Meet the Team
Owner and Founder
Kendra Dean
Kendra started Ren Market in the Summer of 2020 after a year of trying to cut back her own waste at home and being frustrated by the lack of local options. She majored in Marine Biology and Chemistry as an undergrad and has her Master's in Marine Resource Management. She uses her background in chemistry to ensure that products carried in the shop are as environmentally benign and non-toxic as possible. She loves the constant challenge of being a business owner and enjoys merging her creative and scientific interests into one outlet. She's mom to an adorable toddler and likes to silversmith in her spare time (which is rare these days!).
Favorite Products: Poppy + Pout Sweet Mint, Jasmine Milk Tea Facial Toner, Bottle None Be Bold Shampoo Bar, Toothpaste Tablets, Oxygen Brightener, Scouring Powder.
Store Manager
Laura Howland
Laura is passionate about community engagement and education, especially around the topic of caring for the Earth. She first came to sustainability while studying Natural Resources Management in undergrad. While her coursework was focused on sustainable and responsible use of natural resources, she realized our personal habits have the power to slow down the amount of resources we need to use in the first place. This led her to take steps towards low-waste living. When she's not at work she enjoys being outdoors, thrifting, and dinking around with making soap.
Favorite Products: Shampoo and Conditioner Bars , Stasher Bags.
Sales Associate & Marketing Assistant
Molly Johnson
Molly is a recent graduate with a Public Health - Applied Human Science degree. She is passionate about working with underserved populations and connecting them to community resources and health information. She loves the outdoors and spends her free time hiking, collecting agates, and gardening. Molly's love for the environment grew into a passion for sustainability during college, when she made the connection that the health of the environment directly affects the health of people. Since then she has worked to advocate for sustainability, for the people most impacted by environmental issues, and to protect this beautiful area we call home.
Favorite Products: Oneka Lotion, Earl Grey Deodorant Cubes.
Sales Associate
Izzy Smith
Izzy is from Illinois and is in her third year studying Environmental Science at UMD. Her interest in sustainability started when she noticed the amount of unnecessary waste she was producing, and how it was negatively impacting the planet. She loves when people visit the shop for the first time and “feel like a kid in a candy store”. She's also the current plant mom for the greenery at the shop and keeps them happy
Favorite Products: Reusable Face Rounds, Poppy + Pout Blood Orange Mint, Leave-in Conditioner, Bottle None Be Bold Conditioner Bar
Sales Associate
Tina Peterson
Tina lives on 20 acres out in the woods with two dogs, two cats, and one terrific hubby. Her husband initially introduced her to the native plants, wetlands, and environmental issues in Minnesota. Together they cultivate sustainable and low waste practices at home by using native plants and grasses, composting, growing a huge garden, and more. One of Tina's many talents is sewing, which she uses to make permanent winter boat covers at Ship Shape Canvas - eliminating the need for all that plastic shrink wrap.
Favorite Products: Prairie Sage Soap, Grapefruit Lemon Deodorant Cream, KooShoo Hair Ties, Shave Bar, Wide Mouth Drinking Mason Jar.