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Wendy Martin
Founder, CEO, Ambassador, NED
Wendy Martin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Counter Culture Store, an e-commerce platform focused on sustainable and female-led beauty brands.12 She founded the company in June 2021 along with her business partner Mark Wisniewski.12
Background and Experience
Prior to founding Counter Culture Store, Wendy had a 28-year career at Visa, where she gained extensive experience in consumer checkout processes.2 This background in payments and consumer behavior likely influenced her approach to creating a unique e-commerce platform.
Counter Culture Store
The company Wendy co-founded has several key features and focus areas:
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Sustainability: Counter Culture Store stocks cruelty-free, vegan, plastic-free, waterless, and refillable beauty products.1
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Female Empowerment: The platform champions female founders in the beauty industry, addressing the challenge that only about 9% of venture capital in the UK goes to female founders.2
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Innovation: The store features an AI chatbot that allows consumers to negotiate prices on selected products.1
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Education: Wendy and her team aim to educate consumers about sustainable beauty products and help them navigate the complexities of terms like "organic" and "cruelty-free".2
Personal Details
Wendy is based in Wokingham, England, United Kingdom.3 On her Twitter profile, she describes herself as a "Mother, Gin Lover, Wanderlust".4 She also serves as a Non-Executive Director (NED) at Join My Nexus.4
Wendy Martin's approach to business can be summed up in her own words: "We are all about progress, not perfection".2 This philosophy guides Counter Culture Store's mission to drive positive change in the beauty industry while acknowledging that sustainability is a journey.