We are a female-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Our founder, Ruby Franzen, saw a gap and opportunity to grow the formal event experience. Young women (including herself) were buying formal dresses, only to wear them once and have them be set aside in their closets. Since inception, Pass Down the Gown has been collecting theses dresses to allow anyone to rent them for free. What started out a a rack of dresses in a basement has grown into a sustainable nonprofit, serving 100+ through volunteer service and donations. Our hope is that as Pass Down The Gown grows, people use us as a more eco-friendly and affordable option for event shopping!
Meet Our Founder
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Ruby Franzen created Pass Down The Gown in 2017 as a senior in high school. As a senior, she took a class where she volunteer once a week during class, and read books addressing social, political, economic, and environmental issues across the US. This class ultimately led to her inspiration of Pass Down The Gown. She loves events, dressing up, walking into a beautiful ballroom with friends; but also saw that these events are often inequitable and not sustainable. With the help of her friends like Alex Fitzgibbons, Katie Schearer, and Addy Johnson, she was able to grow her idea and start picking away at the inequity she was seeing. More than anything, she owes the creation of Pass Down The to Mr. Syman, her senior year english teacher.
Ruby now lives in Brooklyn, NY and in her free time she likes to play piano, go on walks with friends, and make cocktails. |
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Meet Our Team
Daisy Franzen Operations Director |
Amanda Sargent ON-SITE Manager |
Lucy Franzen Brand Director |
