As a soil science graduate student teaching at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Zoelie Rivera-Ocasio found herself searching for ways to make studying soil more interesting in outreach activities for undergraduate students.
In one of these outreach activities, she made soil-based paints for the students. The activity went so well, and she enjoyed the process so much, Rivera-Ocasio decided to pick up the activity as a hobby, she said. When she moved to the United States in 2021, the hobby turned into a serious business pursuit.
Now a soil sciences and biogeochemistry doctoral candidate in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, Rivera-Ocasio has launched her startup, Zoils & Pigments, manufacturing soil-based paints such as watercolors, gouache and crayons, using natural and environmentally conscious ingredients for artists and children.
Zoils & Pigments, which Rivera-Ocasio now runs alongside her husband Eric Appeldoorn, was a participant in Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank’s spring 2023 FastTrack Accelerator program.
“Most of the paints you find in the store have synthetic pigments, which means they were created in a lab with chemicals,” Rivera-Ocasio said. “One unique aspect of our brand is that we source our pigments directly from the diverse soils, minerals and plants. We also share information on each pigment’s identity, characteristics, and origins through storytelling. Soils all have a name and an origin, so by sharing this information, the paints have an identity and people can nurture the connection with the location.”
Rivera-Ocasio explained that the main ingredient of her paints, aside from the soil for pigment, is the gum of the Acacia tree, which can be used as a watercolor binder. The soils used in their products are currently all collected from different regions of Puerto Rico, but Rivera-Ocasio said she is working on creating a Centre County “Happy Valley” six color pallet, including a Penn State blue.
She said the FastTrack Accelerator program really helped them understand the nuts and bolts of building a business, especially the financial side.
“What I really enjoyed is that it wasn’t a solo mentorship, you have a group,” Rivera-Ocasio said. “You have all the advisers who provide guidance, but then you also have the cohort. It feels like a community — we are helping each other, we each have our own unique dreams for a startup. The advisers simplified the process of building a business in a way that I could understand it, but not so simple that it wasn’t useful. It was really eye-opening.”