Hilma

Get to know the women-owned brand that really loves your guts.

When Hilary, Nina, and Lily looked at the products in their homes, they noticed they all had natural makeup, shower essentials, and food. What they didn’t have was any natural products in their medicine cabinets.

The three women saw a space for well-researched, clean remedies and became obsessed with creating herbal alternatives to conventional OTC products.

Pioneering a new era of natural solutions

Hilma is creating a new standard for medicine cabinets by combining traditional herbal remedies with science to create natural, effective solutions for everyday issues like stomach aches and sleep problems. Behind the women-owned brand, launched in 2020, are Hilary Quartner, Nina Mullen, and Lily Galef. 

Each of these women saw the value in clean products and knew compelling natural remedies were out there, but noticed their absence from pharmacies nationwide. “Once we saw the opportunity to fill that gap, we couldn’t unsee it,” shares Quartner, co-founder and co-CEO at Hilma. 

Hilma’s focus on science makes them unique in their category. “We value effectiveness just as much as clean natural ingredients,” notes Quartner. They formulate all of their products with clinicians—doctors, PHDs, and herbalists—and only use ingredients with a wealth of clinical research behind them. 

They do so while remaining attainable from a price and distribution standpoint. “We believe a natural remedy deserves to be in everyone’s home, whether they’re into clean natural trends or not, and that means it has to be accessible,” states Mullen, co-founder and co-CEO at Hilma.

Finding success beyond the aisle 

One of the greatest achievements along Hilma’s path to making natural remedies more accessible for mainstream consumers was getting into Walmart.

“Launching at Walmart was an incredible experience for every team member,” shares Quartner. “It was such a small team, big dream moment; every single team member contributed to the launch—from the warehouse, manufacturing, and marketing—we truly needed every person.”

But success for Hilma is also more than landing big box moments. To Quartner, success also looks like everyone on their team getting their personal and professional needs met. For her, it’s a morning run, early morning emails at the office with a cup of green tea, interesting meetings, team lunch, and a nice walk home to her kids.

Scaling up in a space tailored to your ambitions

Before Hilma were WeWork members, they were in an incubator space—until Covid forced them to go remote. But being remote was hard, leaving the team feeling isolated and less creative, says Quartner. 

“We craved the creativity that comes with being together,” she says. To satiate their craving, they turned to WeWork—going into the office together three days a week. “From the moment we moved in, we had everything we needed,” recalls Mullen, noting how they quickly made the space their own. 

“The best part is having the privacy and flexibility to bring in your own decor and make it feel authentic to you and the team, a place to invite people in for meetings that really represents you and your brand. But you still have all the benefits of the larger WeWork space,” shares Mullen. 

Without WeWork, they likely would have stayed remote, adds Quartner, explaining how this would’ve ultimately hindered their team, making them less creative and less attractive to talent. “WeWork was a perfect solution for our small business,” says Quartner. 

“It gave us a gathering place to focus on our work and mission without worrying about the headaches of managing an office, such as: Is the printer working? Did we get any packages? Is there milk for people’s coffee? Is there even coffee?” 

And when they outgrew their first WeWork space, they scaled up to a larger office with an internal conference room. “I can already see the future options for us as we continue to grow,” says Quartner.

Getting inspired by other trailblazers at WeWork

The team behind Hilma seeks inspiration everywhere. According to Quartner, no idea or industry is off the table. They read everything about what makes a productive and creative organization tick, from Jamie Dimon to Emily Weiss and everything in between.

Working from WeWork, where they’ve now been members for three years, is another source of inspiration. “Being in a group of like-minded thinkers, founders, and do-ers is really valuable,” shares Quartner. “Every day we walk around seeing the logos of so many different kinds of businesses solving so many different problems, and it provides a buzz that gives us the energy to keep building our vision.”

It also provides baked-in taste testers, notes Mullen, who shares how they often leave samples of their products in the kitchen and invite their neighbors to participate in taste tests—in addition to trading tips and tricks with fellow entrepreneurs in the hallway.

Reaching new shelves and new heights

What’s next for Hilma? They’re working on ensuring they’re within arm’s reach or an easy click away whenever anyone needs their products. Hilma is actively working on expanding its distribution and upleveling product development to meet the needs of its customers.

To Mullen, they won’t stop until there’s a Hilma product in every medicine cabinet in the US. 

“It’s exciting to be at the crossroads of holistic health, wellness, and science,” adds Quartner. “And where we work is just as important as the work we do.”

Where are you doing your best work? Do it at WeWork. Learn more about our flexible workspace solutions that cater to your team’s size and ambitions.