Lupberger launched Cleancult in 2017 as a direct-to-consumer subscription service for zero-waste, biodegradable cleaning products. This year, he is transitioning the company to a hybrid model that will make the products available at more than 3,000 select retailers in the U.S. and Canada. After working with numerous social ventures and the social impact accelerator The Unreasonable Institute, Lupberger wanted to combine his love of social impact with design and product excellence, leading to the start of Cleancult. Lupberger’s company worked hard during the pandemic creating new products to meet consumer demand for sanitizers, leading to the world’s first zero-waste foaming hand sanitizer. Lupberger has been named a top Colorado Entrepreneur by NFIB, is a TEDx speaker, an author for Conscious Company and has been a guest on “American Express Changemakers.” Since officially launching Cleancult, Lupberger has grown the business by 400%, with the brand projecting a growth rate of 300% for 2021. Cleancult has 16 patents currently pending as Lupberger champions a culture of innovation.
PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PAST YEAR
The majority of major retailers in the U.S. have committed to the U.S. Plastic Pact, which requires that the retailer is 100% recyclable, reusable and refillable by 2025, and although aggressive, Cleancult is determined to help retailers achieve these goals. In the past year, Cleancult has sold more than 1.5 million zero-waste refills, which removes more than 1 million pounds of plastic from the world.
A PIECE OF MEDIA THAT INSPIRED ME RECENTLY
Recently, I watched the talk from Scott Belsky on “The Messy Middle.” It dives into the real journey of companies that are trying to change things, and how building companies and movements really comes down to two things: endurance and optimization. It’s really inspiring to understand that good things really do take time and to zoom out and understand Cleancult in context with that. (Check it out here.)
FUN FACT ABOUT ME
When I was younger, I used to volunteer at Buddhist monasteries around the world and I have many embarrassing pictures of my completely bald head.
