OUR STORY

The Beginning

Anne and Rachel Leedom

I have been very blessed in having wonderful daughters. We each have our own together time and rituals, as well as so many adventures with all three of us. One ritual in particular launched the story of SIPEZY® Stainless Drinking Straw.

My eldest daughter Rachel and I have been going out in the morning to enjoy the nearby natural beauty ever since she was a teenager. I used to be addicted to Diet Coke, but thankfully I discovered healthier options.

After years of enjoying our morning beverage run, her with her coffee or tea and me with my juice drink, I had a moment of pure frustration that became a 'moment of impact', as I call them. A moment of pure inspiration.

I can't stand that straw clog that happens when the berries from my drink get caught mid-straw, clogging up my drink! It now becomes a battle between me and the straw. Blow it back out or pull it in and neither is very appealing. I know. Just don't get berries in my drink, right? But I do like them. It tastes better with them included. Especially at the end as a 'fruit treat'. I just don't like them clogging my straw.

I finally vented my frustration to Rachel, spouting that SOMEONE should create a straw with a screen on the end to keep chunks out you either don't want to drink in, or that may get caught in the straw.

This also applies to seeds from lemon water, which is enough to keep me from drinking it.

We looked at each other and I said hey...that's actually a REALLY good idea! Given that I come up with 'good ideas' often, she smiled kindly, and we continued our morning. I came home and began to search for clog-free straws and amazingly, there was nothing available. So, I began a mission to create one.

The Middle

SipEzy® Straws

The new 'kerf' technology shifts the suction flow in

SIPEZY® Stainless Drinking Straws, creating a dispersion that prevents chunks from entering into our patent-pending straw.

Veggie and fruit chunks and lemon seeds simply can't get sucked up into your straw with SIPEZY®.

I was determined to see my invention come to fruition... my clog-free straw. My initial process to create my vision seemed straight-forward enough. I would simple glue or weld on in some way a mesh to the end of a stainless straw to prove my concept and then find a way to make it more finished and food-safe.

Little did I know that no matter how many different meshes I tried or how many different glues, this was not going to work. It was time to bring in the big guns.

Enter Mike Robertson, who is a welder extraordinaire. Contracting with him to fine tune my prototype moved SIPEZY® Stainless Drinking Straws with kerf technology was a major step forward. HIs creativity gave us the perfect solution to materialize my idea.

Working with my vision and intial concept, Mike perfected my design with a unique dispersion technology, using specialized kerfs that will virtually prevent clogs or seeds from entering into the straw.

The excitement began to mount as we tested the prototypes and discovered we really had created an amazing and highly effective technology. This would be an ideal product to build a solid company around and change the course of clogging in sustainable straws.

Based in El Dorado Hills, SIPEZY® Stainless Drinking Straw is proud to bring this exciting technology to the world.

Present Day

Developing more prototypes with a manufacturer, preparing pitch decks and business plans, creating a solid marketing team, speaking with investors, researching sales options, developing a website and so much more that goes into building a start up... little did I know! All good things come to those who work hard, most of the time.

My background is in retail sales with General Mills, Purina Mills and other Fortune 100 companies, along with two decades in running my PR agency, Leedom PR. I am an entreprenuer at heart, starting my first advertising agency at 19. I have operated several commercial websites and worked with more than 2000 clients to date.

We are still growing and building a company. Inventory issues will be ongoing as we secure new outlets for product sales. It is gratifying beyond belief to have a final product and to help change the course of ending plastic straws on the planet and introduce our 'kerf technology' to the world.

Providing wellness strategies from many of today's leading experts and building a community of people who truly care about wellness and the environment is a gift, a vision and a calling that will bring purpose to all of the customers and team members for years to come, as SIPEZY® Stainless Drinking Straw became the clog-free straw of choice for a softer, safer sip for adults, children and seniors around the globe.