Brianne West: Ethique Founder Building a Plastic-Free Future
How the New Zealand environmental entrepreneur turned a university idea into a global beauty brand and later entered the drinks industry
Introduction
Brianne West is a New Zealand environmental entrepreneur best known for founding Ethique, a beauty company that replaced traditional plastic bottles with solid shampoo, conditioner and skincare bars.
She started Ethique in her Christchurch kitchen in 2012 while studying science at the University of Canterbury. The small student business later became an international brand sold in thousands of shops across more than 20 countries.
After stepping down from Ethique, West turned her attention to Incrediballs, a plastic-free drinks company. She also began helping other founders create businesses that can make money while solving environmental or social problems.
As of July 2026, Brianne West is focused on sustainable consumer products, business education, environmental restoration and supporting purpose-led entrepreneurs.
Brianne West Quick Facts
| Fact | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Brianne West |
| Profession | Entrepreneur and environmental advocate |
| Birthplace | Port Erin, Isle of Man |
| Raised in | New Zealand |
| Education | Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences |
| University | University of Canterbury |
| Famous for | Founding Ethique |
| Other major venture | Incrediballs |
| Former role | Founder and chief executive of Ethique |
| Current work | Sustainable brands, mentoring and business education |
| Major award | EY New Zealand Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 |
| Main mission | Reducing waste through practical business ideas |
Who Is Brianne West?
Brianne West is an entrepreneur who uses science and business to reduce environmental waste.
She became widely known through Ethique, a company that produced solid beauty products without conventional plastic bottles. Instead of selling shampoo and conditioner as liquids containing large amounts of water, Ethique concentrated the useful ingredients into bars.
Customers could add water when using the product at home. This reduced the need to manufacture, fill and transport heavy plastic bottles.
West later applied a similar idea to drinks. Her Incrediballs products dissolve in water to create flavoured beverages without the need for ordinary single-use drink bottles.
Her career is mainly built around one clear question: can a business be commercially successful while also treating people and the environment responsibly?
Where Was Brianne West Born?
Brianne West was born in Port Erin on the Isle of Man.
She moved to New Zealand with her family when she was about seven years old. She spent part of her childhood in Queenstown and attended Wakatipu High School.
West has described herself as someone who loved animals, nature and science from a young age. One of her earliest childhood projects was a small pet-detective service that offered to help people find missing animals.
Although the idea did not become a lasting company, it showed her early interest in both animals and entrepreneurship.
Brianne West’s Education
West studied at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
She completed a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences in 2015. Her science education helped her understand ingredients, chemical formulations and the development of concentrated personal-care products.
The University of Canterbury’s profile of Brianne West identifies her as the founder of Ethique and Incrediballs.
Her university years were especially important because she did not wait until graduation to begin her business career. She started developing the idea that became Ethique while she was still studying.
How Did Brianne West Start Ethique?
Brianne West started Ethique in her Christchurch kitchen in 2012.
The company was originally known as Sorbet. West experimented with solid shampoos, conditioners and other personal-care products that did not need plastic bottles.
She had noticed that many bathroom products contained large amounts of water. Transporting that water required heavier products, larger packaging and more energy.
West believed that companies could remove much of the water, sell the active ingredients in solid form and allow customers to use water already available in their homes.
This simple idea became the foundation of Ethique.
The products were also designed around wider environmental principles. Ethique used compostable packaging and promoted cruelty-free products, responsible ingredient sourcing and reduced waste.
How Ethique Grew From a Kitchen Project
Ethique did not become a global company immediately.
West first sold products online and at local markets. This allowed her to speak directly with customers and learn which products worked well.
She discovered an important business lesson: people would not continue buying an item only because it was environmentally friendly. The product also needed to be useful, effective and enjoyable.
Ethique later used crowdfunding to support its growth.
In 2015, the company raised NZ$200,000 through PledgeMe. A second crowdfunding campaign in 2017 reached its NZ$500,000 limit in about 90 minutes.
The money helped Ethique expand production and enter international markets.
The brand eventually reached more than 20 countries and thousands of shops. Its growth showed that a sustainability-focused New Zealand company could compete in the worldwide beauty industry.
Why Did Ethique Become Successful?
Ethique succeeded because it combined an environmental message with a clear everyday product.
Its products were easy to understand. A solid shampoo bar could replace one or more bottles of liquid shampoo. Customers did not need to make a major lifestyle change to use it.
The company also entered the market when public concern about plastic pollution was growing.
However, good timing was not the only reason for its growth. Ethique had to create products that cleaned hair and skin properly, lasted long enough and could survive transport without plastic packaging.
West and her team built a brand identity around transparent environmental goals. This helped Ethique gain loyal customers and international media attention.
According to West, Ethique had helped prevent about 30 million plastic bottles from being produced or discarded by the time she stepped down from the company.
Did Brianne West Sell Ethique?
Brianne West sold a majority interest in Ethique in 2020.
The investment came from Bansk Group, a private investment company based in New York. West continued serving as Ethique’s chief executive after the deal.
She stepped down as chief executive in April 2023 and completed her final departure from the company in early 2024.
Leaving Ethique was a major personal and professional change. West had spent more than a decade turning the company from a university project into an international brand.
She later spoke about the emotional difficulty of separating her identity from a company she had created and led for so many years.
What Is Brianne West Doing Now?
After leaving Ethique, West began developing a wider collection of ethical businesses and educational projects.
Her main activities include:
- Building Incrediballs
- Developing other products through Incredibrands
- Supporting purpose-led companies
- Teaching entrepreneurs through Business, but Better
- Speaking about science, sustainability and ethical business
- Supporting environmental restoration projects
- Mentoring founders who want to create responsible companies
Her current work continues the main idea behind Ethique: business can be used to solve problems instead of creating more waste.
The EY profile of Brianne West also identifies her as a WWF board member and a supporter of impact-driven entrepreneurs.
What Is Incrediballs?
Incrediballs is Brianne West’s plastic-free drinks business.
The company makes small flavoured tablets that dissolve in still or sparkling water. The customer adds the water at home instead of buying a prepared drink inside a disposable bottle.
The idea is designed to reduce the need to transport bottled water over long distances.
Incrediballs initially launched with flavours including cola, orange, pear and grapefruit. Its packaging was designed to be recyclable and compostable at home.
The business began with an online soft launch so the team could collect customer feedback before moving into wider retail distribution.
The first New Zealand and Australian production run sold out within two months, according to a May 2026 report. The company was preparing for further production and planned to consider retailer applications later in 2026.
How Is Incrediballs Different From Ethique?
Ethique and Incrediballs sell different products, but their basic business ideas are similar.
Ethique removed unnecessary water from beauty products. Incrediballs removes the need to package and transport ready-made flavoured water.
Both companies ask customers to use water already available at home.
The main difference is the industry. Ethique challenged traditional beauty packaging, while Incrediballs is designed to challenge the bottled-drinks market.
The drinks industry is much larger and highly competitive. This gives Incrediballs a major opportunity, but it also creates manufacturing, pricing, flavour and distribution challenges.
West has openly said that success with Ethique does not guarantee that every later product will succeed. This honest approach is important because experienced entrepreneurs still face risk when entering a new market.
Business, but Better
Brianne West created Business, but Better to help people build ethical and profitable companies.
The education platform offers lessons and practical business resources. Its subjects include planning, product development, finance, marketing, exporting and responsible supply chains.
West believes that useful business knowledge should not be available only to founders with large amounts of money.
The platform is also based on lessons she learned from Ethique. It teaches founders to test ideas, listen to customers and understand costs before trying to expand quickly.
This work has moved West’s influence beyond her own companies. She is now helping other entrepreneurs build products that may create environmental or social value.
Her journey can be compared with other New Zealand women who created major companies. Readers can also explore Naomi Ballantyne’s work in building Partners Life and Carmel Fisher’s investment leadership story.
Brianne West’s Business Philosophy
West believes a company should create value for more than its shareholders.
In her view, a responsible business should consider:
- Employees and their working conditions
- Suppliers and fair payment
- Customers and product quality
- Communities affected by the business
- Animals and natural ecosystems
- Waste created during production
- The long-term effect of business decisions
This does not mean that profit is unimportant.
A company needs income to employ people, develop products, survive difficult periods and increase its positive impact. West’s argument is that profit should support a useful purpose rather than become the company’s only purpose.
Brianne West’s Awards and Recognition
West has received national and international recognition for entrepreneurship and environmental leadership.
Her major honours include:
Foreign Policy Global Thinker
In 2016, Foreign Policy magazine named her among its leading Global Thinkers.
EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year
West received the EY New Zealand Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2019.
Women of Influence Award
She won the Business Enterprise category at the 2019 New Zealand Women of Influence Awards.
One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year
She received One Young World’s Entrepreneur of the Year recognition in 2020.
Blake Leader
West was named a Blake Leader in 2022 for her work in environmental business and leadership.
Barbie Role Model
Mattel selected West as a New Zealand Barbie Role Model and created a unique doll based on her.
Kea World Class New Zealand Award
She received a Kea World Class New Zealand Award in 2023.
These honours recognise more than the commercial success of Ethique. They also reflect her influence on conversations about waste, responsible production and women in entrepreneurship.
Brianne West’s Environmental Work
West’s environmental work is not limited to the products she sells.
She has supported organisations working in conservation and has promoted business donations linked with sales or profits.
At her rural Canterbury property, she has also worked to create better habitats for birds, insects and other wildlife. The project has included planting thousands of trees and shrubs.
She has described gardening, animals and observing nature as important parts of her life outside business.
West is also interested in marine life and scuba diving. Her love of oceans helps explain why plastic pollution has remained a central subject throughout her career.
Brianne West’s Podcasts and Public Speaking
West uses podcasts, interviews and public events to discuss business, nature and science.
Her public content has covered subjects such as:
- Climate change
- Environmental misinformation
- Ethical supply chains
- Plastic pollution
- Building a startup
- Exporting products
- Business failure
- Wildlife and conservation
- Scientific thinking
She has also shared the difficulties behind entrepreneurship rather than presenting business success as an easy or perfect journey.
This makes her public work useful for new founders. It shows that product development can involve delays, mistakes, financial pressure and uncertainty.
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Brianne West
Start with a clear problem
Ethique began with a simple problem: bathroom products created large amounts of plastic waste.
A clear problem makes it easier for customers to understand why a product exists.
Make the product useful
Environmental promises cannot replace product quality.
People may try a sustainable product because they support its mission, but they will normally buy it again only when it works well.
Test before expanding
West began by selling directly to customers. Their feedback helped her improve products before entering larger markets.
Connect profit with purpose
A business must remain financially healthy, but it can also use its money, supply chain and influence to produce wider benefits.
Accept that success does not remove risk
Creating one successful company does not make every future project safe.
West’s work on Incrediballs shows that even experienced founders must test new technology, understand customers and solve production problems.
Why Is Brianne West Important?
Brianne West is important because she helped make solid beauty bars a serious international product category.
Shampoo bars existed before Ethique, but West created a wider personal-care range and built a strong global brand around plastic-free packaging.
Her success encouraged larger beauty businesses to develop similar products.
Her career also offers a useful example of science-based entrepreneurship. She used knowledge from her university studies to solve a practical consumer problem.
West’s wider influence now comes from teaching and mentoring. By sharing her experience, she can help more founders understand that sustainability must be built into a company’s products and operations from the beginning.
Interesting Facts About Brianne West
- She started a pet-detective service when she was a child.
- She created Ethique while studying science.
- Ethique was originally called Sorbet.
- She developed early products in her Christchurch kitchen.
- Two Ethique crowdfunding campaigns reached their maximum targets.
- She is deeply interested in animals and marine life.
- She enjoys scuba diving.
- She has worked on restoring wildlife habitat in Canterbury.
- Mattel created a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll in her likeness.
- She has continued studying science while building new businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Brianne West?
Brianne West is a New Zealand environmental entrepreneur. She is best known for founding the plastic-free beauty company Ethique and later starting the drinks company Incrediballs.
What is Brianne West famous for?
She is famous for turning Ethique from a university kitchen project into an international beauty brand that sold solid products without traditional plastic bottles.
Where was Brianne West born?
She was born in Port Erin on the Isle of Man and moved to New Zealand as a child.
Where did Brianne West study?
She studied at the University of Canterbury and completed a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences in 2015.
When did Brianne West start Ethique?
She started developing the company in 2012 while she was a university student in Christchurch.
Is Brianne West still the CEO of Ethique?
No. She stepped down as Ethique’s chief executive in April 2023 and completed her final exit from the business in early 2024.
Did Brianne West sell Ethique?
Yes. She sold a majority interest in Ethique in 2020 and remained involved during a transition period.
What is Incrediballs?
Incrediballs is a drinks company that sells flavoured tablets designed to dissolve in water. Its purpose is to reduce the need for single-use plastic drink bottles.
What does Brianne West do now?
As of July 2026, she is focused on Incrediballs, Incredibrands, business education, mentoring and environmental projects.
What is Business, but Better?
Business, but Better is an education platform created to help entrepreneurs build ethical and financially sustainable product companies.
What awards has Brianne West won?
Her recognition includes the 2019 EY New Zealand Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, the 2020 One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year award and a 2023 Kea World Class New Zealand Award.
Why is Brianne West important to sustainable business?
She demonstrated that a company built around waste reduction and responsible production could expand from New Zealand into international markets.
Conclusion
Brianne West built her career by turning environmental problems into understandable consumer products.
She started with beauty bars that reduced the need for plastic bottles. She then moved into drinks, business education and support for other purpose-led founders.
Her story is not only about creating Ethique. It is also about using science, customer feedback and responsible business practices to challenge how everyday products are made.
As she develops Incrediballs and other projects, West continues working toward the same long-term goal: creating successful businesses that leave the world in a better condition.
