We're so honored to have collab with Dreamer's & Co. We have been working on this project for the past 8 months and all of are so excited to create impact together as we collab for the month of Feb. 

The income earned from the GIV box order directly affects 7 artisans, but indirectly affects around 45 people.

These women live in community with their families, and families run from 8-16 people in one house, with only 1 to 2 people holding a full-time job, sometimes none.

The money these artisans make goes directly to helping feed their families, provide diapers, formula, and pay the electric bill.

Their hard work contributes to their family’s income and in turn it provides dignity, empowerment, and flourishing.

With your help by purchasing the Giv Box, you have a unique opportunity to really spread love around the world for others, to help create purpose, love, and life long impact to others. 

What comes in the box? Glad you asked. 

GET YOUR FEBRUARY BOX Here! 

Thanks So much to Dreamers & Co for being so great, and I can't wait to create change in the world with you all of you! Happy Love month! 

Meet your Artisans in India for the Month of November. See Videos of them creating your bracelets from their home to yours.

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We are so excited to introduce you to one of our Favorite Do Good Brands 

Abeba Collection

They are this months Giv Partner, giving back a gift for each subscriber to wear and share, handmade by their amazing Artisans. Listen & fall in love with this amazing founder, and human about to tell us all why her passion lead to building others up through do good products for all of us to buy! 

Abeba Collective Interview                

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

 Believer of purpose and design, seeker of truth, and explorer of what is good and hopeful in the world.  First, I am not your typical designer, or entrepreneur.  I am more activist than entrepreneur and more scholar than fashionista.  While perceived binaries, these contrasting elements converge at the nexus and heart of my work. Yes, I am a business owner, designer, university professor and researcher, loving wife, and proud mama – somehow this all makes sense together.  Whether in the classroom, in the field, through by business, or in my own home, I’m drawn to innovate and create where there is suffering, inequality, and despair.  As a young researcher, I spent years studying community development is some of the most challenging environments in South America, this was the foundation upon which of my later career was built.  Years later, I now have the privilege of serving as a university professor and dean and am so blessed by the opportunities that I have to create impact, difference, hope, and healing for communities both locally and globally.  In 2019, after investing in community development projects in Ethiopia, birthplace of my two sons who joined our family through adoption, our family decided to formally launch the Abeba Collection lifestyle brand. 

 

2. What inspired your idea of your company?

After traveling to Ethiopia to adopt our sons, in 2008, and then again in 2015, we had a desire to both provide support for community development in Ethiopia as well as provide a tangible connection to our son’s beautiful birth country, culture, and heritage. Listening to the voices of our Ethiopian friends and partners, the decision to provide a platform to expand the global market reach of social entrepreneurs producing ethically crafted artisan products was made, and The Abeba Collection curated lifestyle brand was born.

 

3. How did you come up with your company name? 

I love this question because our company name is very intentional, and central to the mission that we purpose at the Abeba Collection. Abeba, meaning flower in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia, represents the hardworking, fruitful, strong, and beautiful women empowered through Abeba’s partner organizations in Ethiopia. 

 

4. You have such a fun vibrant vibe when it comes to your brand, where do you think that came from? Who or what inspired you?

We are inspired by the women and men, and their stories, behind our collections.  Each collection blends traditional fabrics and methods, with contemporary and modern design.  In addition, we are inspired to champion sustainability and responsible design practices.  For example, responsibly sourcing cotton and leather, and utilizing many repurposed and upcycled materials.  The core of our mission is to empower women to transform their communities, this involves prioritizing fair trade practices, to include not only fair wages and dignified work, but also honoring traditional and cultural designs and sustainability – we are really proud of the way that we seek to do this throughout the design and production process. 

 

5. Did you have any fears to start your own company? What made you just do it?  

Yes, for sure!  Starting The Abeba Collection definitely took some courage, which doesn’t mean that we stopped being scared, it just means that we did it anyway. 

 

6. What’s your favorite thing about what you create daily? 

Our company has three pillars: Purposefully Crafted, Thoughtfully Purchased, and Intentionally Connected.  I’d say my favorite thing, day-to-day, is the opportunity to Intentionally Connect our artisans and partner organizations to our customers.  Empowering not only our artisans to transcend poverty, but also empowering our customers to make conscious consumption choices.

 

7. What will people experience by following your brand online? 

We believe that followers will be inspired by beautiful and timeless design and find hope in the tangible connections to the artisans employed through our partners.  In addition, we are a learning community, continuing to evolve in our understanding of fair trade and ethical fashion, and we invite our followers to join us in that journey.

 

8. What is your favorite product trend this spring 2019?

I’d say designs that feel fresh and new but are also rooted and earthy.  For example, lots of woven and chunky fabrics, and even grasses are being incorporated this season.  It reminds we that time honored artisanry and materials still have a place in how we curate our modern homes and wardrobes.    

 

9. What does a day in the life look like for you? How do you balance it all being a CEO/founder with your personal life? 

 

No two days look alike!  More than balance, I seek integration, each element enriching, not competing with, the other.  We also love incorporating the whole family into the mission of our company.  For example, this past July our entire family traveled to Ethiopia to work with our artisan partners and design our fall collections. 

 

10. What advice would you tell someone who wants to live their passion, start their own company, but are nervous to just start? 

I’d say that if it is truly your purpose, a passion that you can connect to the things that matter most deeply to you, then you just go for it.  This does not mean that you don’t seek input, do your research, plan… be willing to edit and reinvent, because you should do all those things.  Ultimately you have to choose what you want to make time for in your life, we cannot choose everything, and sometimes it takes a lot of courage to choose the things that really matter the most and are the most deeply connected to what we believe and value.

 11. What was your inspiration behind your current products you offer online? 

Traditional cultural designs, artisanry, and natural and sustainable resources from Ethiopia, the location of our first three flagship partners, inspires our current collection.

 12. How do you spread the word about your company?

With amazing people just like you!  When you become a customer of The Abeba Collection, you become part of the story and we hope that you will share your story with others.

 13. Any favorite quotes that you love and inspires you?

When we deny the story, it defines us.  When we own the story, we can write a brave new ending. Brene Brown

 "Courage is the willingness to act in spite of fear."-Michael Hyatt

 14. Why did you choose the free product highlight in the Giv Box? Tell us more about your brands mission and how that aligns with the Giv Box so well. 

Abeba Collection products are not ordinary, each beautiful and unique item is hand-crafted by skilled artisans who are employed by locally owned and locally operated businesses in the country of origin. Through our local partners, Abeba Collection products support economic development, education, healthcare, and social and emotional wellbeing not only for the artisans, but also for their families. Our partner organizations provide more than stable and dignified employment opportunities, they empower and transform communities to reach their potential.

When you purchase an Abeba Collection product you choose intention over impulse and fair-trade instead of fast fashion. Our Abeba Collection partners responsibly source materials from within their region as well as establish wholesale prices that prioritize fair-trade practices, provide dignified workspaces, and empower social and economic development. Abeba Collection products are designed to bring timeless beauty and character to your home, workspace, and wardrobe while creating lasting impact within the community of origin.

We believe in creating beautiful lifestyle pieces for your spaces and wardrobe and know that where and how we curate our collections matters. Connecting the conscious spirit to the artisan soul, your purchase from the Abeba Collection is not charity, it is empowerment.

 

15. What other products do you offer online? Where can they go shop other fun products you offer?  

 

We have three main products lines at this time, bags and leather goods, jewelry, and woven goods.  Though, we are continually working with our partners to expand and offer additional products, so check back with us regularly.  All products are handmade by artisans, with intention given to the supply chain from beginning to end. We prioritize fair trade practices, empowering women to transform their communities. 

 

Everything we offer can be found at www.abebacollection.com

 

Our bags and leather goods are made of the highest quality leather, with some items combining traditional woven heritage fabrics.  These pieces are designed to last and truly get better with age.

 

Our artisan jewelry collection combines the best of on-trend designs with sustainable fashion practices.  All materials are sourced in the country of origin, and made of recycled, repurposed, or sustainable materials.  Paper beads are created through a unique process popular in the region, clay beads are formed from the rich earth, and metal beads and embellishments are crafted from bullet casings which are sourced by farmers who repurpose these remnants of conflicts past.

 

Our blankets and woven collection, all from handspun cotton sourced in country (Ethiopia), are one of-a-kind lifetime pieces for your home. Each piece taking between two to five days to create, and no two items being exactly a like – truly an heirloom collection. However, they are amazingly practical, being both durable and machine washable!

 

16. Where can people find you online to shop? 

Check us out at www.abebacollection.com!

Stay up to date on our latest products and receive special discounts by subscribing to our email.

 

Don’t forget to follow us on IG for fun updates, inspiring stories, and giveaways @abebacollection

(a must follow, trust us)  

Have a question, just send over an email and we’d love to connect: info@abebacollection.com

 Interested in hosting an in-home trunk show for you and your friends (with some great perks for the host!), or request a pop-up shop for your market, event, or business - reach out today and we will see what we can do.  We love creative opportunities for collaboration! 

 

17. Do you believe that creating products that are connected to impact will create change? And Why?

 

YES! Empowering women, who are often marginalized, as change makers within their communities is an intentional choice for The Abeba Collection; harnessing the “multiplier effect;” data supporting the notion that women earning a living wage not only rise individually, but their families and entire communities rise with them, creating peaceful and stable societies. Additionally, The Abeba Collection, and its partners, are committed to a triple bottom line approach; balancing profit, social impact, and sustainability. Focusing on the artisan sector is both culturally significant and economically smart. According to the Artisan Alliance “the artisan sector is the second-largest employer in the developing world after agriculture, worth over $32 billion every year. Hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, particularly women, participate in the artisan sector. Artisan activity creates jobs, increases local incomes, and preserves ancient cultural traditions that in many places are at risk of being lost.”

You can find their sweet gift, leather earrings to go with your Oct. box in EVERY BOX THIS MONTH!! No extra cost, just their way to giving back to those who choose to job different, to shop and empower! Thank you....and we can't wait for more of your brand across the globe. 

CHECK OUT THEIR FREE GIFT IN YOUR BOX THIS MONTH. 

Click the image to grab your free gift!! 

We're so excited to have Nepal finally join the Giv Box This October. Their original roll on beaded bracelet is something you will never want to take off! This technique has been practiced for a very long time, and is such a beautifully made bracelet set. We're excited to design this exclusive made set with Aid To Trade. Here is more on our design collaboration. This is hands down our favorite box....we haven't taken these arm parties off and you won't either!! 

Aid Through Trade empowers women by creating opportunity through beautifully designed jewelry. Each piece is ethically crafted by artisans in Nepal. Your purchase provides women with a fair income and benefits in a safe and healthy work environment.

Aid Through Trade maintains an office and studio space in the Kathmandu Valley with 15 full-time artisans and management staff. From that office we also coordinate training, production, and quality control with more than 200 artisans working in three village sites throughout Nepal.

You can see why....when Aid Through Trade wanted to team up and have us collab and make a design to help and support their Artisans....we jumped right in. 

This design color pallet is one of our favorites and I we couldn't be more happy with the way it all turned out. Their Artisans did such a good job....that we want to design even more with them. The arm party in your box can not be bought on any other site. This is our own designs with the Artisans and straight to you. Lucky ones! 

Meet Sarsoti....Here above making your bracelets 

Sarsoti moved to Kathmandu with her husband shortly after giving birth to their son in 2013. When he's old enough she hopes to find good schooling for him there. While her husband maintains steady work in construction, it’s hardly enough to get by. Sarsoti never attended school. She's worked for Aid Through Trade for just over a year and is enjoying the freedom that comes with working from home.

Her 12 year old cousin also stays with them, like a daughter, and attends local government school.

 WHAT SHE LIKES ABOUT WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE:
that she can contribute to the family home while still doing her duties as a mother and a wife, and an aunt. What money doesn't go into the house, Sarsoti puts into a women's savings group.

Meet USHA here above making your bracelets. 

Empowering Women to have a safe place to work by creating your monthly subscription box in September.

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Meet Giv Partner for August, Amy Catherine Designs. She has a heart of gold and a mission to bring Joy in others lives daily! Hear why she's being featured this month on creating a company of good.

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Darn Good Yarn wants to GIVE YOU a free Silk Wrap/Scarf in the month of August. Find out why their company moto is "Start with Love."

Read more

This month we’ve Partnered up with Imani Collective Artisan Group, who’s mission (and ours) is to empower women and create life-changing opportunities for artisans in Kenya. For your August box, they have created something so fun and fresh, (and One-of-kind exclusive design we collaborated on designing) we’re kind of freaking out (ok fine, not just kind of!)

So, let’s meet this month’s Giv box artisans, and see what they are creating from their home, to yours.

Meet Imani Collective: 

"The artisan sector is the second largest employer in the developing world. Yet the majority of artisans are women who live in rural communities without access to the markets, skills, and tools they need to be successful. We are dedicated to changing that. Imani Collective works with artisan women and men to create a range of handcrafted products using local raw materials and techniques. Since 2013, we have provided artisans with on-the-job skills training, consistent wages, access to education, opportunities for personal + professional growth, a space to dream big, a supportive community and empowerment through it all. Sustainable socio-economic empowerment of the whole person is at the heart of Imani’s mission. We believe that women and their children hold the key to this social change. We know that when women rise in the economy, the whole country rises. So, we invest in generations of women because we have confidence in their ability to achieve (and exceed) their goals. We believe that women around the globe have the capacity, creativity, and determination to uplift themselves, their families, and their communities—all they need are the resources. We unleash a women’s greatness through empowerment, opportunity."

Want to learn even more about Imani and their reach? Check it out 

You Get: 

Say hello to your new favorite accessory... for you home! Love it!!  But don’t worry we still have you covered in the fashion department too.

Welcome to being a double threat, now you can look good and feel good in your space, and empower while you do it!

People say your home should be a reflection of you, your story, your memories, your sense of style, which is why we couldn't be more excited to introduce the first ever Giv box home decor piece.

Each beautiful macrame wall hanging is hand knotted and hand dyed by the Artisans, and was created to bring joy and good luck wherever you hang it! See the stunning process in action-

Real impact, Real connection 

When you get your box, you will find a name on your new wall hanging, this is the name of the woman that made it for you, go here to see her story and learn more about how your piece was brought to life. Macrame is the knot tying process that creates bonds, and we hope you can too. 

As promised, now that your home is properly accessorized, let's get to you!

This same group of amazing artisans have also shared their Silver Coin for a little piece of their country for you to wear as a necklace. The coins are from their home of Kenya, and are sent as a token of remembrance, to keep them in mind, and as tiny symbol of the huge impact you've had on them in their daily lives. 

And the final touch for August's Giv Box, is the beaded bracelet set sourced from Nepal.  The artisans, a group who has touched the lives of the Giv Box from the beginning. 

You Giv(e): 

 Employment brings a new meaning of everyday life and a stronger community providing better health and opportunity for a more sustainable life. We are so excited to be partnering up with this amazing group for August’s exclusive, and bring more opportunity to their Kenya Artisan Group with a commitment to long term product designs coming from this beautiful group of empowering women. 

 

 

 

Make sure you are subscribed to our email list to find out what’s next. Share with friends...there may be a little something extra for you if you do so. Sign up emails here

Xoxo, 

Jen

Founder of The Giv Box

 

P.S.

To find out full details of this box Giv Partners please CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE EXTRA FUN GOODIES YOU GET IN YOUR BOXES from cool companies that want to celebrate you for giving back monthly! Choosing to shop different! You get spoiled by the cool companies in this months box too. Click here! 

Say hello to our brand new Artisans from Kiglai, Africa. This talented and hard working group is known for crafting beautiful products rooted in their traditional African textiles and patterns. We couldn’t be more excited to create another opportunity for deserving people. 

But that's not the only thing new around here-- To keep you on your toes, we’re mixing it up with July’s Box, and let's just say you’ve got some big surprises coming your way! That’s right, this month we’re kicking off our first ever Five days of Summer Surprise Box. What does that mean you ask? It's simple, you support, we surprise! Each day, for five rad days, we will reveal a new item that’s inside July’s box, including incredible #girlboss giveaways from our Giv Partners (yes, we're squealing too)!

So, let’s get this party started and get personal with our stunning new artisans. Check out, in their very own words, just how impactful your support is to them. 

For these Artisans employment brings a new meaning of everyday life and a stronger community. It provides a chance for better health and opportunity for a more sustainable life. We are excited for long term product designs coming from this beautiful group of empowering women and men.

Let's Do This!

Don't miss out on the daily shout of what's inside the box. Make sure you are subscribed to our email list to find out what’s next. Share with friends, there just may be a little something extra in it for you...

Want Even More?

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for secret color inspiration, peeks behind the design, clues to what's inside the box, and more! Come put your guesses in, we'll see you there. 

Want it right now? Get your surprise Giv Box Here. Each box supports the Artisans of Kiglai, Africa the entire month of July and beyond. Thanks for helping us help them, so go on...wear it, share it, and don't forget who runs the world! 

Love, 

The Giv Box

 

As we all are trying to make an more of an impact each month, little by little as humans living in this ever changing world, it's so important to connect and get inspired on different ways we can choose to be smarter consumers, and connecting ourselves to more purpose and inspiration from those who are creating a easier path to the growth of social good. 

This month we're so excited to team up w/ Mila Roads in the June Giv Box. They gifted ALL OUR GIV BOX SUBSCRIBERS a beautiful handmade leather tassel in each box for FREE! Thank you so much! They did this because they wanted to reward all of you for choosing to shop with impact and subscribe each month so you can empower others and Giv Back.

 

We are so excited to interview on the #livthegivlife Podcast, founder of Mila Road, Lonnie from Centerville, Utah. You will connect to her beautiful story of starting her company @milaroads and what inspired her later in life to take the plunge into business and start up life. 

The Giv Box is so honored to meet STRONG, BOLD, and IMPACTFUL humans who are doing their part of creating change for the better of others. 

Meet Lonnie, Co-Founder, of Mila Roads

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? There is nothing I would rather do than explore, and learn about the people and places in this world.  I love to get lost in a new city. I love to get to know people and their stories. I also love to be at home in my comfy clothes reading, or watching a good Netflix series.  I love all things Jane Austin. I love hiking and learned to snow ski this year. My favorite thing to do is hang out with my family. I’m pretty cheesy and I’m always telling my kids how fun I am.  I think it might be working! In my former life, I was a cosmetologist. I have loved starting Mila Roads and I feel passionate about my company.

 

2. What inspired your idea of your company? We spent 4 years living in China and traveling to many parts of the world, loving a life filled with adventure, exotic places and different cultures.  In our travels, I was continually drawn to the gorgeous fabrics I found in local markets. Mila Roads began when I realized that incorporating these fabrics into daily use items, such as a beautiful leather bag, creates a direct connection with these cultures and the artisans that made them.

 

3. How did you come up with your company name? We tried so many names!  Then we combined my husband Michael and my name (my grandchildren call me Lala- yes I’m a grandma.  And I love it!) and came up with Mila. The cool part is we found out Mila(pronounced Meela) means “a thousand” in Italian- and a thousand roads fit perfectly with our brand.  

 

4. You have such a fun vibrant vibe when it comes to your brand, where do you think that came from? Who or what inspired you? Thank you so much -that means a lot coming from you! We are very focused around here on individual style.  It’s important to us to bring women products that inspire them, and enable them to express their individuality. Our inspiration is definitely the fabrics, with the colors, styles and patterns that make them truly unique to each culture.

4. 

5.    Did you have any fears to start your own company? What made you just do it?  Yes!  When I started, I truly had to learn everything. Design, sourcing, social             media and marketing to name a few things. I’m still learning.  Other than the            learning curve, which was huge, there was the vulnerability of putting myself out there. I have learned over the years that anything worthwhile takes getting over fear and jumping in - so I just jumped!

 

6. What’s your favorite thing about what you create daily? My favorite thing is definitely the design process.  I love spending time down in my studio, coming up with new ideas and trying them out.  

 

6. 

7. What will people experience by following your brand online? Our motto is: Be inspired. Be adventurous. Be yourself.  As you follow us, you will find our motto thread into our posts, stories and our website.  We also take great care to use responsible tanning, recycled or handmade fabrics, fair trade when possible, and we even use a small U.S. maker for manufacturing.  We are so excited to team with Givbox because we are also all about giving back.

 

8. What is your favorite product trend this spring 2019? Isn’t it fantastic that sustainable fashion AND big comfy statement sneakers are all on trend this spring?  We are all about caring for the earth at our company- and the people in it - so I love that! And who doesn’t just want to have happy feet? Am I right? Let’s hear it for dad shoes...

9. What does a day in the life of Lonnie look like? How do you balance it all being a CEO/founder with your family? Wow!  My days are never the same.  It feels like I am working in, around, and between a million other important things- like my children and grandchildren, volunteer work, my new puppy, and well, just life.  Exercise is key. I always find time for that to keep me sane. Balancing work and family is always delicate work, but in truth, my family always comes first.

10. What advice would you tell someone who wants to live their passion, start their own company, but are nervous to just start? I had a great mentor who told me that everyone thinks they have to have everything perfectly lined up to start their business.  He told me to just start. I would say that to you- just start. You will make mistakes, but that’s OK. It will be the adventure of a lifetime!

 

11. What was your inspiration behind your current products you offer online? Our inspiration this spring is all about bright, fun colors! We have some really great pieces on the website. One is The Otomi Vintage Embroidered Weekender.  I felt really lucky to get a piece of this fabric. The Otami women free hand draw and embroider bright flowers and animals. Another favorite is the Chinese Batik Travel Pouch.  The fabric has many steps to get the beautiful blue and white patterns. I remember seeing large panels of fabric hanging on big poles to dry when we lived in China. These are just a couple of pieces we have right now.  They are gorgeous!

12. How do you spread the word about your company?  As a new company, we have been building our social media following, as well as collaborating with great companies like Givbox.  Word of mouth is always the best way and we do that by creating happy customers. We were just featured this month in Conde Nast Traveller, which is really exciting.

 

13. Any favorite quotes that you love and inspires you? So many!  Here are just a couple:

 

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ―Winston S. Churchill

 

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” -- Brene Brown

14. Why did you choose the free product highlight in the Giv Box? Tell us more about your brands mission and how that aligns with the Giv Box?Our mission is to create connections for good with the beautiful people and cultures around the world.  We use handmade, upcycled, and environmentally responsible materials and methods. We also use fair trade whenever possible, giving a fair wage to the artists who make their crafts.  It is important to us to give back. I love that Givbox is also about sharing the talents of artists around the world to help provide a living for these beautiful women. We are so excited to join in this collaboration with a company that also wants to make a difference!

15. What other products do you offer online? Where can they go shop other fun products you offer?  We currently an online only company.  We offer limited edition luxury leather bags incorporated with fabrics from around the world and made of the best full grain vegetable tan leather you can buy.  We also have fun tassels and key chains, as well as unique wallets and coin purses.

 

16. Where can people find you online to shop? You can find our online store at milaroads.com orFollow us on instagram @milaroads

 

17. Do you believe that creating products that are connected to impact will create change? And Why? I absolutely believe that even though it seems minuscule, each step we take to make change in our world makes a difference.  A friend of mine who started a foster home against all odds in China, once shared with me the story of a young boy who was throwing starfish back into the ocean on a beach.  An old man asked him why he would waste his time, as there were so many stranded starfish that it would never make a difference. He turned to the old man as he threw one into the ocean and said, “ Well I just made a difference for that one”, and continued with his work.  We may be a small company, but I believe there are people out there like all of you, who will help create change one small act at a time.

 

Don't have the JUNE summer Giv BOX featuring Mila Roads Free Gift? Don't wait click HERE TO GET YOUR BOX and your empowering accessories. 

 

Want more of beautiful Lonnie and her fearless love for creating and giving back?

Listen in to her podcast interview with Giv box founder, Jen Clyde. It's a whole lot of inspirational fun you won't ever want to turn it off.