Living organically isn’t only about what we eat or how we care for our bodies, it’s also about how we share resources, reduce waste, and strengthen the communities around us. One of the most overlooked sources of environmental impact is the pile of tools we buy, use once, and store for years. Rentle, a new woman‑founded startup, offers a beautifully simple alternative: borrow what you need from a neighbor, support someone locally, and keep perfectly good tools in use instead of in landfills. It’s a model that blends sustainability, creativity, and community care — and it reminds us that sometimes the most organic choice is simply making better use of what already exists.

At Peacefully Proven, we love spotlighting women‑owned small businesses that are building solutions with heart, purpose, and environmental intention. Rentle is exactly that kind of story.

An Interview with Rentle Founder, Susan Priti

PP: What sparked the idea for your tool‑sharing app?

SP: As a renter for most of the past decade, I got used to a simple life: white walls, a vacuum, and not much else. When I became a homeowner, that part did not magically change, and I had also decluttered a little too aggressively.

One day my three‑year‑old nephew made a piece of art I really wanted to hang up, and I realized I did not even own a power drill. I hesitated, but I texted my neighbor and asked to borrow theirs, and they said yes immediately. That small, kind moment was my aha moment.

Not everyone has a neighbor they can text, especially in apartments where people can live side by side and still feel like strangers. Rentle came from a simple question: what if borrowing a tool was as easy as sending a message, and people could also earn a little money by sharing what they already have? Since Covid, a lot of people have felt tighter budgets and higher costs, and at the same time our landfills keep filling up with things we only use once. Tool sharing is a practical way to help each other and waste less.

PP: How do you think this service helps strengthen trust and relationships locally?

SP: Trust is built when people feel safe, seen, and respected, and tool sharing has a unique way of creating that locally. When neighbors lend and return something with care, it turns a one‑time transaction into a small relationship, and those small interactions add up to a stronger sense of community.

Rentle strengthens trust by reducing uncertainty and increasing accountability. Every user is verified before they can rent or lend, and we pair that with a two‑way rating system so people can build a reputation over time. We also offer 24/7 support, because trust is not just about preventing problems — it’s about knowing someone will help quickly if something does go wrong.

Over time, the goal is that renting a tool does more than save money. It creates more repeat interactions, more local familiarity, and a culture of taking care of shared resources.

PP: How did you decide what features to include to build this trust between neighbors?

SP: While I was designing what trust features to include, I began focusing on the moments where people naturally hesitate:

• “Will this be a smooth exchange,”
• “Will the tool be treated with care,”
• “What happens if something goes wrong.”

Those questions are not just about the tool — they’re about whether a neighborly interaction will feel respectful and predictable.

My background is in customer experience, so every feature choice comes back to one goal: create a clear happy path for both renters and lenders.

So I designed the edge cases with just as much care. When people know what to expect, and they feel supported, they are more willing to show up for each other. Marketplaces build trust when people can see reputation clearly and when issues are handled quickly and fairly, and that is exactly what these features are designed to do.

PP: How did you design the app to feel intuitive and community‑centered for both lenders and renters?

SP: When I think about an intuitive app, I think about the apps that make a complex task feel simple. They don’t feel clunky, they don’t crash, and they make it easy to understand what to do next. For me, the difference is the customer journey: I can search, quickly see the options that match what I need, and take one clear action to move forward.

That’s how we designed Rentle for both renters and lenders. We focused on clear language, simple steps, and a predictable flow, so renting a tool feels as straightforward as finding it, confirming the details, and booking it.

On the community side, we designed the experience to keep accountability and communication easy, with clear expectations up front and straightforward ways to coordinate, rate, and get help when needed — so it still feels like a neighbor‑to‑neighbor exchange and not a faceless transaction. UX best practices often emphasize minimizing friction and keeping the next step obvious, and that principle shaped a lot of our choices.

PP: How do you balance convenience with sustainability in the platform’s design?

SP: Convenience and sustainability align when access is easier than ownership. When someone needs a tool for one job, buying it can be an expensive decision that turns into clutter, then dust, then waste.

To me, the most sustainable option is simple: don’t produce the waste in the first place. If a tool already exists in your neighborhood, the smartest thing we can do is keep it in use.

And the market is already showing this shift. People are comfortable with reuse and rental models in everyday life now — like secondhand clothing, clothing rentals, and car sharing — so renting tools is a natural next step. The circular economy idea is built around eliminating waste and keeping products in use, and Rentle is designed to make that feel normal and convenient.

PP: What has surprised you most about launching this service so far?

SP: The most surprising part has been how quickly a personal idea turned into a real product, and how much the community shaped it. I started by sharing Rentle with close friends and family, and the amount of thoughtful feedback has been incredible. It has already improved the experience inside the app in ways I wouldn’t have predicted on my own.

I’m also surprised by how much building in public changes the process. It’s not just about marketing or finding customers — it creates accountability and a steady feedback loop that makes the product better faster. People lean in when they can see the work happening and feel invited into the journey.

On a personal level, I didn’t expect how much I would learn by building this end to end. Going from a blueprint to a working no‑code build forced me to think like a renter, a lender, and the person responsible for the entire experience, and that has been both challenging and genuinely exciting.

PP: What advice would you give someone starting a community‑centered project?

SP: Go for it — and do it with the community, not at the community.

Start by talking to real people before you start building. Ask for 15 minutes, listen for patterns, and let that shape your first version. That’s how you get real product‑market fit instead of guessing.

When you feel stuck, borrow strength from your network. Share what you’re building, ask for help, and stay open to feedback, even when it challenges your original idea. The projects that last are the ones that keep listening and keep showing up.

Support Women‑Led Innovation

Rentle is a beautiful example of what happens when creativity, sustainability, and community care come together. Supporting women‑owned small businesses — especially those building solutions that reduce waste and strengthen local connection — is one of the most meaningful ways we can shape a more thoughtful, environmentally kind future.

Discover how Rentle is helping neighbors share resources and reduce waste on their website.

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