Liz is co-founder and CEO of Esembly, certified doula and mother of two. Liz and her partners are on a mission to bring reusable diapering to the mainstream. She and her team designed and formulated a full collection of organic and reusable diapers, skincare and laundry products that help new parents Live Less Disposably with ease and confidence.
How has your own motherhood journey influenced your work with Esembly? Any lessons learned that you carry into your business?
Motherhood and business ownership have been so intertwined that I couldn’t even say which influenced which. 15 years ago I was working as a producer at an ad agency then my daughter was born and my whole world changed. In my sleepless postpartum haze, I quit my job and launched a cloth diaper service with 2 friends. That incredible little service helped thousands of NYC families cloth diaper their babies and together we kept millions of diapers out of the landfill. Somewhere along the way I felt inspired to do more. I wanted to reach families outside of New York and reduce even more waste. And so we began work on a complete sustainable diapering product line we thoughtfully named Esembly. Taking years of acquired knowledge in laundry science, diaper design and the wants and needs of modern parents, and rolling it into a complete DIY system that enabled families around the world to diaper sustainably with ease and confidence.
So what does any reasonable person do when they are preparing to launch a second company? They get pregnant again! My son was born just in time to be an Esembly prototype tester. I learned to sew while he nursed on my lap and my preschool-aged daughter traced her letters under the table. I blended samples of zinc oxide rash cream in my KitchenAide while he napped. I personally washed the diapers of over a dozen families each week in my tiny stack washer/dryer as we perfected our Washing Powder formula with our chemist. It was hilarious madness. But it worked! In time we developed a complete line of products spanning from organic diapers and skincare, to patent-pending detergent and upcycled storage bags. Each and every one of those 14 products was over thought and over tested and comes with the seal of approval of not only my kids, but the hundreds of diaper service babies who tested alongside them.
What are some common misconceptions you encounter when it comes to cloth diapering?
I spend a lot of time working on education and support for Esembly, so I hear firsthand what new and expecting parents are both inspired by and afraid of when it comes to cloth diapering. In general they love that our organic cotton diapers are landfill-free, blowout-proof and that they save families a whole bunch of money. They are overwhelmed by the idea of the laundry and fearful that it’s going to be gross. Once they understand that all it takes is TWO loads of laundry A WEEK and that our specially formulated detergent and super-simple wash routine (included at the bottom of this post!) power clean both the diapers and washing machine, they are all-in.
We really admire your sustainability mission. Tell us about what this means to you.
Parenthood came as a surprise to my husband and I. It was not necessarily something we were planning on ever doing. So I really struggled with maintaining my sense of self through my pregnancy and those early baby years.
Prior to having my daughter I was a passionate environmentalist. We grew fruits and veggies in our small Brooklyn backyard, composted, rode bicycles for transportation, and were constantly refurbishing old things to make them new again for our apartment. We rarely used anything single-use (no paper towels, ziplocks, saran wrap, etc). I knew that all of those things would become more challenging when we had our baby - but I was determined to find a way to because they felt right to me. Happily, many of the things I was already doing fit right into motherhood. Upcycling baby gear saved us money, as did getting our produce from our yard and local CSAs. And when it came to diapers, I could not bear the thought of throwing away 60-80 diapers a week so we went with cloth and never looked back! Not only did using cloth diapers radically reduce diaper waste, but they didn’t leak and blowout like disposable are notorious for doing – so it saved me that headache!
We love that you collaborate with artists to bring an array of beautiful designs to your products. Where does your passion for aesthetics stem from?
So I actually went to art school not business school. After college I worked as a studio manager for different artists before becoming a producer. As a producer in the ad world, a big part of my job was finding the right photographers and illustrators for the campaigns we were working on. I LOVED collaborating with the artists and watching them bring our vision to life. When I left that job after the birth of my daughter, I knew I had to find an outlet for it in my new life. So the idea for our Esembly Limited Edition artist collections was born. We have worked with some truly remarkable talents over the years! From Amanda Jane Jones and Reyna Noriega to Phoebe Wahl and Oliver Jeffers. And stay tuned because we have some great ones coming in 2025.
As both an entrepreneur and a mother, how do you make space for self-care in your life?
Honest answer? I don’t. Raising small kids is a full time job. Running a company is a full time job. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for “me”. I carve it out whenever I can and when I do, I relish in the glory. And as my kids get older and our Esembly team gets bigger those glorious moments are becoming more consistent. Walking is probably my favorite self-care activity. I think best when on the move. So either I walk by myself to figure out the solution to a problem, or I take an evening walk with a girlfriend to laugh out the craziness of our hectic lives, or with my husband so we can have a conversation that doesn’t involve folding laundry or loading the dishwasher! But ultimately, when I’m feeling spread thin and run down I try to remind myself that this time is fleeting and I am so so lucky that both my family and my company fill me up like they do. My parents both worked long hours at jobs that they got very little from when I was little, so I know how fortunate I am.
What’s something that’s been inspiring you lately?
Wallpaper! Last summer we started working on fixing up a little cabin in the Catskills and I spent months looking for the perfect wallpaper for the kitchen. Now my entire Pinterest feed is filled with everything from soft, vintage florals to bright, bold graphics. These beautiful wallpapers have definitely inspired some of the new Esembly prints we’re working on for 2025!
Resources for Learning More About Cloth Diapering:
Cloth 101 - A free virtual workshop hosted every month by Esembly Co-Founders
How to Wash Cloth Diapers, the Esembly Way
Things you’ll need:
24 Inners
6 Outers
Wash Instructions
Every 2 - 3 days, load your washing machine ½ - ⅔ full with all* of your cloth diapers, wipes, accessories, and Agitators
*I want to stress that ALL Esembly textiles (Cloth Diaper Inserts (Inners), Outers, Wipe-Ups, Diaper Bags, etc) are designed to be washed and dried together. As mentioned, we come from an industrial laundry background and put our chosen materials through the wringer before approving them. All of our textiles can withstand the hot water, heavy duty cycles and a tumble in a hot dryer. Additionally, all of our materials are colorfast so they will not bleed when washed together.
Once the machine is properly loaded, you’ll run 2 wash cycles before moving everything to the dryer:
Cycle 1
Run a “normal” cycle with warm water and 1 scoop of Washing Powder sprinkled on top (or measure for a “normal” load if using another detergent)
Cycle 2
Run a “heavy duty” cycle with hot water and 2 scoops of Washing Powder sprinkled on top (or measure for a “heavy duty” load if using another detergent)
Drying
Cycle: Timed Dry
If you have a gas dryer, we recommend Med-High Heat, for 55-65 minutes.
If you have an electric dryer (which tends to not get as hot as gas), you can use High Heat, for 65-75 minutes.
That’s it!! :)
