A Reason to Smile
Alumna Belinda Lau makes a difference for people and the planet through sustainable oral care products
By Kelly Rembold
Carnegie Mellon University alumna Belinda Lau is giving people something to smile about.
Belinda is the co-founder and chief executive officer of ELIMS, a sustainable oral care company that makes clinically backed, 100% recyclable toothbrushes, toothpastes and teeth whitening masks.
The company’s mission — to make a positive impact on people’s health and help the planet by reducing plastic waste — is personal to Belinda. She spent part of her childhood living in Myanmar in Southeast Asia, where landfills were prevalent.
“I remember seeing so much trash in the ditches and on the streets,” says Belinda, a 2004 College of Engineering graduate with bachelor’s degrees in biomedical engineering and materials science engineering. “I had relatives living in some of these landfill areas, and it was just so heartbreaking to see.”
After graduating from CMU, Belinda spent 15 years working at Medtronic, one of the world’s largest medical device companies. While there, she realized how much waste is produced by the healthcare industry and began thinking about a solution.
“In healthcare, all of these sterile products come in individual packaging and the packaging is used one time and then thrown away,” Belinda says. “I always thought, ‘Why can't you use more sustainable materials for the packaging? They do have to be technically functional, but why can't we make it more sustainable and use more bio-based material?’”
She questioned the same thing at home, where her three children were flossing with single-use products every day.
“They've never had a cavity, but at the same time you feel so horrible. You know this product is just a one-time use for a couple of seconds and then it goes into the trash,” Belinda says.
“When you're healthy, when you feel good about what you're doing in this world for yourself, your family, your friends and the planet, and you feel like you're giving back, that's a really great feeling. And it makes you smile.”
Starting Fresh
Belinda knew something needed to change, and she had the passion and the experience to make it happen.
She talked to her husband, Casey, who is a dentist, and her friend and fellow engineer, Pradnya Parulekar, about starting a business to help reduce waste in the healthcare industry. They conducted market research and decided on a sustainable oral care company.
“In the oral care category, there were either products that were clinical, very health-focused, like the Colgates and the Sensodynes of the world. And then there were all other products that were supposed to be sustainable, but didn't do anything for oral care in terms of oral health,” Belinda says. “You got the sustainability, but you were giving up the healthcare, the clinical side of things. And we were like, ‘How come these two things can't be together?’”
They founded ELIMS in 2019 with a simple mission and a simple name — smile spelled backwards.
“It's all about loving your own reflection because that's what you're looking at when you're brushing your teeth,” Belinda says. “When you're healthy, when you feel good about what you're doing in this world for yourself, your family, your friends and the planet, and you feel like you're giving back, that's a really great feeling. And it makes you smile.”
Check out the line up of sustainable oral care products at elims.co.
“In terms of my career, CMU has carried me very far. When I was applying for jobs, just the CMU name alone got me interviews, because if you're a Carnegie Mellon engineer, that means something.”
Carried by Community
Attending Carnegie Mellon was an easy decision for Belinda.
“I went to CMU because it was, quite frankly, an outstanding engineering school,” she says. “I wanted to be an engineer, and I applied to several schools and CMU was the right size for me. Coming as a foreign student [from Canada], I really wanted a smaller community that felt very supportive and I got exactly that.”
The community she loved as a student also helped her throughout her career.
“In terms of my career, CMU has carried me very far,” she says. “When I was applying for jobs, just the CMU name alone got me interviews, because if you're a Carnegie Mellon engineer, that means something. I got all my internships through the CMU network, and that allowed me to get some great experience on my resume for applying for jobs. I got a job with Medtronic before I even graduated because of that experience and the name that carried me through.”
Belinda is especially thankful for the CMU Tech & Entrepreneurship network, a community of students and alumni that empowers entrepreneurs, industry experts, technologists and startups.
“When I was starting the business and leaving my career at Medtronic, I reached out to T&E,” she says. “I just remember how supportive they were. They connected me with certain people in the CMU community who were on a similar journey. I have made some best friends just from that experience.”
Now, she’s supporting the community that helped her become a successful entrepreneur by mentoring students and participating in CMU Tech & Entrepreneurship webinars.
“I love paying it forward to help other entrepreneurs at CMU by sharing my story, giving them some tips and connecting them with my network as well,” she says.
