We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katie Rodgers-Hubbard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Lite Foot Company exists to help people reduce their carbon footprint by providing them a way to phase out of plastic and single-use products in their everyday purchases. Lite Foot Company, a refillery retail store in Savannah, hopes to make an impact in the fight against climate change by reducing the amount of plastic used and discarded in the Lowcountry.
Why?

• Savannah, Georgia annually produces 32 million pounds of plastic (not inclusive of tourism).
• Packaging and containers make up 23% of all landfill waste
• The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report issued a code red for humanity stating that our planet is warming and that “every choice and every fraction of a degree avoiding warming matters”.

Living LITE, Our Ethos, is a tangible way to help change the climate crisis.

Lite Foot Company believes this is the way of the present – and the only way to maintain a potential future. Our only hope in tackling the plastic pandemic, which is paramount to stopping climate change, is to offer people convenient alternatives that they can incorporate into their daily lives.

Lite Foot Company believes that the “reduce, reuse, recycle” movement that began in the 1970’s is now proven to be outdated in the United States, as we have incorporated more and more plastic into our daily lives within the past 40 years, and our recycling systems often do not accomplish much. The aim of Lite Foot Company is to focus on the overall reduction of plastic and non-natural materials into the hands of consumers, and where necessary, the reuse of materials that already exist to avoid overproduction.

Lite Foot Company seeks to research and incorporate products that fulfill the mission and vision of the brand, and therefore, have no trace of plastic in the product itself, its packaging or its transport, and where possible, is sourced locally.

Katie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Lite Foot Company was founded in 2021. I had just moved to Savannah, Georgia after living in various cities throughout the United States and Europe and had experienced a wide range of cultures, and approaches to tackling the larger issue of climate change. Having lived in Germany, a country that’s quite advanced in its sustainability endeavors, and then conversely, small town U.S.A., where a recycle bin was nowhere in sight, I began asking questions. Questions like—What can I do to educate people on the need for shopping sustainable? What programs, events or curriculum can I develop that will tackle such a complex issue? This spark and these questions eventually became Lite Foot Company.

We provide customers an opportunity to phase out of plastic through their everyday purchasing decisions. For the last 2 years we have been doing that out a mobile, retrofitted box truck. In January we are excited to open the doors of our first Brick and Mortar space in Savannah. This will allow us to make a larger impact in how the Lowcountry and Southeast Georgia communities view and address sustainability.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

After working for others for my entire life, I was adamant on genuinely representing myself through my business. This is my business; I get to set the standards :) That has been a guiding force on what I show on my social media presence. I- Katie- am passionate, funny, weird, positive, and honest. That is what you will see on Lite Foot Company’s social media. I also try to stay true to the different platforms as well. You will see goofier content on TikTok then you will on Instagram.

I believe it has allowed me to make a connection with my followers and my customers. People who discover me on Social Media tend to feel more comfortable visit my shop b/c they know what they are getting,

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I first started my business I was not working, due to the pandemic. I was able to leverage some savings and took a contract position as a means for funding the initial start up. As a mobile and e-commerce business to start I was able to do that for what I had.

The expansion of my business has been more of a story. Expanding to a Brick and Mortar, which is the exciting and necessary next step, has had many layers to my funding. At the start of searching for spaces I did a small scale crowd sourcing campaign with friends and family. Midway through the process I secured a small business loan through the Small Business Assistance Corporation. Currently, I am at the beginning phases of a community fundraising campaign to assist with the rising building costs. While my business may seem like straight retail to some, it’s a service and opportunity to the community to drastically reduce its footprint. It has been exciting to see the community support this expansion through this fundraiser so far.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.litefootcompany.com
• Instagram: www.instragram.com/litefootcompany
• Facebook: facebook.com/litefootcompany
• Other: TikTok @Litefootcompany