Meet Billy Simon | Founder of Jacaranda Hemp, Nature Lover

We had the good fortune of connecting with Billy Simon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Billy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After completing a Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship class at my school, Loyola Marymount University (where I majored in Entrepreneurship), my life-long best friend/roomate, Henry Gibson, and I determined it would be a fun endeavor to start a business together. We brainstormed for weeks which proved to be of no avail. Then, one day, we were in an Uber and I was wearing a shirt that said “Give Thanks to the Earth.” The driver proceeded to roast me, saying “I bet that’s on cotton; do you know how bad cotton is for the environment!?” I didn’t, and he enlightened us (cotton and the fast fashion industry account for roughly 15% of global carbon emissions, 20% of global herbicide and pesticide use, etc.). After asking what the better alternative would be, he said hemp! We were both stoners at the time and this suggestion really struck a chord as hemp is the non-psychoactive cousin of the plant we loved so dearly and smoked everyday. We then asked fellow Eagle Scouts, Milo Evashchen and Harrison Jennings, if they wanted to assist in contributing designs and they agreed. From there, Jacaranda Hemp was born. NOTE: the street we lived on has tons of Jacaranda trees…

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Jacaranda Hemp is a Los Angeles based brand aiming to bring environmentally favorable, high quality hemp clothing to the mainstream, affordable market. While other brands offer hemp clothing, none are at a reasonable price considering the target demographic of surfers, skaters, stoners, etc., and none have graphics that aim to have hemp be accepted as a mainstream linen. All of our designs are based off of values and beliefs that make us who we are, like practicing mindfulness and meditation, being tree huggers, destigmatizing cannabis, and more. I am most excited to provide consumers with products that are mutually beneficial to those wearing them, those seeing the clothing in public, and the planet we all inhabit. Today, we are scaling through strategic partnerships with brands that have similar vibes and values to us (surf shops, coffee shops, dispensaries, etc.) and while we are still beginning to embark on this journey, it is gratifying to routinely see others be as stoked on and appreciative of our clothing/intentions behind them as we are. We have experienced many failures and have become comfortable with pivoting and adapting, all whilst prioritizing our good intentions of positive change over massive profits. Following the lead of Yvon Chouinard with his business, Patagonia, we are aiming to set a new standard for businesses that proves they can be sustainable, both in regards to the environment AND economics. Most importantly, it can be a fun adventure to embark on with friends! We have had to pickup part time jobs in order to pay the bills, and its great knowing we have all agreed on something more meaningful to be passionate about; it keeps us connected. While this entire process has had its ebbs and flows of ease and challenges, the desire to keep on pushing has never dwindled.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First and foremost, I would take them surfing; however, I can not tell you the spot 🙂 I would then take them on several of my favorite hikes (both in the Valley and by the shore), rock climbing (outdoor for the nature exposure, then to my indoor gym so we could rip the sauna), and probably to the dog park because its the best and what brings more joy to a person than seeing their dog run free?! We would likely eat at Tender Greens and Mel’s Diner, maybe at the restaurant I work at because it slaps (Lulu in the Hammer Museum). I’d probably also make them hacky sack or play keepy-up with me – maybe tennis if they were feeling up to it – and we’d have to toss a frisbee at a certain point (I played Ultimate Frisbee for my school). They’d probaly want to get a tour of the town, so we could go on a drive in my El Camino or El Dorado as it makes me happy to see others enjoy being in my cars. Overall, our time would likely be spent partaking in outdoor physical activity.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This would not be possible without my mom agreeing to let my best friend live in our house, Yvon Chouinard/Patagonia for showing that a business for good is possible, the Uber driver who introduced the miracle plant – hemp – to us, the LMU Entrepreneurship program for providing basic guidelines for starting a business, and my dog, Poppy, who gave us an excuse to go to our outdoor office (the dog-park) everyday where we were able to take the steps necessary to get the business up and going.

Website: https://www.jacarandahemp.com/

Instagram: @jacarandahempclothing

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-simon-5593b822a/