“My resistance to the system started long before I had the words for it.
I was the kid who never felt fully comfortable with the way things were — though I didn’t know why. But like most of us, I still got swept up in the machine. I bought the lies. The trends. The myth that we could consume our way to happiness. It took years — and a lot of unlearning — to realize just how deep the damage goes. Behind nearly everything we buy, eat, or throw away is a trail of suffering, exploitation, and greed. Once I started seeing it, I couldn’t unsee it.”
I’m Katy Impellizzeri — an eco-minimalist, recovering perfectionist, and founder of Ethikli Sustainable Market. I grew up in Reston, Virginia, the second youngest of seven. As the daughter of two extremely hardworking parents — one a Sicilian immigrant — I’ve made it my mission to build a life that honors their sacrifices.
Although they weren’t thrilled when I dropped out of college, I made up for it with a successful pet-sitting business — and the house and car I bought with it. Then, I shocked everyone by selling it all, moving to Santa Monica alone, and becoming a yoga teacher. There, I lived through two abusive relationships, made a lot of mistakes, and started over… more than once.
Then the pandemic hit. The yoga studios shut down. Newly single, I decided to pivot and follow my other passion: Earth.
As a lover of the planet and its creatures — and a self-proclaimed eco-minimalist — I set out to make low-waste living easier and more consistent, both for myself and others. It had to be convenient. It had to be accessible. And everything had to be sourced without funding the oligarchy, suffering, or greed.
So Ethikli Sustainable Market was born — first in my apartment, then as a pop-up, and eventually as the brick-and-mortar and online, worker-owned shop it is today.
Then I became a mom. And everything locked into place.
I still live slowly and intentionally — not just for me, but for my son, and for anyone else trying to be (or raise) good humans in a system that makes it so damn hard. I’m not perfect at it, but I’m doing the best I can. I procrastinate by reorganizing my home for fun. I smoke weed. I say no a lot. I believe in living a life that respects the earth and all life that calls her home, in progress over perfection, and in building systems of care instead of cycles of burnout.
Katy Imp is where I share what’s helping me live with less harm and more purpose — from ethical product swaps and organizing tips to raw reflections on motherhood, healing, and resistance.
If you're ready to stop feeding the machine and start building something better, you're in the right place.