HONEST COMPANY CEO CARLA VERNÓN saw her first diaper “cake” at a friend's baby shower in 2017. The Instagram-worthy centerpiece featured tiered stacks of Honest's flagship eco-friendly diapers and infant-care products, such as wipes and baby wash, all wrapped up with a bow.
At the time, Vernón was managing brands like Annie's, Cheerios, and Larabar for General Mills. “I think of myself as a very nerdy consumer products brand builder,” says Vernón, who looks the part, wearing limegreen glasses, when we speak via Zoom in late September. The pride of place given to Honest's diaper cake made it clear to her that something about the brand was resonating. She made a mental note: “This generation is picking a different diaper than my parenting generation picked.”
In the years since, interest in brands like Honest— which makes eco-friendly,
