It all begins with an idea. Developed by the Co-Founders, Mia & Mecca (22) during their senior year of college in their kitchens, Mo.Na. is a sustainable jewellery brand that creates accessories from biodegradable bioplastic.

Tell us, how did it all begin?

It all began in the beginning of quarantine, around 1 year ago during the summer before our senior year at Johns Hopkins University. After seeing the resin trend take off on Tik Tok, Mecca wanted to find a resin alternative that was more eco-friendly, to create accessories. Mecca reached out to Mia not only because she was studying chemical engineering in college, but also because she is an artist. We are both artists, which is why we have such a strong creative vision for Mo.Na. Using Mecca’s background in economics and Mia’s engineering, we began Mo.Na. as a fun side project - but as we developed and improved our formula and finally achieved a good prototype after several months, we were ready to take our product to market. During this time we also joined an accelerator program through Johns Hopkins University, which awarded us $25,000 in grant funding to grow our venture. Post-graduation, we are working on Mo.Na. full-time and are excited to continue expanding to other products and growing our vision. 

What inspired you to create sustainable jewellery?

The goal of Mo.Na. is to make something not only sustainable, but also aesthetically pleasing. We noticed that in the sustainability space, it is difficult to find jewellery that appeals to both people who care about fashion and sustainability -- Mo.Na. aims to normalise the fact that fashion can look modern and trendy in addition to being kind to the earth.

The process is fascinating, tell us more about the science behind your products?

Our bioplastic formula is a starch-based bioplastic that will biodegrade when exposed to microorganisms. It is made from all natural/food-grade ingredients, and so is technically edible! (though we don’t recommend eating it). We have conducted some preliminary tests on biodegradation -- after exposing a small piece of bioplastic to water and amylase enzyme (enzyme found in saliva), it takes around a month to biodegrade. To better understand the rate of biodegradation in different environments, we are currently in the process of tracking degradation in different environments including in compost facilities.

What is the design inspiration behind the jewellery?

Mo.Na. stands for Mother Nature, and our designs are very much inspired by beautiful things found in nature such as flowers and fruit. We are planning to expand our products to items outside of earrings in the near future such as bracelets and other lifestyle accessories. 

What has the response been like?

We have gotten many positive responses from our product. Many people have been surprised that our products are made from biodegradable material since they look and feel as if they could be a synthetic material. People have also told us that buying our product has made them more mindful when it comes to being sustainable in general! We are happy that this product has been a jumping off point for people to begin making more sustainable purchases in every different product categories. 

What advice do you have for other young entrepreneurs? 

We both believe that consistency is key to achieving goals. Believing in yourself and your idea is the first step -- do not let anyone discourage you from working toward your vision. Over the course of building Mo.Na., we have been blessed to have many supportive friends and family around us. However, there are always people who don’t “get” your vision, and that’s okay. Don’t mind them, and keep moving along!