Born outside of the personal care industry.
Akamai adjective / aka·mai - \ä-kä-ˈmī\ / smart, intelligent, clever
Origin: Hawaiian | First Known Use: 1841
When we founded Akamai in 2016, we didn’t start it to make a quick buck. We saw a problem in the area of personal care products (loaded with toxic chemicals, high costs, too much complexity/not enough health, and a lot of myths/bad advice), and we were inspired to show a better way. Something better for our health, wallets, and the planet. We are driven to share with you what we learn along with the essential tools we use in our lives. Think of us as torch bearers.
So who are we? A few quick data points...
- Age: both in our 50’s (been told by many we appear to be 10-15 yrs younger)
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: Vince: INTP (logician); Marni: INTJ (architect)
- Where we grew up: Midwest
- Where we live now: Boulder, CO
- Favorite hobby / sports / wellness: Vince: running / neuroscience & behavioral psychology; Marni: painting and cooking
Want to get to know us better? Click here for our “Tim Ferris style” interview...
Vincent Cobb, founder
As a serial social entrepreneur, he’s used to making a difference and changing the status quo. On the front of the green wave, he started the company reusablebags.com in 2003 (later rebranded reuseit.com) and raised consumer awareness about the problems with use-and-toss items like plastic bags and bottles. His vision was to use simple lifestyle changes to help save the environment, save money and waste less. By 2013, reuseit.com had grown to 300,000 customers, empowering them to eliminate an estimated 1.1 billion use-and-toss items. Reuseit.com was twice voted as Green America’s Green Business of the Year (and was granted their Lifetime Achievement Award).
After a course in organic chemistry weeded him out of earning his degree in Microbiology, he discovered Philosophy where he found a home of study. He continues to be profoundly influenced by a convergence of Stoicism, Rationalism, Empiricism, Epistemology, and Ethics — and while at university, cited The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn and sentential calculus (aka propositional logic) as two key game-changers.
In addition to serving Akamai’s mission, he spends time trail running, being in nature, and being a father.
Marni Shymkus, co-founder
Marni has spent 15+ years researching, refining, and creating health-focused personal care products that leverage 100% natural ingredients in their whole form. Her goal is to craft products that are simply better than anything else available while addressing root causes vs symptom management. She's obsessed with creating powerful, practical, effective, and affordable products that harness the power of natural ingredients and our body’s ability to heal itself.
As a tireless researcher and problem solver, Marni's passion for well-being blossomed 18 years ago when she became a mother. Her sense of purpose aligned and grew after she discovered the Weston A Price Foundation (a non-profit dedicated to traditional, nutrient-dense whole foods and healing arts), the discovery of Rudolph Steiner (founder of Anthroposophy), and the Waldorf education system — she co-founded the Urban Prairie Waldorf School in Chicago.
In addition to working on Akamai, Marni focuses on raising their high school children and recharges by painting, making jewelry and hiking with with Xoxo, their family dog.
