In her early childhood Rachael Rapinoe suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. Her mental distress was later compounded by physical pain and injuries she endured in her collegiate and professional soccer career. Having a family history of undiagnosed mental illness and addiction, Rachael was determined to find a natural remedy for her physical, mental and emotional challenges. That’s when she discovered the medicinal benefits of hemp-derived CBD (a non-impairing derivative of the cannabis plant), and a new passion for helping others like herself stay balanced, naturally. Rachael set out to design plant-powered CBD products that would be more widely accessible, approachable and trusted– thus, Mendi CBD Solutions was born. In the beginning, Mendi focused on creating products for elite female athletes to feel their best and manage pain naturally. However, recognizing a growing demand in the market, Rachael expanded the brand focus to include all people with active lifestyles who want to improve their quality of life in the most natural way possible.

Carrie Ellers, founder of Kind Mother Botanicals, started her business making CBD tinctures, salves and muscle balms in her kitchen. “I have always created my own medicinal salves and ointments, for over 25 years, for different ailments – from diaper rash to burn cream,” Carrie says. “One day, my friend gave me some CBD flower to experiment with and I fell in love with the process and how well CBD works for people.” The rest is history, as they say. Kind Mother Botanicals produces three kinds of full-spectrum CBD tinctures, several CBD creams and salves for the muscles, and even a CBD tincture for pets. CBD (cannabidiol) oil is the essential oil produced from the hemp plant, extracted from the leaves, buds and stem. The extract contains cannabinoids, which are antioxidant and neuroprotective. “Our salves and muscle balms contain organic cottonwood bud oil, shown to reduce inflammation and resulting pain, especially in combination with other anti-inflammatories, like CBD,” Carrie says. Added essential oils also create pleasing aromas in every Kinder Mother Botanicals product.