“Making the Planet Safer”

Kelly Farhangi Najafi, CEO, CP Lab Safety, is ambitious and driven. When she took over the leadership of CP Lab Safety in 2003, she decided to unlock the company’s full potential. She brought new energy to the company, propelling the company to new levels of growth. First, she took the role of the marketing manager to get feedback from customers directly. In just a few months, she learned that there is a great need for new products in the same category of products that CP Lab Safety manufactures. She expanded the line of patented ECO Funnels, CP Lab Safety’s signature product, from 8 to 70 different versions of ECO Funnels to accommodate almost all commonly used laboratory containers as well as customizations based on customers’ needs.

One of the admirable qualities that Kelly has demonstrated over the past 18 years of her leadership at CP Lab Safety is her ability to engage and motivate her employees. She involves her team at every level of the organization in generating new ideas and decision-making. She encourages her team to learn new things and share their knowledge and skills at their weekly staff meetings. Kelly and her team have taken customer service and customer care to a new level. CP Lab Safety operates a very sophisticated online shopping platform like Amazon, except they also welcome customers to place their orders by calling CP Lab’s customer care and technical sales department. This helps reduce unnecessary product returns and, over time, will reduce the company’s carbon footprint. CP Lab has remained true to its mission of Making Planet Safer! Over the last 25 years, CP Lab has prevented over 1.5 million liters of toxic solvent from going into the environment. This creates excitement among the employees and gives everyone a sense of pride in everything they do throughout their day.

CP Lab Safety was created around its flagship product, ECO Funnel, which revolutionized solvent waste handling in laboratories. The company was formed 25 years ago around this single product to reduce toxic pollutants from going into the atmosphere. In 1996 ECO Funnel was created to prevent scientists from leaving their waste containers open in the lab, evaporating poisonous chemicals into the air around them and the environment through the fume hood. CP Lab is genuinely dedicated to reducing its customer carbon footprint with the intelligent product.

"CP Lab Safety was created around its flagship product, ECO Funnel, which revolutionized solvent waste handling in laboratories. The company was formed 25 years ago around this single product to reduce toxic pollutants from going into the atmosphere.”

According to Kelly, while unconscious bias is always there when dealing with partners, vendors, and valued customers, she takes her responsibility as a female CEO very seriously. She considers it their mission to be sacred for the customers and the planet’s health. “I know what I know and I know what I do not know. I may not be great at engineering and design, as a result I hire the best of the best consultants to help manage our need for new product,” she says. “The blind spot and potential downfall of a CEO is to pretend to know everything. I aim to develop a healthy working relationship with my peers, our employees, customers and partners, despite gender, color, race and ethnicity. I promote diversity and believe in 'together we can reduce carbon footprint and help save the planet'.”

For Kelly, the most powerful tool in becoming a great leader is to continue learning. “Knowledge is powerful! It will give you confidence and attract others. Learn everything! From new skills, different culture, to sports, etc,” explains Kelly. “It is important to be active in your personal and professional development. You can always use your knowledge for your benefit. Share your knowledge! Let everyone know how much you know. Perseverance is another powerful trait in becoming a successful entrepreneur! Don’t take No as answer! No means “not now.” My advice to my fellow female entrepreneurs is to be bold, to be respectful to everyone and work hard. Learn from your mistake but look ahead and most importantly Ask for help not as for help when is needed.” IE