Entrepreneurs empowering communities in developing nations
During his speech titled “Accelerating the Green Economy ” at San Francisco’s Green Festival last month, Dr. Kevin Danaher, Global Exchange co-founder, spoke of the triple bottom line. The triple bottom line takes into account more than the traditional measures of a corporation’s success; it involves the organization’s social and environmental values.
As I went around talking to the exhibitors, I found that they themselves became more educated, socially conscious, and innovative as a result of the products they discovered along their travels. They aim to improve the standard of retail around the world by supporting communities and empowering small businesses worldwide.
Kuna Prints by Mama Shaman, by far the funkiest shoes at Green Festival, supports a community of Kuna matriarch crafters in Colombia. The traditional Kuna dress known as Mola were of interest to Natalia Swanson, a Colombian-born San Francisco native, who upon walking down the street with the shoes made from the Mola would be bombarded with request such as “let me buy them from you! Take them off, I want them!” The shoes are made with all vegan materials; Natalia and her husband live a vegan lifestyle. Kuna Prints supports a community that would otherwise not have many sources of income, Natalia explained. The couple has been in business for about two and a half years. When asked what kind of shoes she sells the most, she replied, “The Mary Janes. Everyone wants them.”
Photo courtesy of Heidi Hennig Arno
On their first trip to buy precious stones such as quartz and garnet in Nepal in 2005, Cameron Grace McGowan and Willie Nielson, the founders of Crystalline Dream, noticed that many impoverished children were living on the streets and decided they needed to help out in some way. They decided to become involved with the Helpless Colony Orphanage, located on the outskirts of Kathmandu, where impoverished families migrate in hopes of finding a place with opportunity. They’ve also begun to collaborate with Stones for Change. Stones for Change is a relatively new organization that hopes to change the current standards of mining by benefiting communities of artisanal miners. Their efforts will make it so that everyone can feel better about the jewelry being purchased knowing that it was acquired from fair trade sources.
Cameron and Willie with the kids from Helpless Colony Orphanage
Crystalline Dream’s biggest seller, Himalayan Quartz, is mined from inside a mountain named Ganesh Himal III, which stands at 24,373 feet tall. In order for the quartz to keep its energy intact, the quartz is hand mined – no machinery or blasting is used in the process. However, when they first started to buy from the local miners, Cameron and Willie noticed that the quartz stones were chipped at the points. They then took it upon themselves to educate the miners as well as pay them higher wages when they took care of the quartz in the proper manner, so as to conserve the energy and avoid chipping at the points, which makes for a more valuable crystal. Chipping was soon avoided by packing the stones with moss to protect them from banging into one another through the miners three-day trek down the mountain.
With tourism down due to the civil war in Nepal, purchasing stones from the local miners helps the community flourish. Whereas once there may have been a scarcity of food or warm clothing, the people of the community no longer have to worry about how they will obtain such necessities. In fact, one of these families was able to send one of their kids to study in Malaysia, something that would have been unattainable without the profits from mining quartz.
What these entrepreneurs have in common is that they are not only conscious of the effects of the earth, but of the communities that become empowered and developed by their businesses. The entire weekend was infused with motivational speeches bringing light to the positive messages brought forth by these new businesses: collaborate to bring about change, support organizations by spreading the word, educate each other, and make business more accountable.
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Creative Upcycling at SF Greenfestival '09
Future plans for waste reduction and the re-use of materials were prominent themes in Mayor Gavin Newsom’s speech at San Francisco’s Green Festival. He also boasted of San Francisco’s success in reducing “greenhouse gas emissions to 5% below 1990 levels in 2008” and spoke of San Francisco’s Fats, oils and grease program, or “Grease Cycle Program,” which picks up grease from restaurants and hotels to make biodiesel.
Upcycling reduces waste and eliminates the need for fresh raw materials and resources by re-using materials. This contributes to a reduction in the energy required to manufacture new products. In an attempt to reduce waste, re-use products, or use biodegradable materials, the following entrepreneurs have embraced upcycling in several creative ways.
An alternative to paper towels, “Skoy cloth, is as absorbent as using 15 sheets of good-quality paper towels at once,” claim the owners, Michelle and Karen. When Michelle lived in Europe, she discovered a product that was similar to Skoy cloth. When she moved back to the U.S., she wasn’t able to find anything as good; that’s when she and Karen came up with the idea. They also wanted to manufacture the cloths in an environmentally responsible manner; 100% biodegradable, the cloths are made from wood-based cellulose pulp and cotton. Skoy means ‘Just for fun’ in Swedish, perfectly suitable for the cute designs and friendly messages on the cloths. I tried one out and I have to admit, it’s definitely absorbent; no wet residue!
From all the extra clothing collected by Goodwill came about Madrone Berries. Jenny Allen uses post-consumer recycled sweaters to make scarves, skirts, elf slippers, and daisy headbands. The patchwork present in her clothing is indicative of the creativity needed to re-use materials so that they don’t end up in landfills. Jenny sees Madrone Berries developing into a grass-roots, membership-based franchise for those interested in producing their own line of regenerated clothing under the Madrone Berries name; where members will have access to patterns and material. Jenny Allen wishes to keep the production of her creations local and sweat-shop free.
No trees were harmed to make these notebooks. A better solution to paper, Nepalese Paper, a company that has been around for thirteen years is fair-trade and eco-conscious. Nepalese paper is hand made by women in Nepal from the trimmings of the Lokta Bush, a quickly regenerating plant that grows in Nepal. In addition, the store sells scarves from sari fabric trimmings. Purchasing a notebook from here saved me from having to travel out of the festival for a pad of paper; it was great for writing all my notes from the interviews.
In order to meet deadlines for reducing waste and creating green jobs, we must raise the bar in our communities and become committed to achieve these goals. As Michaelangelo put it, and which Mayor Newsom quoted, “The biggest risk is not that we aim too high and miss it, it’s that we aim too low and reach it.”
Read MoreNourishing the body, SF Green Festival ’09
Photo by Amber Blankenship
At the 8th annual Green Festival in San Francisco this year, I noticed that each company has its own approach to environmental sustainability. Where one company’s focus lies in sourcing the most natural ingredients for their product lines, others may also focus on social causes, or on reducing waste.
Nick Kelly, founder of Kaia Foods educated me and reminded me of the “radical transparency” which Joey Shepp listed as a consumer “want” during his “Social Media and Sustainability” speech. Kaia Foods wants to disclose what’s in their raw, organic oatmeal. Their passion for educating consumers on proper nutrition is the motivation behind the brand. The company believes in bringing minimally processed food to the market; the philosophy “Keep it Simple.” Nick preaches on the benefits of eating fewer calories; contending that the practice may extend your life span. In addition to promoting a wholesome diet, Kaia foods donates 1% to the Hunger Project and the UN Food Program.
While Kaia Foods strives to educate consumers about the benefits of eating raw, unprocessed, natural foods, the family producing Inesscents products seek to feed and heal your skin. They have been operating for 10 years, out of Ashland, Oregon, solar infusing calendula flowers and working with homeopathic doctors to create a series of natural body care products that nourish and cure the skin. “Why intoxicate your body with ingredients that are used as preservatives in lotions? Your skin needs to breathe and it can only do so if you allow it to eliminate the toxins by not clogging your skins’ pores with unnatural ingredients,” explains Tsadae Neway. For example, their African Black Soap, fairly-traded from Ghana, contains no animal fats or chemicals, and is best for treating rashes, acne, ringworm, eczema, and dandruff. As a certified B Corporation, the business has received high ratings in leadership, which emphasizes the company’s accountability and transparency as far as its efforts in sourcing from organic and fair trade producers.
For a chocolate manufacturer, competition is vast. Yet, Earth Source Organics operations manager, Adam, claims that the secret to their “Righteously Raw” chocolate bars is that they’re more than just raw chocolate bars. The raw cocoa surrounds a super-food filling, which consists of either Goji Berries that are known to improve circulation and vision, Acai berries, rich in Omega 3, 6, and 9, or Maca root, for energy and vitality. Earth Source Organics works on their recipes for a period of about 3-4 years to perfect and attain the final, customer-approved flavor. They’re also environmentally conscious. Righteously Raw chocolate bars are packaged in soy-ink printed recycled paper.
As a consumer, it was my curiosity to engage these companies to find out what made them environmentally or socially conscious. I was glad to find that transparency is something they embrace, as well as education and finding the most natural and healthy ingredients for their consumers.
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