EMPOWERING WOMEN: Creating Opportunity & Stability Through Craft
As part of our celebration of Women’s History Month, please join us for an hour of insight and inspiration with the women behind four Shoppe Object brands dedicated to a greater good. Host Karen Gibbs of ByHand Consulting leads this thoughtful discussion with the founders of Caribbean Craft, Collective Humanity, Global Goods Partners and Home & Loft – all making it their mission to bring handcrafted products to market while providing sustainable employment for artisans, with a special focus on the role of working women in their communities.
Karen Gibbs, ByHand Consulting
Karen Gibbs is Co-Founder of ByHand Consulting – a boutique consulting firm which creates marketing strategies to increase sales for global artisan enterprises, develops business coaching programs for social entrepreneurs, and forms sourcing partnerships to bring innovative handmade products to market. Karen is a passionate advocate for artisans, and the role that a business can play towards achieving social good.
Magalie Noel Dresse, Caribbean Craft
An industrial engineer by training, Magalie Noel Dresse is the CEO and founder of Caribbean Craft and has spent the past twenty years working in the craft export sector. A real advocate for change in the current business structures in Haiti, she believes creation of social enterprise is the only way to reduce social gaps and create opportunities for the unemployed citizens of her country. Magalie has spent the past two decades working closely with the artisan sector and has continued tirelessly to intervene with both State and NGO entities in order to create a pathway to enhance the Haiti Brand. She has successfully completed multiple sustainable development projects that have helped local communities grow and prosper, and has been an integral part of establishing several initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and elevating the living standards of the artisans who work for her and other similar organizations in the country.
Kate Davis, Collective Humanity
Dedicated to empowering marginalized communities of women around the world, Kate Davis started Collective Humanity in 2017 as a social enterprise. Working with over 60 female artisans in Cambodia, Collective Humanity helps to generate sustainable and empowering sources of income that provide artisans the ability to care for themselves and uplift their communities. Her adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with her commitment to social change, has led Kate to forge her own path in life, building a network of female artisan partners that spans the globe. Kate remains committed to learning from the communities she works with, honoring their culture, working to preserve ancient art forms, and championing gender, racial, and economic equality.
Handan Kayisoglu, Home & Loft
Growing up in Istanbul, Turkey, Handan was surrounded by talented artisans and beautiful textiles made from the best cotton in the world. In 2013 she launched her own brand, Home & Loft – a home and lifestyle textile brand that supports and empowers Turkish artisans in the ancient weaving tradition. Handan is passionate about designing ethically made natural fiber textiles that not only appeal to consumers, but empower the makers. Each year Handan travels from New York to Turkey to discover new talented artisans and innovative ways to bring her collections to the next level, and her line of artisan made luxury textiles are hand loomed using only the purest materials of cotton, linen, and wool. In a predominantly mass-made market, Handan stays true to her core values of beauty, sustainability, and authentic craft, believing that small batch goods are a more sustainable option for the welfare of both makers and the environment.
Joan Shifrin & Catherine Shimony, Global Goods Partners
Global Goods Partners is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to alleviating poverty and connecting artisan women with the global economy. Over the past 15 years, GGP has provided sustainable incomes to thousands of women across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Founders Joan Shifrin and Catherine Shimony are veterans of the international development world. Prior to GGP, Joan served as the director of community education and outreach at the Global Fund for Children (GFC) and Catherine is the former director of international programs at American Jewish World Service (AJWS). Joan and Catherine began GGP in 2005 and as a not-for-profit organization, GGP's impact is greatest when their combined expertise and resources are used to support and promote artisan organizations seeking to expand beyond their local market. GGP provides design assistance, operational expertise, small grants and access to the global marketplace for these small producer groups.
