Sustainable Success

As a kid, Abby MacQueen spent her summers at the Jersey shore. Passionate about protecting the environment and being creative, she participated in beach clean-ups and could always be found crafting or upcycling clothing.

 I wanted to create something that was sustainable and eco-friendly and that everybody could feel comfortable in.

Abby MacQueen

She established her brand, Guppi Sustainable Surf Company while she was a sophomore at TU in 2018.

Born from her love of the ocean, surfing and her passion for environmental consciousness, Guppi is a surf company that produces apparel and accessories with sustainable materials such as bamboo, organic cotton and hemp. All screen printed and embroidered items are handmade by MacQueen.

“As convenient as fast fashion is, I wanted to create something that was sustainable and eco-friendly and that everybody could feel comfortable in,” she says. “I educated myself on sustainability issues, and I continue to do so to keep growing.”

 

Mentorship fuels entrepreneurship

Finding the confidence to pursue her own business venture took time, and the mentorship she received at TU was invaluable, she says.

She brought her idea of sustainably creating clothing to TU professor Jan Baum, director of the entrepreneurship minor in the College of Business and Economics, who encouraged her to add a minor in entrepreneurship to her major in mass communication and media studies.

MacQueen’s entrepreneurship class had the biggest impact on her business plan. She had to produce a prototype of an item for her mock business, so she set up a crowdfund for screen printing equipment to get started.

MacQueen’s entrepreneurship class had the biggest impact on her business plan.

While juggling her responsibilities as TU’s mascot, Doc, and participating in business competitions, MacQueen ran Guppi on the weekends at festivals and markets.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit soon after she entered the workforce in 2019.

Like many creatives at the time, MacQueen was caught between choosing a corporate path to pay her bills and pursuing Guppi full time.

But she stayed the course and followed her dream.

 

In 2022, MacQueen established Guppi’s first brick-and-mortar store in Wildwood. Now, for three seasons and counting, Guppi offers unique products that encourage sustainable and slow fashion consumption.

“If you have an idea, just do it,” she says. “I was losing sleep over my business for at least a year because I was focused on finding a stable corporate job. Instead, I realized I’d rather take the risk while I’m young and still have the opportunity to.”

Ultimately, she knows she caught the right wave.

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Photos courtesy of Abby MacQueen