Meet Amanda

I'm Amanda, and I run Isle & Wild from my studio in Alexandria, Virginia, with my soulmate cat Rajah supervising every pour.

By day, I work in the nonprofit world — I've been doing mission-driven work for nearly a decade. Isle & Wild is my nights-and-weekends passion project: a space to make things I love and support animals who need it.

Animals have always been my thing. Growing up in Maine, I was the kid who wanted every pet and worried about every stray. But caring for them as an adult is what changed things — fostering, navigating vet bills, seeing up close how the system fails people and their pets. That's when wanting to help turned into needing to do something about it.

I'm also someone who loves to gather people. A good dinner party, a cozy girls' night, a reason to light a candle and sit with people I care about — that's my happy place. I believe the right scent can turn an ordinary evening into one you actually remember, and that's part of what I'm building here too.

When I'm not making candles, you'll find me birding, reading a good book, dreaming up my next party, or pulling tarot cards. I'm a Sagittarius, I'm from Maine, and I'm so glad you're here.

Meet Rajah

Rajah is Isle & Wild's official quality manager and my constant studio companion for the past eight years. A survivor of a hoarding situation in upstate New York, he spent over three months at a shelter before finding his forever home with me. These days, he takes his quality control duties very seriously - inspecting every candle pour, testing the coziest spots in the studio, and ensuring that no candle goes unsniffed. His rescue story is exactly why Isle & Wild's mission matters so much: every animal deserves a safe, loving home and a second chance at happiness.

Plus - candles come with LOTS of boxes!

About Us

About Isle & Wild

Isle & Wild is a small business with a big heart for animals.

I relaunched it in 2025 because I wanted it to mean something. I've spent years in nonprofits building programs that do real good — and I wanted Isle & Wild to be an extension of that. A place where your purchase actually helps.

At least 10% of every sale goes to animal welfare. My dream is to eventually be able to operate a fund that gives directly to individuals that need support with affording pet food & vet bills. In the meantime, I'm supporting awesome organizations doing that work. I give primarily to organizations in the DMV and in Maine, the two locations closest to my life. However, for custom and wholesale orders you get the opportunity to also let me know if there is a shelter or organization close to your heart!

Why Animals

Honestly? Because they can't ask for help themselves. Because I've fostered enough animals to know how much they deserve. And because when my cat Rajah had a scary accident in 2023, I learned firsthand how one vet bill can turn your world upside down.

That sent me down a rabbit hole of what is happening in the animal welfare space in the United States and I want to help be part of the solution.

How We Give Back

Every season, Isle & Wild supports a different animal welfare cause. I share where the money's going, what it's buying, and the animals it's helping — because I want you to see exactly what your purchase does.

Follow along on the blog or on social media for rescue stories, shelter spotlights, and updates from this little corner of the internet.

What We Do

Right now, Isle & Wild is mostly candles and other scented goods — 100% soy wax, hand-poured, made with care. But we're growing.

New products are in the works (room sprays and perfume anyone!?), along with a serious jump into the event planning world in 2026. Stay tuned!