Yoobi Highlight: Ido Leffler

Each month we’re going to highlight a different team member of the Yoobi family. What better way to kick things off than with the brains behind Yoobi!

Meet IDO LEFFLER, the Co-founder, CEO and “Father of two lil’ monkeys” at Yoobi.

Ido is also the Co-Founder and “Chief Carrot Lover” of San Francisco based skincare brand Yes To, Inc. the #2 natural beauty brand in the U.S. (the makers of Yes To Carrots, Yes To Cucumbers, Yes To Tomatoes, Yes To Blueberries and Yes To Grapefruit). He also cofounded the Yes To Seed Fund, the brand’s non-profit organization committed to teaching kids about nutrition and healthy living through the planting of organic school gardens. Ido sits on numerous corporate/advisory boards including The United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneur Council.

How did you first develop the idea of Yoobi?

The idea for Yoobi was born from a trip down the school supply aisle with my daughters. I realized the aisle was in need of some new inspiration. But that wasn’t all. Once I started visiting classrooms and meeting with teachers, I realized an entirely new motivation. All of the classrooms I saw fell into one of two categories. They were either barren with blank walls and empty desks, with a teacher admitting budgets had been cut, or they were fun, bright and inspiring, because a teacher bought supplies out of their own pocket. In creating Yoobi, we set out to not only disrupt the current assortment of options, but also solve an important problem along the way: providing access to school supplies for those in need.

What was your favorite school supply growing up?

I really loved pencil cases—I think because they were a way to keep all my supplies in one place. I also took pride in my notebooks, and loved to draw and transform a blank page into something special.

What was your favorite subject in school?

My favorite subjects in school were anything that had to do with geography and the world around us. I loved learning about different countries and cultures. As I got older, I became drawn to business studies and the idea that it was possible to use a business to truly make a difference.

What is your favorite Yoobi item?

That’s easy – the green fuzzy pencil case, and the jumbo highlighter, you never know when you might need one!