In the sunny fields of Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, just outside Atlanta, education takes root in unexpected ways. Students gather around beds of chamomile and okra, their science lessons blooming alongside the plants they tend. This isn’t just a school garden—it’s where business innovation meets education, sustainability intersects with opportunity, and local impact grows into community transformation.
At the heart of this innovative program is Adria Marshall, founder of Ecoslay, a natural hair care company that began as a kitchen experiment in 2019, and has grown into a $3 million business in under five years. Once a month, she visits the school, transforming their agriculture lessons into real-world entrepreneurship discussions, showing students how natural ingredients cultivated in their garden can become successful products.
“These students amaze me,” Marshall shared. “They’re curious about how we use their garden’s ingredients in our products, and they’re full of questions about hair care and what works for them. When they learn how I built Ecoslay by filling a [customer] need, they start to see possibilities for themselves. We’re planting seeds of entrepreneurship alongside their herbs.”
This educational initiative represents just one branch of Marshall’s vision for community transformation, a vision made possible by her company’s remarkable growth in Amazon’s store. Since joining in 2020, Ecoslay’s Amazon sales have increased from $75,000 to over $1 million annually, becoming their fastest growing sales channel. “It’s allowed us to invest more in local hiring, partnerships, and teaching the next generation,” Marshall explained.
“As we grow, Amazon grows with us,” Marshall said. “Each new tool and program they offer becomes another opportunity to advance our mission.”
As orders increase, Marshall reinvests. Rather than outsourcing production, she creates jobs at her Atlanta factory. Using Amazon’s inventory management tools for forecasting, Marshall can predict demand and maintain steady employment for her team, while Fulfillment by Amazon, where Amazon manages all fulfillment and shipping, ensures reliable delivery to customers nationwide.
All of this success enabled the launch of the Ecoslay Foundation in 2023, focused on addressing housing insecurity through employment opportunities. Through partnerships with Atlanta Mission and HEY! Atlanta, Ecoslay helps community members transition to stable jobs, offering double the minimum wage along with comprehensive benefits.
“I don’t want us to be just another brand. We’re creating real opportunities in our community,” said Marshall.
For Marshall, this mission is deeply personal. During the 2008 financial crisis, she faced potential homelessness despite her background as a successful software developer. That experience shaped her understanding of how quickly circumstances can change, and more importantly, how transformative the right opportunity can be.
Today, the ripple effect of Ecoslay’s impact flows through Atlanta’s communities. From jobs to agricultural education, Marshall is creating opportunities that change lives. At Chattahoochee Hills, students learn that success and community impact grow together. At her factory, employees build stable futures with living wages and benefits. Through the foundation, people facing housing insecurity find pathways to independence.
“We’re transforming Atlanta’s future by creating a cycle of opportunity and education,” Marshall said. With Amazon’s tools and infrastructure supporting her business growth, she’s able to focus on making a lasting impact—building a blueprint for community-driven economic development that starts with great jobs, empowers education, and plants seeds for future growth.