The Team

Gia Machlin, President & CEO

Gia founded EcoPlum in 2007 to help buyers make responsible, more sustainable choices on their branded gifts to help elevate their marketing practices.

Today, EcoPlum provides Sustainable Swag® promotional products to many universities, non-profits, SMEs and Fortune 500 companies.

Gia and EcoPlum have been featured on Forbes Books Podcast, Green is Good Radio, WOR Talk Radio, Crain’s New York, INC, magazine, Café Mom, and many other business publications and shows. EcoPlum is a WBENC certified woman-owned business, a certified B Corporation, and a Green America “Gold” approved business.

Prior to founding EcoPlum, Gia founded Plan Data Management, a healthcare software company which was acquired by a public company. Before venturing out on her own as an entrepreneur, Gia held positions in management consulting and sales with Deloitte, AT&T and Unisys.

Gia received her M.B.A. with honors from the Columbia Business School and she received her B.S. in Industrial Engineering/Operations Research with honors from Columbia Engineering.

Gia is a long time member of the Women Presidents’ Organization, a founding member of the Columbia Business School Alumni Club’s Sustainable Business Committee, and a member of the Enterprising Women Magazine advisory board. Gia serves as Board Chair of the Blue Card, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides cash assistance to needy Holocaust survivors. Gia is a recipient of the 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award.

She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband Corey and their dogs Pepper and Augie. Her daughter Talia is a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her son Noah is a software executive living in the West Village. Her parents (Eugene Machlin, recently deceased, 100, and Edda Servi Machlin, deceased, 93) continue to be her inspiration.

Stephen Redden, Creative Director

Stephen is our Creative Director, but like all of us here at EcoPlum, he’s wearing many hats and helps out with sales, marketing, and major accounts.

Stephen is a Jersey Shore native and a long-time resident of NYC and for most of those years he’s been a top real estate broker doing relocation and sales. 

Stephen is also an avid photographer. With an eye for detail, his art chronicles the city streets and vibrant daily scenes of our ever-changing urban landscape. Beautifully colorful and carefully composed, Stephen's photography documents the unexpected visual treasures that hide in plain sight.  More can be seen on Instagram @foolthemagician.

Samantha Schulman, Director of Technology & Operations

After studying electrical engineering at the University of Virginia, Sam moved to NYC in 2014 where she tapped into her creativity and went on to study interactive technology and design at NYU Tisch. Finding a focus in wearable technology, she then discovered the scale of environmental harm caused by the fashion industry and mass production as a whole, and is now dedicated to advocating for slow, small-scale and closed-loop manufacturing alternatives.

Stemmed from her own mental health journey, she is also passionate about discovering the best tools and techniques to help balance out a chaotic mind, especially when living in an overstimulating urban environment. She even started to design and build her own innovative tools that she hopes to one day share with the world! Sam also loves adventure, exploring NYC and beyond on inline skates, with the rest of her downtime spent hanging out with family and good friends, hunting down a hidden dance party or tucked-away shop for vintage and antiques.

Silvia Milanova, Editor

Silvia joined the EcoPlum team in 2010 after graduating from Syracuse University with a journalism degree. It wasn't until meeting and working with Gia that Silvia realized just how much she'd like to help advocate for a healthier food system and preserve the environment. Since then she has been on a mission to revamp her entire lifestyle. With the help of Gia, Silvia has learned how to green everything from her beauty and personal care routine, to her eating habits, and even her shopping experience. Currently, in addition to being EcoPlum's senior editor, Silvia also writes a blog called How to Go Green with Silv. She covers a variety of topics that all pertain to living a greener, healthier and better life. Silvia’s goal is to one day develop a business that will help others live a more sustainable life, as well.

Rachel Weisbart , Production Manager

Rachel joined the EcoPlum team as Production Manager in 2024 as means of blending her passion for sustainability with her love of working for small businesses. Growing up in Ossining, NY, amidst the beauty of the Hudson River valley, she developed a deep love of nature that developed into a lifelong commitment to protect and preserve it. Upon joining EcoPlum, she was immediately inspired by the dedication the entire team showed to following through on the company’s sustainability mission.

When she isn’t working or blabbing to her friends and family about saving the planet, Rachel can be found on various stages in NYC. She is a singer, songwriter, and the louder half of the genre-non-conforming musical duo The Gender Gnomes. You can check out @TheGenderGnomes on Instagram or find them wherever you stream music!

Advisors

Marcia Robbins, SVP, Marketing & Strategy

Marcia Robbins is an international Media & Entertainment executive with 20 years' experience launching cable channels, multiplatform content, and digital media in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific.  Her corporate and consulting career includes start-ups and new business for the BBC, Discovery, CBS, Rainbow Media, Scripps, Gaylord, online portal StarMedia, and all the major studios of the Motion Picture Association of America. Committed to growing our green economy, Marcia is active in marketing and advising sustainable business initiatives, including EcoPlum.  She is affiliated with HAF Consulting, a global boutique supporting investors in pursuit of telecom, media and technology properties.

As the BBC's Vice President, Joint Ventures Latin America/Iberia, Marcia managed its key relationship with Discovery for Animal Planet and People + Arts, with oversight for the P&L, marketing, programming strategy and selection of documentary, history, lifestyle and entertainment content from the BBC's vast library.  Globetrotting for CBS Cable, Marcia opened over 40 markets around the world for CMT: Country Music Television and led Latin American channel growth with the turnaround and relaunch of Spanish-language news channel CBS TeleNoticias.  Working in Europe, she conducted marketing due diligence on over $3 billion in completed acquisitions for a leading private equity investor and triple-play operator and restructured its business plan for a digital and interactive television platform, with VOD rollout.

With a passion for representing content creation, strengthening associated brands, and building distribution, Marcia has immersed herself in these businesses with an analyst's focus, marketing creativity, the ability to forge strong multicultural partner relationships and an eye on the bottom line.
Marcia has an MBA from Columbia University in International Business, Marketing and Finance and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia. She started her career in Washington, DC, managing survey research and operational projects for the Consumer Expenditure Survey and International Price Program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Dede Tabak, Writer

Dede Tabak grew up in Miami, Florida. She has been involved with EcoPlum since 2009, but has been passionate about the environment since her childhood when she was an avid fan of Captain Planet, the television show. She is currently a Human Resources professional at NYU Abu Dhabi, and performs regularly with her improv team, Titan, at the Magnet Theater. Dede writes a monthly article about green and eco-friendly entertainment for EcoPlum called Dede's Green Scene.

Chandni Shah,  Product Manager

Chandni Shah is a driven and accomplished individual who we are lucky to call our Product Manager. With a keen eye for detail and passion for delivering exceptional results, she consistently strives to enhance client experiences by maintaining the accuracy of product information. Beyond the demands of her career, Chandni finds solace and joy in exploring the world. Traveling is not just a hobby for her.

When she's not traversing new destinations, Chandni finds respite in the enchanting world of music. Music has the power to transport her to  a different realm, evoking emotions and sparking creativity.

With her diverse interests and strong commitment to personal growth, Chandni shah embodies a dynamic spirit. She embraces life's opportunities with enthusiasm and curiosity, continuously seeking to expand her knowledge and contribute to the world around her.

Pepper, Chief Meeting Disruptor

Pepper has been with EcoPlum since 2011. Her role is to bark at the most inconvenient times.

Augie, Assistant Chief Meeting Disruptor

Augie has been with EcoPlum since 2020. His role is to rile Pepper up to disrupt meetings when she is calm.