Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Ahmed.
Hi Erica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Absolutely–I moved here almost 3.5 years ago from Maryland so Atlanta is now home! My background is in public health and psychology. I am an HBCU grad x2 and a proud mom.
I knew very little about cleaning products or sports:-). My journey regarding The Green Laundress began at home, with my daughter. Initially I thought she was having an allergic reaction to certain foods, but I quickly came to the realization that it was the products I was using to clean our home and wash her clothes that were causing a negative reaction. That moment stopped me in my tracks. I realized I couldn’t keep using products that were harming her health, but at the same time I had no idea what an alternative could be. So I began experimenting in my kitchen with natural and plant-based ingredients. What started as a mad scramble for my child turned into a larger purpose — creating non-toxic, effective products for families who want to clean healthier without all the confusion or chemicals. I call myself the “accidental entrepreneur” because it would be 10 years before I decided to turn this into a business.
Over time, The Green Laundress grew into a brand centered around wellness, simplicity, and the belief that what we clean with truly matters. Our goal is for people to align healthy eating with healthy cleaning. It’s about consumption—cleaning products, food, media, etc…All of these things either contribute to our wellness or detriment.
Also, over the years people have asked me about the name. I chose The Green Laundress in honor of my great grandmother who worked as a domestic and washer woman for decades, 6 days a week in Steelton, PA.
Now Negro League Football has a completely different origin, but it’s rooted in the same spirit of love, legacy, and honoring who came before me. When I began doing my research to learn more about my grandfather’s team (Harrisburg Trojans), I was shocked at the lack and gaps in information. This is what prompted to do a full-scale search and begin to compile information. I thought it would be like Negro Baseball–lots of information. It officially launched this year, inspired by my grandfather’s and his brothers’ journey in the early 1900s — men who played football with heart and talent but never received the opportunities and recognition they deserved as a result of structural racism. I wanted to create something that celebrated those stories, those athletes, and the cultural impact they had on their communities. They weren’t just athletes. Some were the children and grandchildren of enslaved people. Some were college educated with ties to HBCUs such as my grandfather and his brother (Bluefield State University and Morgan State University). They were doctors, accountants, porters, barbers, Tuskegee Airman, clergy and business owners. Like Negro League Baseball, Negro League Football is about preserving history while giving it the platform it should have always had.
When I look at both ventures, they seem very different on the surface — one focused on wellness and sustainability, the other on sports and legacy. But they are connected by a common thread: the desire to protect, preserve, and uplift. Whether it’s safeguarding our collective health through healthier cleaning products or preserving the history of Negro Football through storytelling and football, everything I do comes back to community and purpose.
I’m proud of how these two worlds have evolved side by side, and even more excited about the impact they’ll continue to make.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, not even close! The learning curve particularly with The Green Laundress has been quite challenging at times. As I mentioned, my knowledge around cleaning products was minimal and my understanding of business was even less. I had to learn about mass producing and scaling the products along with the business itself. I had to learn about packaging and logistics. I continue to learn about marketing and the nuances of partnerships and collaborations. Even with all of the challenges, I love what I do, and I am learning new things every week!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So to add to my story about The Green Laundress, we don’t just make cleaning products. We’ve made a commitment to educate about cleaning greener and healthier. As a public health professional, I view cleaning products as a determinant of health. Cleaning with toxic products is a public health problem that is rarely spoken about. We have normalized coughing, gagging, and burning eyes as a part of cleaning. They have become standards in determining if something is clean or how effective the cleaning product is. This way of thinking is harmful. There is a significant body of literature that speaks to the long-term and chronic effects of harsh chemicals in cleaning products ranging from respiratory and hormonal issues to cancer and organ damage. This isn’t about scaring anyone. This is about creating awareness so folks can make healthier cleaning decisions. Cleaning should never compromise our health. A recent study was conducted and found toddlers from 2-4 years old has an average of over 96 chemicals in their system. The Green Laundress wants to do our part to lessen the chemical load.
How do you define success?
Customer testimonials are definitely a measure of success regarding The Green Laundress. When we’re out vending or participating in panels, people will share their cleaning journey with me. Sometimes it’s because they had a baby and just as often, they made the change to clean healthier because someone in their household was diagnosed with a chronic condition such as asthma or cancer. In August, we partnered with Move-In Day Mafia to be one of their cleaningAbsolutely — my journey regarding The Green Laundress began at home, with my daughter. Initially I thought she was having an allergic reaction to certain foods, but I quickly came to the realization that it was the products I was using to clean our home and wash her clothes that were causing a negative reaction. That moment stopped me in my tracks. I realized I couldn’t keep using products that were harming her health, but at the same time I had no idea what an alternative could be. So I began experimenting in my kitchen with natural and plant-based ingredients. What started as a mad scramble for my child turned into a larger purpose — creating non-toxic, effective products for families who want to clean healthier without all the confusion or chemicals. I call myself the “accidental entrepreneur” because it would be 10 years before I decided to turn this into a business.
Over time, The Green Laundress grew into a brand centered around wellness, simplicity, and the belief that what we clean with truly matters. Our goal is for people to align healthy eating with healthy cleaning. It’s about consumption—cleaning products, food, media, etc…All of these things either contribute to our wellness or detriment.
Also, over the years people have asked me about the name. I chose The Green Laundress in honor of my great grandmother who worked as a domestic and washer woman for decades, 6 days a week in Steelton, PA.
Now Negro League Football has a completely different origin, but it’s rooted in the same spirit of love, legacy, and honoring who came before me. It officially launched this year, inspired by my grandfather’s and his brothers’ journey in the early 1900s — men who played football with heart and talent but never received the opportunities and recognition they deserved as a result of structural racism. I wanted to create something that celebrated those stories, those athletes, and the cultural impact they had on their communities. They weren’t just athletes. They were doctors, accountants, barbers, clergy and business owners. Like Negro League Baseball, Negro League Football is about preserving history while giving it the platform it should have always had.
When I look at both ventures, they seem very different on the surface — one focused on wellness and sustainability, the other on sports and legacy. But they are connected by a common thread: the desire to protect, preserve, and uplift. Whether it’s safeguarding our collective health through healthier cleaning products or preserving the history of Negro Football through storytelling and football, everything I do comes back to community and purpose.
I’m proud of how these two worlds have evolved side by side, and even more excited about the impact they’ll continue to make.
In August, we partnered with Move In Day Mafia, an organization dedicated to designing and decorating housing for children transitioning from foster care to HBCUs. It was truly an honor for The Green Laundress to serve as a cleaning product sponsor for students moving into their dorms at Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College.
Success regarding the Negro Football League is tiered and layered. Researching and gathering the initial information and getting the website up was success. Interviewing a 95 year old gentleman this summer who saw my grandfather play in the Negro Football Championship game in 1941 was a success. He was just 10 years old at the time so having him able to give me his account of that monumental event was priceless. We’re just getting started so we have many milestones to go!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thegreenlaundress.com and www.thenegroleaguefootball.com
- Instagram: thegreenlaundress
Image Credits
Ubangi Blackhawks (www.blackpast.org, www.gnfafootball.org)
