From Craft to Connection: Susan Pilato’s Vision for Forever Furniture

We’re excited to share some highlights from a recent podcast featuring our CEO, Susan Pilato, titled “Creating Forever Furniture That Fosters Connection, Inclusivity, and Well-Being.”

Susan takes a deep dive into how Mantra Inspired Furniture is more than just making beautiful pieces—it’s about bringing values into every board and joint. Here’s what she shared, and why we think these principles make all the difference:

Building on Core Values

Susan’s vision is rooted in lifelong lessons—mantras she grew up with around integrity, perseverance, responsibility. These aren’t just sweet talk: they’re the foundation of how we run Mantra and how we create our furniture.

American Craftsmanship & Lasting Quality

Instead of chasing trends of cheaper, short-lived materials like particleboard or MDF, Mantra is committed to solid hardwood, crafted with artisans (Amish / Mennonite partners) who bring generations of woodworking skill into the present. Our furniture isn’t “fast furniture”—it’s furniture made to be with you long-term.

Designed for Everyone

What does “inclusive” furniture look like? For us, it means things like the Unity Table: rounded edges, calming natural surfaces, modular design that simplifies assembly, better for shipping, better for neurodiversity accessibility. Because when you design for people with specific needs, everybody benefits.

Transparency & Environmental Responsibility

We don’t just say we’re green—we show you: with a carbon calculator on our site that lets you see how much carbon is stored in solid hardwood versus more processed materials. By choosing responsibly harvested woods like oak, cherry, walnut, maple, Mantra supports sustainable forestry and rural communities.

Recognition + What Drives Us

We’ve been humbled by awards (Best of NeoCon, Interior Design’s HiP Awards, and more). Still, for Susan, it's never about the trophy. It’s about relationships, doing work that matters, and building a business that gives back.

If you want to hear Susan unpack all this in her own words, listen to the full episode: https://www.boomtownmarketing.com/blog/creating-forever-furniture-that-fosters-connection-inclusivity-and-well-being-with-susan-pilato-mantra-inspired-furniture.