After leaving The Walt Disney Co. in 2000, colleagues Terri Yamate-Ottengheime, 47, and Stacy Burleson, 38, set out to offer an eco-friendly alternative to the so-called “trash and trinkets” of traditional promotional items. By convincing major companies to choose sustainable freebies, not tossable ones, these two moms have seen eco-items soar to 35 percent of total company sales. (They’ve worked with factories to source product created from post-consumer glass, leather, rubber and cork.) Last year, they outfitted attendees of ESPN’s ESPYS sports awards with bamboo-fabric T-shirts, sustainable lanyards and biodegradable water bottles.  The company walks its talk by locating its headquarters near the Metrolink commuter rail, using timer lights and a recycling program in the office and offering flexible hours so employees who want to drive can do so at off-peak hours. Moms can telecommute or, in a child-care pinch, bring children to work. Says Terri, mother of 8-year-old daughter Shelby, “The little table with coloring books is always ready!”

Beyond Zebra: Burbank, CA
Mission: To provide environmentally responsible promotional items
Founded: 2000
First Profitable Year: 2000
Employees: 7
2008 Revenues: approximately $2 million