We are Mizzi

Mizzi is proudly and positively, a fully women owned and operated, wellness forward, artisanal cosmetics company. Mizzi is grounded by love, nurtured by creativity and collaboration, and energized by healthy living in all its forms, in ever so cool and calm, Connecticut.

Meet our team:

Brenda Mierzejewski | Keeper of the Dream, Founder & Cosmetic Chemist

Everyone calls Brenda "Mizzi", but really the name comes from her Sicilian heritage and her mother, Cettina "Mizzi" Susi. Growing up in this Italian culture, Brenda learned so much about fresh fruits, essential oils, natural emollients and how to use them to create amazing, safe, healthy yet powerful products. At any given time, you will most likely find Brenda in her lab working on new and innovative formulas. When she is not in the lab, she can be found spending quality time with her husband David, her two beautiful children, Leana and Brady, and their two German Shepherd fur babies, Jager and Quila.

Rebecca Sardinskas | Keeper of the Garden, Chief Customer Engagement Officer

Originally from Rhode Island, Rebecca resides now with her husband and 2 children in CT. “When you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life!” - is interwoven in everything Rebecca does and she truly enjoys forging new business relationships. Rebecca is extremely passionate and has a positive work ethic that serves as a motivating platform for the culture of the company. With a love for natural beauty, it is her mission to spread the word about safer, smarter choices in lip products and beyond. Rebecca loves animals of all kinds, spending time at the beach, gardening, and live music/outdoor events.

Kathy Koppy | Keeper of the Order and Operations, Chief Operating Officer

Kathy brings a wealth of business, strategy and systems experience to Mizzi, having spent over two and a half decades in the private sector initiating and affecting healthy organizational change. In addition to her contributions towards the larger arc of financial planning and analysis, her expertise in process improvement, inventory management and human resources, with regard to both operational and strategic leadership, has greatly impacted Mizzi forward movement.  

Her corporate history includes myriad leadership and systems management roles in the retail, marketing and service industries.  Kathy appreciates working in a collaborative environment, and is compelled to identify the most effective and efficient ways to provide the best service to customers and clients.  As the mother of four daughters, Kathy is especially passionate about working with a progressive, wellness aware cosmetics company, owned and operated completely by women.

Vanessa Morales | Keeper of the Goods, Production Manager

The fabulous V, as she is known and beloved, is not only a voice of patience, calm, and resilience at Mizzi National HQ, but as the Production Manager, she is THE high-volume producer for both the cosmetic and RX sides of the company. Since her arrival in 2020, she has managed all aspects of day-to-day production, even post-production shipping, with acute skill, and a consistent demonstration of real love and pride for the work.

Vanessa is inspired by small–batch, artisan creations. Prior to Mizzi, she spent years in the culinary/food prep industry. Her standards of excellence & precision, along with her keen eye for perfection, define all aspects of her craft.  Driven by love and great energy for her 4 daughters and husband, Vanessa puts purpose and joy into everything she does. Fun facts:  Her favorite Mizzi product is LOVE IS LOVE lip gloss, inspired by the work of the LGBTQ community and its supporters. She is also an avid cook, can tend bar, and enjoys spending adventurous weekends with her family.

Isabella Mendes | Social Media Coordinator and Marketing Strategist | Graphic Designer

Bella is our TikTok Coordinator and Strategist. Bella joined Mizzi with the passion of optimizing social media positioning and engagement, and creating content for Mizzi’s mission of wellness and safe, sustainable lip care. 

Bella is currently a Senior at Fairfield University and will be graduating with a B.S in Marketing with a concentration in Digital and Social Media Marketing and a minor in Graphic Design. She is excited to be working for a company that upholds its values of sustainability and wellness. 

Kacey Pirro | Customer Service Associate

Kacey is very excited to recently be joining the Mizzi Customer Service team! Professionally, Kacey has been a teacher for 20 years. She has taught many grades and subjects throughout her career. Currently, Kacey teaches Reading at the Middle School level in Norwich, CT. Teaching is very important to her and she enjoys that work very much. Personally, Kacey is a mom of 2 very active teenagers that keep her busy! She likes to spend her free time with friends and family, enjoying new adventures, and reading.

Michele Lucassen | Customer Service Representative

Michele was born and raised in Spokane, WA and she has been married for 28 years with 2 children and 1 granddaughter. 

Michele has worked in the medical/cosmetics industry for over 20 years. The cosmetics industry is her passion, as she loves making clients and customers feel and look beautiful. In her free time, Michele enjoys traveling, making memories, and good food.

Donna Dellaquila | Sales Consultant

Donna has been a part of the cosmetic industry for many years as owner and manager of several upscale salons in Massachusetts and Florida where she currently holds state cosmetology licenses. She has recently changed her focus to include the manufacturing, distribution and sales of Mizzi Cosmetics.

Donna is excited to be part of a company that continues to exceed the highest of standards while also creating the cleanest and most effective products in the industry.

Alexis Koppy | Special Projects and Research Intern

Alexis assists in brand development and product description analysis to uphold alignment across Mizzi's digital storefronts. She is a Senior at Elon University in North Carolina. As a college student approaching graduation, she finds great excitement in learning the behind-the-scenes of a successful company with inspiring roots and a bright future.

Jen Grusz | Sales Associate

Jen brings 22 years of customer service experience to Mizzi. Although she has joined the team in 2022, Jen has personally used Mizzi products for 10 years with her favorite being Plumping Peppermint Lip Balm. With a love for speaking to and helping people, her mission is to introduce customers to wellness forward products and place orders based on customer needs. In her spare time, Jen enjoys Zumba classes and spending time with her son Troy.