Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender. A Partnership that Flourished—until it Failed. (2021)
Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender recount the rise, near-collapse, and bitter co-founder split of eco-friendly brand Seventh Generation. Speaking together for the first time in decades, they explore progressive company culture, the transition from catalog to supermarket retail, Hollender's eventual ouster by his own board, and the hard lessons of entrepreneurial partnerships.
- Alan Newman founded Magic Hat Brewing in Vermont after leaving Seventh Generation, carrying forward hard lessons about premature expansion. Read →
- Growth will not protect you: Seventh Generation reached $150 million in revenue and 50% year-over-year growth right before Jeffrey Hollender was fired. Read →
- Seventh Generation launched its bathroom tissue with a Wisconsin mill that thought the founders were out of their minds for selling scratchy, unbleached, 100% recycled paper. Read →
- Seventh Generation shut down its mail-order catalog business while it was generating 80% of total company revenue. Read →
- In the late 1980s, Seventh Generation co-founders Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender built an office setup featuring pillow-lined meeting rooms, feedback chalkboards, and a dedicated nap room. Read →