The following is a Q&A with Kirkwood Community College alumni Timothy and Rachel Rupert, Class of 2016. They are the co-owners of Indigo River & Company in Cedar Rapids.
How did you choose Kirkwood and what was your major?
Tim and I [Rachel] are both Kirkwood alumni. He chose Kirkwood after graduating from Ankeny. He studied liberal arts. I chose Kirkwood because of family ties, and moved to Iowa from New Mexico after high school. I originally intended to study education but chose a different path and did not finish my degree.
Why did you choose a company that makes handmade goods? What was your inspiration to go in this direction? What made you decide on your current location?
In 2016 we moved to Fort Collins, Colo., where I worked for a natural body care company. They specialized in large scale production of bath bombs, soaps and other body care. A year or so after leaving that job I began soap making again for fun, then started selling it on a small scale.
From there it has tumbled into what it is now. We currently operate a household refillery in Czech village (1501 C Street SW, Cedar Rapids). I opened the shop in May of 2022. Tim was able to leave his job and joined me and our small team in April of last year.
Our shops mission is to provide access to a less wasteful way to live. Our refillery has 40 plus household cleaning and personal care products available to refill. You can bring your own container or buy one from us. If you bring your own it must be clean, dry and odorless.
Our shop is a small but mighty space. At just 495 square feet, we provide everything you could need to clean and outfit your home sustainably and affordably. We also manufacture a large portion of our personal care products in house.
With nearly nine years of cold process soap making experience, I believe less is more. I am extremely passionate about simple, quality ingredients that are as good for the planet as they are for you. Our soaps and body care products can be found in more than 75 small shops across the U.S. and Canada.
Where do your ideas or inspirations on what scents you use come from?
We find most inspiration for all of our scents and products from our earth. We really enjoy creating seasonal offerings to add to our already robust collection! This allows us all to feel just a bit more connected to the world around us.
Have you ever thought about expanding and opening another place? What’s in the future for Indigo River & Company?
For right now we are going to keep our business focused on serving our community exactly as we are. We have a rapidly growing wholesale program and want to be sure we can continue managing that growth as well as providing our local customers with the absolute best access we can offer.
If you were to return to Kirkwood and talk to students, what advice would you give them?
If I were to come back to Kirkwood to speak, I would encourage every student to slow down and look around because everything you are experiencing will truly shape your future.
Whether it is completion of a college degree, a trade program or choosing to presume another path, the experience you have at Kirkwood will give you so much confidence for future endeavors.
Kirkwood has proved to be an incredible resource for us as students and now as small business owners. We have worked with the Kirkwood Small Business Development Center off and on for years. We feel so thankful for the resources that Kirkwood provides its students and alumni.
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