to a 2018 report by Plan International Canada, one-third of Canadian women under the age of twenty-five have at some time struggled to afford menstrual products.<\/p>\n
Diva takes its role in drawing awareness to such issues extremely seriously. The company is currently producing a full-length documentary film about the worldwide problem of period poverty, menstrual taboos, and the need for period equity, which will be released in 2020, while Chambers-Saini herself, an in-demand public speaker on the subject, will publish her first book, An Inner Revolution, Period.\u2014an entrepreneurial memoir\u2014the same year.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\u201cI want to motivate women to assert themselves, to find their voices, dare to follow their passion, and fulfill their true potential,\u201d Chambers-Saini told CEO Magazine<\/a>. \u201cMy hope is they will be inspired by our story\u2014take chances and never give up, even when they\u2019re up against the odds.\u201d<\/p>\nThe future<\/h1>\n
Diva designs and manufactures a reusable menstrual cup known as the DivaCup, which is an eco-friendly, cost-effective alternative to disposable cups and tampons, and can be worn comfortably for up to twelve hours. The company also offers the DivaWash, a botanically-based, all natural cleanser specifically designed to protect the silicone material of the DivaCup, and your body, without leaving behind harsh residues.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first started out, the big players in drug store chains thought we were crazy,\u201d Chambers-Saini explained of the company\u2019s early days. \u201cThey worried that the DivaCup couldn\u2019t compete against the tampons which guaranteed repeat business, so they laughed us out of meetings, convinced that women would never use it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the menstrual cup movement has since expanded to thirty-plus countries and in all major drugstore chains in the US and Canada. In the past five years alone, by fine-tuning corporate messaging and expanding the company\u2019s reach, Chambers-Saini has led Diva International to triple-digit growth, outselling established brands and seeing the DivaCup top Amazon\u2019s sales charts in the personal care category.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur company has not only revolutionized the way that people handle their periods,\u201d she insisted. \u201cWe\u2019re now part of an incredible movement that\u2019s changing the conversation around periods and bringing issues such as period poverty to the forefront.\u201d<\/p>\n
Period poverty<\/h1>\n\n\n\nPeriod poverty is a term used to describe when women struggle or are unable to afford menstrual products and the impact this has on them. The issue affects people around the world, including in Canada. According to a 2018 report by Plan International Canada, one-third of Canadian women under the age of twenty-five have at some time struggled to afford menstrual products.<\/p>\n
Diva takes its role in drawing awareness to such issues extremely seriously. The company is currently producing a full-length documentary film about the worldwide problem of period poverty, menstrual taboos, and the need for period equity, which will be released in 2020, while Chambers-Saini herself, an in-demand public speaker on the subject, will publish her first book, An Inner Revolution, Period.\u2014an entrepreneurial memoir\u2014the same year.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\u201cI want to motivate women to assert themselves, to find their voices, dare to follow their passion, and fulfill their true potential,\u201d Chambers-Saini told CEO Magazine<\/a>. \u201cMy hope is they will be inspired by our story\u2014take chances and never give up, even when they\u2019re up against the odds.\u201d<\/p>\nThe future<\/h1>\n
Period poverty is a term used to describe when women struggle or are unable to afford menstrual products and the impact this has on them. The issue affects people around the world, including in Canada. According to a 2018 report by Plan International Canada, one-third of Canadian women under the age of twenty-five have at some time struggled to afford menstrual products.<\/p>\n
Diva takes its role in drawing awareness to such issues extremely seriously. The company is currently producing a full-length documentary film about the worldwide problem of period poverty, menstrual taboos, and the need for period equity, which will be released in 2020, while Chambers-Saini herself, an in-demand public speaker on the subject, will publish her first book, An Inner Revolution, Period.\u2014an entrepreneurial memoir\u2014the same year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to motivate women to assert themselves, to find their voices, dare to follow their passion, and fulfill their true potential,\u201d Chambers-Saini told CEO Magazine<\/a>. \u201cMy hope is they will be inspired by our story\u2014take chances and never give up, even when they\u2019re up against the odds.\u201d<\/p>\nThe future<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ceo-na.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Carinne-Chambers-Saini-Diva-International-76-Q.jpg\")
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