Shama Alexander
I build things.
Companies. Operating systems. Products. Programs. And teams.
I’m a founder and operator with 25 years of experience taking ambitious ideas from concept to execution and scale, with deep expertise in sustainability and the circular economy.
ABOUT ME
The industries change,
but the work I do remains the same.
The common thread throughout my career is building: taking an idea that doesn’t exist yet and figuring out how to make it work, then how to scale it.
I founded Herb’s Cider in a garage and grew it to a $15M valuation and 700+ retail accounts, including Whole Foods, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Total Wine, and BevMo. I built and led the multidisciplinary team, raised $2M in capital, and led product, manufacturing, operations, sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, investor and board relations before negotiating the company’s asset sale.
As LUSH North America’s first Sustainability Director, I built the company’s sustainability function from the ground up, creating strategies and operating systems across retail, manufacturing, supply chain, and product. I grew the function from a $100K budget to $3M and helped deliver significant environmental and business results.
Today, I’m building Amalé Technologies and Stick Academy, two very different businesses that give me new worlds to build in.
Whatever I’m building, the work is the same: understand what needs to exist, figure out how to make it work, and build it to scale.
NOW
What I am building right now
Amalé Technologies
Today I’m building Amalé Technologies at the intersection of circular commerce, AI, and product infrastructure. I built our functional AI-enabled MVP hands-on and lead a distributed team across engineering, design, operations, and legal.
Our work spans textile EPR, product intelligence, resale valuation, value recovery, and determining the best next destination for products.
Stick Academy
I’m also a founder of Stick Academy, a global creator-led digital music and performance education business serving 1,000+ students across ~20 countries.
It gives me another world to build in: digital content, creator talent, community, audience development, and monetization.
INTEGRITY IS A way of life BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT HOW YOU show up IN ONE PART OF YOUR LIFE IS HOW YOU show up IN ALL PARTS OF YOUR life.
I’ve always had a values-driven bend to my work.
Whatever I’m building... I care deeply about what it contributes, whom it serves, and whether it leaves things better than when I found them.
RECENT VENTURES
Amalé Technologies
Founder and CEO, 2026
B2B SaaS compliance platform for textile EPR regulation. Nine brand POCs live. Pre-seed raise in progress.
Planetary Chips
Advisor, 2025
Better-for-you snack brand built on a mission. Advisory equity position supporting go-to-market, brand, and fundraising strategy.
Stick Academy
Founder, 2023
Family-run digital music education platform making percussive arts accessible. Built for the next generation of players.
EXPERIENCE
Herb's Cider Inc.
Founder and CEO, 2016 to 2022
Built from zero to $15M valuation, exited via asset sale. Led all functions across brand, operations, distribution, and finance. Awards include 2020 SIP Magazine Best of the Northwest Double Gold and Platinum, and 2020 Cidercraft Awards Double Gold and Platinum.
Non GMO Project
Director of Industry Relations, 2014 to 2015
Expanded industry partnerships and deepened certification infrastructure across the food and consumer goods sector.
LUSH Cosmetics
Director of Sustainability, 2010 to 2014
Led global sustainability strategy for one of the world's most recognized ethical beauty brands. Awarded top 3 of Maclean's Top 30 Greenest Employers in Canada.
Dublin San Ramon Services District
Senior Management Analyst, 2005 to 2006
Public sector operations and policy analysis for a regional utility district. Achieved a $2.7M grant for the first fuel cells in North America.
Earthride
Co-Founder and Director, 2000 to 2003
Environmental education mentorship program in San Francisco's Mission District for disadvantaged youth.
MEDIA
The Loop Report:
A blog covering the circular economy in the apparel industry, EPR legislation, and what it actually means to build a sustainable business in 2026 and beyond. It covers the ongoing conversation around circularity, compliance, and sustainability.
Recent topics include: what brands get wrong about EPR readiness, why SB 707 is the most important legislation most fashion executives have not read, and what circular infrastructure actually looks like in practice.
Previous publications included a regular blog on New Hope Media and Supply Side Food & Beverage.
Trash Talk: Dirty Little Secrets. Climate Crisis.
Going behind the green claims to explore the systems, incentives, and uncomfortable realities behind some of our biggest environmental problems.
SPEAKING + AFFILIATIONS
I have spoken at numerous events, including Sustainable Brands and the Sustainability Summit in New York. I sat on the U.S. White House Business Roundtable Energy Council and Chaired the Energy Committee for the Retail Council of Canada. I am a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals and the National Textiles Circularity Working Group.
CREDENTIALS
MBA, Sustainable Business Management
Mills College, Oakland, CA
BA, Environmental Studies and Economics
Mills College, Oakland, CA
Life Coach
Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Lean Six Sigma
Villanova University
CONTACT
Let's talk.
Whether you’re building a company, navigating a new challenge, exploring an idea, or looking for someone who understands sustainability, circularity, and business from the inside out, my inbox is open.
CONTACT
Let's talk.
Whether you are an investor, a brand navigating SB 707, a conference organizer, or a founder who wants to think something through — my inbox is open.
I am based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
© Shama Alexander | All Rights Reserved 2026