Sarah Villafranco, M.D., Founder & CEO, Osmia Organics

Dr. Sarah Villafranco spent a decade practicing medicine in the emergency room where she witnessed a broad spectrum of health issues—along with an unsettling trend of resistance to treating the root causes of disease. Not long after Sarah relocated from the East Coast to Carbondale, Colorado, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and she was gone just over a year later. With two young daughters of her own, Sarah was mourning the loss of her mom, but newly inspired to create a unique and meaningful path in her own life. On a whim, she signed up for a local soap making class.

Almost instantly, she reconnected with her passion for science—the same passion that led her to study medicine. In the weeks and months that followed, Sarah learned more about the chemistry of making natural soap, and became enchanted by the artistry of form, color, and scent that could be woven into the process. As she began to research the ingredients people were using on their skin every single day, a bigger idea took shape.

In 2012, Sarah founded Osmia with one simple mission: to energize people to engage in their own wellness through skin health and sensory experience. Rather than putting out fires in the emergency department, Sarah now hopes to create sparks of joy that inspire meaningful change. When people experience a gorgeous soap, a velvety body oil, or a nourishing lip balm made with effective, wholesome ingredients, perhaps a tiny seed is planted: I can have a positive, joyful effect on my own wellness, every day.

That’s some powerful medicine.