Sarah Paiji Yoo began her professional journey in finance before launching several startups in the fashion and beauty sectors. However, during her parental leave following the birth of her first child, she became aware of the pervasive presence of microplastics in her family’s daily life.
Reflecting on her career, Ms. Yoo, 40, shared that she experienced conflicting feelings about encouraging consumerism when it often felt unnecessary. Motherhood deepened her desire for work that held greater purpose, even as she remained passionate about building early-stage companies.
In 2019, she co-founded Blueland with a mission to transform household cleaning by eliminating single-use plastic packaging. That same year, she secured a deal on a popular entrepreneurial television show, boosting the company’s profile.
Blueland offers cleaning tablets packaged in compostable paper that dissolve in water within reusable bottles, creating products like hand soap and surface cleaners. These tablets can also be used directly in dishwashers, washing machines, or toilets, significantly reducing plastic waste.
Originally from Cerritos, California, Ms. Yoo relocated to New York City nearly two decades ago. She met her husband, Kenneth Yoo, at a bar, and they became engaged within nine months. The couple welcomed their first son, Noah, in 2017, followed by Colin in 2020. In 2021, the family settled into a spacious five-bedroom co-op on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Weekend mornings start early for the Yoo family, often around 6:30 a.m., when their children wake them. Sarah and Ken cherish these moments when they can cuddle with their boys in bed, savoring a few extra minutes of rest together.
