Gwen Whiting is perhaps best-known for turning a domestic chore into an everyday luxury in founding her category-creating premium, eco-friendly laundry and home cleaning brand, The Laundress. As Founder and President, Gwen led the growth of her bootstrapped company to become a household name, through its global expansion, and eventual acquisition by Unilever in 2019.
In June 2024, with a renewed mission and sense of purpose, Gwen launched The Fill, a private members cleaning community and collection of sustainable solutions offering maximized luxury and minimal impact. The Fill is the answer to "what if you could do it all over again?" -- placing wellness at the heart center of cleaning by infusing the power of aromatherapy and its added sensory and experiential benefits, designed to "work even harder for you."
Behind her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen lies a creative at heart. Gwen’s aesthetic was honed from her tenure designing at Ralph Lauren, starting in Women’s Design and later for Home -- which she refers to as her graduate degree. This foundation continues to serve as a constant source of inspiration, both professionally and personally.
She is equally passionate about mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs -- from students, to startups, and established founders -- through educational and entrepreneurial programs, guiding them along their business journeys and advocating for alternatives to traditional external funding in building and scaling sustainable and profitable mission-driven ventures.
Gwen holds a Bachelor of Science in Textile Science Apparel Design from Cornell University, where she is actively involved in its Entrepreneurship Council, a Board member in Human Ecology, Campaign Leader, and philanthropist. She currently sits on the boards of FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and Longhouse Reserve Cultural Arts Center and Garden, furthering her passion and commitment to education and the arts. She is also a member of YPO Global Leadership Community, Women Moving Millions, and the National Arts Club.
I wanted it to be fun and fulfilling. This time around, the business is centered around the things I enjoy the most, which is making beautiful, effective products that enhance everyday life and help people live better.
I missed my laundry enthusiasts and community. This is why I am building a very small and intimate brand that is held in a private members community. I don’t want to hustle for a sale of a bottle, but rather gather an intentional, respectful community of people who believe in “Care,” with a capital C.
I always believed I wasn’t enough to take my brand to the next level or realize its full potential. I learned very quickly after the sale that this giant organization had way less to offer than me.
I think it is important for many founders to understand that no one will care as much as they do, for better or worse.
That realization has changed the way I think about what it means to build a company. Scale can bring resources, infrastructure, and reach, but there is something irreplaceable about the founder’s connection to the brand and the customer. You have to trust what you know and recognize the value of the perspective you bring.
Finally! But I can’t believe I still need to advocate for people to take their home and environments seriously. There continues to be a huge disconnect around “out of sight, out of mind.” People still think it doesn’t matter what their home is cleaned and clothes washed with if they are not doing it themselves.
How people don’t connect that they are the ones wearing their underwear, sleeping in their sheets, and living in the environment is still insane to me.
It is commonplace with food and beauty, so I was just very ahead of my time starting the mission 25 years ago with The Laundress. I continue doing the work to this day to create awareness around “Care” and provide beautiful products with a 20-years-better, wellness-forward experience with The Fill Club.
While I worked very hard and was always very honest, it was the relationships I built and fostered that have been the greatest asset for my success.
My grandmother. She was born in 1903 on a farm, went to Teachers College in 1920, and was a single young professional. She navigated the Depression along with many life challenges, from family and wars to career and everything in between.
She WAS a modern woman.
She passed when I was 22, just when I was getting started. I would love to have a catch-up with her now.
Travel. Travel brings me so much fulfillment, creative energy, and passion. It also helps me see and meet amazing people all over the world living great lives and doing wonderful things, which, unfortunately, I need help being reminded of at home.
I came from an apparel design background, working at Ralph Lauren, and our inspiration was people, places, and times around the world. Learning, dreaming about, and transporting ourselves into an era.
As I created a lifestyle brand, these skills were central to how I created my global lifestyle experience. That idea of drawing inspiration from people, places, culture, and history has stayed with me throughout my career.
I also have been an avid Financial Times Weekend reader for over 25 years. This is my key source of all information from global news, business, arts, lifestyle, and travel.
