Tato labs is inspired by a bioplastic fashion Jewelry brand Mecca and Mia started in 2020 during the pandemic.

Mecca was scrolling on TikTok, it was her senior year of college and she had time to spare. She saw the resin trend taking off on TikTok, which concerned her because she knew that the environmental implications of this trend were bad. She thought, “What if I could create something better…a bioplastic?” After further reflection, she decided that this was a question worth answering. She knew that her experience in the Chemistry labs at Hopkins, her psychology degree, and decade of experience in visual art were what equipped her to answer this question. She decided this was what she would pursue after graduating.

During her senior year, she and her Co-founder pitched and won the Demo Day at Hopkins and won $25,000 to grow our venture. They’ve used that money for researching and developing this material. The entry product was accessories, established under a brand, Mo.Na. Gems. With Mia’s background in Chemical Engineering, and Mecca’s background in Economics and Psychology degree, Mecca knew they could do something impactful. She’s building a world around this product and material.

So far they’ve built a platform TikTok and Instagram of 170k followers.

“As I’ve continued to work on this idea, I see its potential beyond accessories and am working diligently to expand into packaging.”