STATE COLLEGE — Chloe Alpert, a State High graduate, launched her second startup company, SAVONBOX, in December 2015. SAVONBOX is an online shop where customers can purchase luxury bath and spa products, without paying the luxury price, according to Alpert.
In 2014, she was one of the youngest female founders to go through 500 Startups as the Founder & CEO of Teaman & Company, a 3-D printed jewelry production startup. She was also listed on Women 2.0 Founders to Watch shortlist and featured in two startup books, “The Niche Movement” and “Branding Funnel.”
Alpert’s entrepreneurial spirit stems back to the age of 5, when she would create and sell paw-print stickers at Penn State football games.
Alpert, 24, who was born and raised in State College, attended Penn State for one year before moving to London and finishing her education. During her time at Penn State, Alpert was the graphic design manager for the Penn State Dance Marathon. She was majoring in design communication and mineralogy. “The degrees I chose to earn were to hone in on my specific interests for my companies,” said Alpert.
The idea for a luxury soap business reaches back to age 5 when Alpert received a soap-making kit. She and her mother both had sensitive skin and were unable to use most store bought soaps due to the ingredients. When Alpert started her business, she decided to use only vegetable-based dyes and high-quality ingredients. SAVONBOX does not remove the glycerin naturally found in all soaps like many companies do. Alpert’s company leaves that ingredient in the bar so that the soap will hydrate your skin instead of drying it out.
“Soap is a really intimate thing,” said Alpert, and for this reason, she thinks that customers should know more about what ingredients are going into their soap and why. “The why is what our brand sets out to answer.”
On the SAVONBOX website, there are explanations of why certain ingredients were used in each bar of soap.
Alpert’s soap bars are available for single purchase or buyers can sign up for a monthly box subscription. Customers can customize their subscription by choosing how many months out of the year to receive the box, or choose a full year to receive one month free.
The February 2016 box, which is $20 with free shipping, consists of the Rose Petal bar and the Green Tea bar and is centered around sensual love and detoxing old woes. Body scrubs are new to the website and contain many healing properties, according to Alpert.
Alpert is currently working to create a manufacturing facility in the State College area where she can employ people from around Centre County. She hopes the State College community will get behind this project. She wants to make sure that her company is about more than just making a profit.
“We’re not about the bottom line,” said Alpert. “We are about the bigger picture, which is creating a product that people love while also giving back to the community.”
Alpert is intent on scaling her company in a “healthy way.” According to Alpert, if she moves too fast with the company, it is hard to hold onto the values that the company was built on. “We want to build something that is stable and sustainable.”
