10 Things To Know About Allergy Amulet’s CEO, Abi Barnes
1. She learned survival strategies at a young age.
As a child, Abi managed acute asthma, severe eczema, and life-threatening food allergies. She used a nebulizer twice a day for her asthma, and had allergies to several foods, including strawberries, eggs, coconut, chocolate, and most cheeses (fortunately, not American! 😋). Tree nuts sent her to the ER more than once.
While she’s mostly outgrown her asthma, eczema, and several of her food allergies, she remains allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, and shellfish.
2. According to Business Insider, she’s cooler than Meghan Markle.
On Business Insider’s 2019 list of the 100 Coolest People in Food and Drink, Abi ranked #22—just above Impossible Foods’ CEO Pat O’Reilly Brown!
3. She’s a lawyer by trade.
In her first job, Abi was a paralegal in New York City where she supported nine attorneys and worked with Erin Brockovich to identify class action lawsuits. This work inspired her to pursue a career in environmental law. Two high-profile cases she worked on include the 2010 BP oil spill and the 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill.
4. She wasn’t always able to connect the dots.
To the little kids out there struggling in math class, you too can become a CEO and lawyer, or get an advanced degree. Abi attended Yale for her master’s degree, but she definitely struggled in math class along the way!
A real assignment from her elementary school. 😄
5. She has a dog named Murphy.
Who is also the Chief Happiness Officer at Allergy Amulet HQ!
6. She knows a thing or two about gas and bottle-y fluids.
Abi’s written articles on China’s bottled water market and the impact of fracking and cheap natural gas on the renewables sector. Water they saying about the impact? Gas you’ll have to read and find out! 😉
7. She’s lived in China and France.
Her travels abroad have underscored the challenges that accompany eating with food allergies in foreign countries and the need for Allergy Amulet! Fun fact: Abi is fluent in Mandarin and worked as a translator and tour guide during the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing!
8. She prioritizes supporting women-owned businesses.
Abi is a big proponent of supporting female founders. She wrote this blog post a couple years back on the importance of investing in women, and supports local businesses whenever she can. As a resident of Madison, WI, a few of her favorite shops include: Hackwith Design (clothing, Minneapolis), A Room of One’s Own (bookstore, Madison), and Good Day Shop (home goods, Madison).
9. You could often hear goooaaalll in her house growing up.
Soccer was a big part of her childhood, and you could regularly hear European soccer matches playing in the background at her home. As a kid, her dad would bring her to a local pick-up game of mostly old European men who taught her the early lessons of the sport. She still enjoys a good pick-up game every now and then.
10. She is a big believer in sleep and corporate social responsibility.
If you didn’t catch our recent blog on the topic, you can read all about the importance of sleep for our health, productivity, and relationships here.
Abi has also written guidebooks on corporate social responsibility with Yale University and Patagonia—one for entrepreneurs, and one for a legislative audience.
