Agense Stracquadanio
8 min read
09 November 2025
Susan Allen Augustin, originally from the US, met her best friend and future cofounder Tara Chanda when they were both students at the London School of Economics. During a spontaneous bathroom conversation about the impact of synthetic fibers and harsh chemicals in tampons and Susan’s dream to create a “Fempire” that would challenge the toxic patriarchy bros, the two friends decided to build a company that would offer people with periods sustainable, organic alternatives to synthetic tampons. With their shared values and aligned vision, they used their dissertations to help shape their company and define their future customers. Here We Flo was founded in 2017 in London and is now a Certified B-Corp. It spreads funny, feminist and fierce vibes that reflect the team’s passion for fashion, brands and trends.
What brought you to found the company?
I met my cofounder while studying, and we instantly fell into best-friend love. During a trip to the bathroom, I asked her to start a business that would benefit both the planet and the community while also giving back to charitable partners.
What problem did you see?
At the time, it was hard to find organic tampons, and most people assumed that conventional products were made from cotton and other safe materials. But in reality, they often contain synthetic fibers, pesticide residues, plastic and other harmful chemicals. The green revolution we’re seeing in so many areas hasn’t really reached intimate health. When it comes to period care, we’re still stuck with the same old conventional products. So we decided to create sustainable alternatives that are affordable, accessible and backed by a brand voice that’s funny and fierce, challenging the shame and stigma around periods. Eventually, we expanded our mission to include products for bladder leaks and sexual wellness too.
What inspired you?
All the business cases we studied in business school were run by men, so we built a women-led company that uses humor to break the awkwardness around certain topics, helping people feel more comfortable talking about their bodies so they can make more informed choices.
What’s your mission?
We want to create a world where people feel crazy confident even when life gets messy and where they’re empowered to make real change. So many people are struggling with conditions like endometriosis or PCOS without knowing whether what they’re experiencing is normal, simply because these topics aren’t talked about openly. Women’s health remains vastly under-researched. That means women often have to be bold and brave just to advocate for themselves and push for the care and answers they deserve.
“Whether it’s periods, sex or bladder leaks, your first instinct might be to laugh about it, but it shouldn't be the deep shame that many people feel today.”
How does your business reflect your personality?
Our business is authentic, funny, feminist, fierce and kind. These values are deeply personal and part of who we are. We believe in creating an environment where everyone can show up as their true selves. The business is a reflection of our sense of justice and humor that creates a universal common ground and often starts with a shared laugh. Our success has always been a team effort, built on constant, consistent feedback so we can keep learning and improving together.
What were some of the biggest challenges?
We've been learning how to balance sustainability with product efficacy, and that’s not always easy. Sustainability is a complex topic, and sometimes materials that seem eco-friendly at first aren’t as sustainable as they appear. As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to incorporate more and more sustainable elements into our products and operations.
On a broader level, scaling the business during COVID, the rising cost of living, global conflicts, and new tariffs have challenged our journey. COVID forced us to shift to remote work, and it’s become a core part of our culture. At the time, we had to pivot away from our original retail-based strategy and shift toward a more digital approach. Expanding into the US market brought its own challenges, like setting up a warehouse in a country we weren’t based in. We had to focus on building relationships strong enough to hold, even without being physically present.
What has been the most rewarding part of the journey so far?
Seeing our products on shelves feels surreal. We have a Slack channel where we share pictures. The culture we’ve built is deeply rewarding, and I’m so grateful for the amazing team of 26 women we’ve brought together.
Why build a company in London?
London is a city with a growing entrepreneurship ecosystem. I made my husband move and we have started our family here. Some programs also offer strong investment incentives. Angel investors can claim back 30% of their investments on their taxes, plus an additional 30% if anything happens to the company.
What's next?
Our main ambition is to become a household name in the UK. Our products are available in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Boots, and we are partners with Chelsea Women’s Football Club. We aim to continue investing in marketing and growing alongside our partners.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?
Knowing your customer and listening to them is key. Meet them where they are and just get started. Building a startup means you’re doing something that’s statistically more likely to fail than succeed, but there’s an element of power in embracing the unknown.
What do you think of the startup landscape in Europe?
There is a genuine spirit of helping each other and sharing knowledge. It’s a generous community, and I’m excited to see new brands disrupting industries that have stayed the same for decades.
“Lean into your naivety. If I knew everything I know now when we first started the business, I might never have begun.”