Meet Our Founder

herd

Ruth Alice Rands

An activist entrepreneur and lover of knitted things, Ruth is on a deeply heartfelt mission to transform broken systems for the better.

Her first business, Atlantic Kitchen, launched in 2012. A wild, certified, seaweed brand whose first customer was famed restaurateur Ottolenghi, Atlantic Kitchen met demand for nearly a decade and achieved listings in major supermarkets, health food stores and chains. Ruth’s ability to create conceptual solutions that disrupt dated, wasteful industry practices contributed to huge growth in public recognition around the plant’s nutritional value, as well as from a carbon and sustainability perspective.

With a now in-depth understanding of supply chains and traceability, alongside labelling and certifications, Ruth’s mission has evolved to transform the fashion textiles system through HERD.

By championing global collectives of farmers, graders, scourers, spinners and dyers in geographically smart locations, Ruth is building a network of minimal waste ecosystems, constructing a new approach to how clothes are made. Her HERD ethos demonstrates how a local, natural, circular and regenerative approach can result in exceptionally special pieces that last forever – guilt free.