Meet Stephanie Downs | Social Entrepreneur Bringing Better Animal Alternatives to Market

Uncaged Innovations strives to bridge the gap in the next-gen leather market. Our first product, a bio-leather, is made from a variety of plant ingredients. After years of testing thousands of plant ingredient combinations, I am proud to say our formulation has the same stretch, elasticity, and durability as traditional leather. It is also cruelty-free, environmentally-friendly, and plastic-free.

My entrepreneurial journey has been different from most, and exciting. I started my first business, a digital marketing agency, in 1999 and later sold it to a VC firm. After I sold my first venture, I was part of starting the largest plant-based meat company in India. I later sold my interest in that company, and then decided to focus on starting the biomaterials company, Uncaged Innovations, in 2020.

I also overcame many challenges as an entrepreneur by giving back to the community, surrounding myself with the right team members, and being persistent in all of my entrepreneurial endeavors. I’ve experienced firsthand how joining a community or organization can have a significant impact on your success as a business owner. Additionally, I have learned that surrounding yourself with people who are experts in their field is crucial to launching or growing your business. And finally, I’ve learned that persistence is the key to entrepreneurial success. Entrepreneurs need to be persistent and keep pushing forward even when things don’t seem to be going their way.

The most important lesson I’ve learned throughout my career as an entrepreneur is to know when to walk away from a project that is not going anywhere. Learn from that failure, move on, and invest your mental energy in the next project. But be smart—make sure you do your research to maximize your chances of success.

From my passion for animal welfare and the desire to create a better future for all species, Uncaged Innovations was born. We strive to find creative solutions to remove animals from the supply chain and make the world a more humane place.