{{short description|American businesswoman (born 1975)}} {{distinguish|Sarah Knauss}} {{infobox person | name = Sarah Kauss | birth_place = Jupiter, Florida<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.palmbeachlately.com/2013/01/02/meet-our-sponsor-introducing-swell-palm-beach/|title=Meet Our Sponsor: Introducing S'Well Palm Beach|work=Palm Beach Lately}}</ref> | image = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1975}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2017/05/18/from-a-friends-star-to-a-microneedling-founder-four-women-entrepreneurs-to-watch-in-2017/#2b45e78b7119|title=From A 'Friends' Star To A Microneedling Founder: Four Women Entrepreneurs To Watch In 2017|work=Forbes|author=Tindera, Michela}}</ref> | alma_mater = University of Colorado Boulder, Harvard Business School | occupation = Founder of S'well | spouse = | website = https://www.sarahkauss.com/ }} thumb|Kauss in 2024 '''Sarah Kauss''' (born 1975) is an American businesswoman. She is known as the founder of S'well, a reusable, insulated products manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer.<ref name="fortune">{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/40-under-40/sarah-kauss-36/|title=Fortune 40 Under 40|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name="entrepreneur">{{cite web|url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238997|title=S'well Founder Sarah Kauss on Starting Up and Being a Female Entrepreneur|date=October 27, 2014|author=Daniel Roberts|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name="dailyworth">{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/2390-focusing-on-design-to-sell-your-product|title=When Style Over Substance Works|work=DailyWorth |date=January 15, 2014|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://dotbeasts.com/why-stainless-steel-bottles-only/|title= Why Stainless Steel Bottles Only|accessdate=2018-04-08}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Kauss was raised in Jupiter, Florida by parents who were small business owners.<ref>{{Cite news |title=S'well: Sarah Kauss |language=en |work=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/04/03/826838601/swell-sarah-kauss |access-date=2022-05-31}}</ref> She received a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Colorado Boulder and her MBA from Harvard Business School.<ref name="forefrontmag">{{cite web |date=January 6, 2013 |title=Making Eco-Friendly Eco-Chic – Sarah Kauss, CEO at S'Well Bottle |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Kauss#cite_note-forefrontmag-10 |accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=June 2022}}
==Career== After receiving her bachelor's degree, Kauss worked as a CPA for Ernst & Young in Denver, Colorado and Los Angeles, California. She then moved into commercial real estate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sorvino |first=Chloe |title=Why S'well Bottle Founder Sarah Kauss Is One Of America's Most Successful Self-Made Women |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2017/05/18/swell-bottle-founder-sarah-kauss-americas-most-successful-self-made-women/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> In 2009, Kauss was inspired to create a more upscale and fashionable reusable water bottle, while hiking in Arizona with her mother.<ref name=forefrontmag/><ref name="fastcompany">{{cite web|url=http://blog.fastcompany.com/post/52146393320/if-sarah-kauss-turned-back-the-pages-of-her|title=How keeping a journal can help with productivity|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> Kauss founded S'well in 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kobie |first=Nicole |title=How S'well founder Sarah Kauss built her water bottle empire |url=https://www.wired.com/story/swell-water-bottles-sarah-kauss-startup-advice/ |access-date=2026-02-06 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-06-05 |title=Why Use A Plastic Water Bottle When You Could Drink From Something Much More Classy |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/2682236/why-use-a-plastic-water-bottle-when-you-could-drink-from-something-much-more-classy |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220627131246/https://www.fastcompany.com/2682236/why-use-a-plastic-water-bottle-when-you-could-drink-from-something-much-more-classy |archive-date=2022-06-27 |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=Fast Company |language=en-US}}</ref> The company helped displace more than 4 billion single-use plastic bottles and was named one of 25 designs that helped shape the world by Architectural Digest before Kauss sold the company in 2022 to Lifetime Brands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-08-19 |title=The 25 Designs That Shape Our World |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/designs-that-shape-our-world |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=S'well's New Sustainability-as-a-Service Platform Riding GroundS'well of Demand for Circular Products |date=28 January 2021 |url=https://sustainablebrands.com/read/product-service-design-innovation/s-well-s-new-sustainability-as-a-service-platform-riding-grounds-well-of-demand-for-circular-products|website=Sustainable Brands|last=Perella|first=Maxine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-03 |title=Lifetime acquires S'well |url=https://www.hfndigital.com/housewares/lifetime-acquires-swell/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Home Furnishings News |language=en-US}}</ref>
''Fortune'' included Kauss on its 2014 40 under 40 list.<ref name="fortune" /> She was selected as a member of the 2014 class of EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women. In 2016, Kauss was named number 49 on the Business Insider 100 list, The Creators.<ref>{{cite web |author=Emmie Martin, Tanza Loudenback, Alexa Pipia |date=June 13, 2016 |title=Meet the top 100 business visionaries creating value for the world |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/bi-100-the-creators-business-visionaries-creating-value-for-the-world-2016-6 |access-date=July 22, 2016 |publisher=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Tanza Loudenback |date=June 24, 2016 |title=The Creators |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/swell-water-bottle-ceo-sarah-kauss-2016-6 |access-date=July 22, 2016 |publisher=Business Insider}}</ref> She was recognized on ''Inc.'s'' "Most Impressive Women Entrepreneurs of 2016" list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE MOST IMPRESSIVE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS OF 2016 |url=http://www.inc.com/bartie-scott/ss/most-impressive-women-entrepreneurs-2016.html |work=Inc.}}</ref> In 2018, Kauss was named one of Aspen Institute's Henry Crown Fellows. She was also selected as an Aspen Institute 2020 Braddock Scholar. She is on the board of the all women platform of SPACs Athena SPACs and Thorne Healthtech.<ref>{{Cite web |title=L Catterton To Take Thorne Healthtech Private In $680 Million Deal |url=https://beautymatter.com/articles/l-catterton-to-take-thorne-health-tech-private |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=BeautyMatter |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Athena Consumer Acquisition Corp. Company & People {{!}} ACAQ |url=https://www.barrons.com/market-data/stocks/acaq/company-people?mod=md_usstk_view_hilo_full_hilo_quote |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=Barron's |language=en}}</ref>
Kauss has been featured in NPR, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, Fortune magazine, CNNMoney, and CNBC, among other outlets.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 5, 2015 |title=Can you bottle success? S'well founder says 'yes' |url=http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000386097&play=1 |accessdate=July 13, 2015}}</ref> She is a mentor for the U.S. Department of State Global Women's Mentoring Partnership.
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{Official website|https://iamsarahkauss.com|name=Official website}} *[https://www.swell.com S'well website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krauss, Sarah}} Category:Living people Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:American women chief executives Category:University of Colorado Boulder alumni Category:American chief executives in the manufacturing industry Category:Henry Crown Fellows Category:1976 births Category:21st-century American women