🌿 By Pallavi Pande, Founder of Dtocs
Motherhood is a powerful force. It challenges you, changes you, and—if you’re lucky—reveals a purpose bigger than yourself.
Hi, I’m Pallavi Pande, a mom of two, entrepreneur, and the proud founder of Dtocs, a sustainable palm leaf tableware brand born in Portland, Oregon but rooted in the vibrant traditions of India. As a mom, I’ve always wanted to raise my children with values like sustainability, community, and cultural pride. What I didn’t expect was how those values would grow into a multimillion-dollar, mission-driven business.
From Mom Life to Mompreneur Life
Being a mom taught me how to multitask, how to show up even when it’s hard, and how to lead with love. But it also pushed me to ask: What kind of world am I creating for my kids?
When I moved to the U.S., I was shocked at how much plastic and waste surrounded everyday life—especially in the kitchen. As a mom constantly juggling snacks, parties, and messes, I wanted convenient solutions—but not at the cost of the planet.
That’s when I thought back to my childhood in India, eating meals off banana leaves with my family. It was simple, natural, and waste-free. That memory planted the seed for Dtocs—an eco-friendly tableware brand using naturally shed Areca palm leaves to create stylish, single-use plates and bowls that are compostable, chemical-free, and plastic-free.
Why Moms (and Everyone) Need Sustainable Options
As parents, we make hundreds of choices each day—from what we feed our kids to how we clean up afterward. Sustainability shouldn’t be the hard choice—it should be the easy one. That’s what I set out to change with Dtocs.
Our products are designed to replace cheap paper plates, harmful plastics, and costly bamboo alternatives with something better—for your family and the planet.
More Than a Brand: A Mission to Empower
As a mom, my mission goes beyond building a business—I’m raising the next generation of changemakers. In our home, sustainability isn’t just a value, it’s a lifestyle. I’m intentional about teaching my children what it means to care for the planet—because I also believe that we borrow the Earth from the next generations.
Through Dtocs, I want my children to see that business can be a force for good. I’m making moves—one plate at a time—not just for my customers, but for my kids, and for every family dreaming of a more sustainable tomorrow.