Meagan Downey
Meagan Downey is the founder and CEO of Shiki Wrap, a company that produces reusable and sustainable gift wrap inspired by Japanese furoshiki traditions. Over two decades of leadership in mission-driven organizations addressing social issues like homelessness and healthcare access.
Meagan Downey's Bio
Meagan Downey is the founder and CEO of Shiki Wrap, a Vermont company that makes reusable gift wrap from recycled plastic bottles, inspired by Japanese furoshiki traditions. The stretchy fabric squares tie around gifts with a simple knot - no tape, no waste.
Before founding Shiki Wrap, Downey spent over 25 years in nonprofit fundraising, including work on homelessness and healthcare access. She grew up in the Midwest, moved to Shelburne, Vermont about 10 years ago, and earned her MBA from Champlain College Online in 2016.
The business idea came in 2019, when Downey was helping at her daughter's school holiday fundraiser and found no sustainable gift wrap options. She discovered furoshiki - the Japanese cloth-wrapping tradition - but no product matched her standards. She worked with Repreve, a recycled plastic fabric manufacturer in North Carolina, to build a prototype and launched the online shop in February 2021 with personal funds plus a Kickstarter.
Downey joined Generator Makerspace's JumpStart program in 2021, then moved to LaunchVT where she won the Demo Night Grand Prize. Shiki Wrap appeared in the New York Times Style section in December 2022. In November 2023, Kourtney Kardashian invited Downey to Los Angeles to teach staff how to wrap presents with Shiki Wrap. The company holds a U.S. utility patent for its circular gift wrap design and won an edie sustainability award. Downey now works from Hula coworking in Burlington and mentors other Vermont founders.
Career Timeline
2011 — Moved to Vermont
Relocated from the Midwest to Shelburne, Vermont with her husband and young daughter.
2013 — Started MBA at Champlain College Online
Began MBA program at Champlain College Online, completing it in 2016.
2016 — Earned MBA from Champlain College Online
Completed MBA; credits values-driven decision-making coursework with how she runs Shiki Wrap.
2019 — School fundraiser sparks business idea
Helped at daughters school holiday fundraiser; found no sustainable gift wrap options and began researching alternatives.
2021 — Founded Shiki Wrap
Launched online shop for reusable gift wrap made from recycled plastic bottles, inspired by Japanese furoshiki.
2021 — Won The Eddies Award
Won an edie award recognizing sustainability leadership for her work with Shiki Wrap.
2021 — Won LaunchVT Demo Night Grand Prize
Won top prize at LaunchVT business accelerator after graduating from Generator Makerspace JumpStart program.
2022 — Featured in New York Times Style Section
Shiki Wrap featured in the NYT Style section as a sustainable alternative to single-use wrapping paper.
2023 — Kardashian Holiday Feature
Invited to Kardashian headquarters in Los Angeles to teach staff how to wrap presents with Shiki Wrap for family holiday gifts.
2026 — Awarded U.S. Utility Patent
Secured U.S. utility patent (US 12,559,290 B2) from the USPTO for Shiki Wraps reusable gift wrap system.
