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Rachel Kovach '10 is helping neighbors reduce waste one refill at a time, and she says her BW education made it possible.
Baldwin Wallace alumna Rachel Kovach '10, a marketing major and business administration minor, is bringing sustainable shopping to the Berea community with the opening of Mindful Mercantile, an eco-friendly refillery and retail shop located in the Berea Business Incubator. Kovach credits her time at Baldwin Wallace University with helping shape the creativity, purpose and community connection that guide her work as an entrepreneur.
Mindful Mercantile allows customers to refill home and bath essentials using their own containers, reducing single-use plastic waste. The shop also offers plant-based, low- and no-tox products, reusable household goods and a rotating selection of locally and ethically made items from Northeast Ohio artisans.
"Baldwin Wallace gave me a strong foundation in marketing and business, but it also taught me how to think critically and follow ideas all the way through," Kovach said. "Those years shaped how I approach problem-solving, communication and leadership. Mindful Mercantile grew out of that mindset. It is about taking ideas I care deeply about and building something practical, intentional, with a mission to serve the community."
Kovach said lessons learned at Baldwin Wallace continue to influence how she approaches both business and life.
"One memory that has stayed with me from Baldwin Wallace was a biology class where we took a quiet walking field trip around Coe Lake," she said. "We were asked to simply observe and take notes on what we noticed. That lesson has stuck with me. As a business owner, it reminds me to slow down, pay attention and stay responsive. Nothing is permanent. Systems and processes have to ebb and flow to meet real needs, and that mindset continues to guide how I grow my work today."
After nearly two decades in corporate project management, Kovach transitioned into entrepreneurship, focusing on mindful consumerism and sustainability, drawing on the skills she developed across multiple professional roles.
"My background in sales taught me how to listen and build relationships, while my marketing and consulting work showed me how to turn ideas into something real," Kovach said. "Project management gave me the structure and operational mindset to actually run a business day to day. When the time came, entrepreneurship felt less like a leap and more like the next logical step."
In addition to Mindful Mercantile, Kovach operates Conscious Creator, a brand consulting business, and Root Gardening, a kitchen garden consulting company serving Northeast Ohio. Across her ventures, she emphasizes creativity, sustainability and community connection.
Mindful Mercantile hosts workshops, pop-up events and other community programming throughout the year. Details on upcoming events are available on the shop’s website and Instagram.
"I’m really looking forward to hosting workshops that make sustainable living and personal growth feel accessible, not intimidating," Kovach said. "Things like gardening, refill basics and hands-on learning bring people together in a meaningful way. I hope that these gatherings help strengthen connections within the Baldwin Wallace and Berea communities and remind people that small steps, taken together, can make a real difference."
Kovach recently announced an exciting expansion of the business during an appearance on Fox 8's "New Day Cleveland" on Feb. 12. Mindful Mercantile will open a second location at Medina’s Common Ground on Friday, March 6. The new storefront will expand access to refill options and sustainable products while continuing the brand's focus on education and community engagement.
A tour of the Mindful Mercantile Berea location was also featured on Fox 8's "New Day Cleveland" show:
