our voices rising: one ceo’s journey to alleviate poverty using fashion as a force for good

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Gretchen Huijskens is co-founder and CEO of Trades of Hope, a multi-million dollar ethical fashion brand that empowers women out of poverty by partnering with Artisan Partners in over 15 countries worldwide. It is an exclusive line of high-quality, fair-trade accessories that allow people worldwide to use Fashion as a Force for Good.(TM)

Our Voices Rising is Gretchen’s inspirational origin story about the start of Trades of Hope, after her first-hand experience of starting a charity in Haiti in the early 2000s. The charity included an orphanage, school, and medical clinic, but led Gretchen to the a realization that most orphans in her care were only orphans because their mothers couldn’t afford to care for them. Gretchen’s perception of helping shifted when she realized the uncomfortable truth: that her charity was often just a band-aid on the real problems.

Gretchen completely changed her worldview and model of charity to a sustainable business model that empowered women to provide what their families really needed: access to education, medical care, nutritious food, a safe home, and clean water. Today Gretchen and the team at Trades of Hope continue to help women rise out of poverty, trafficking, and gender inequality by selling their fair-trade goods with small business support of women across the United States. Gretchen is a pioneer in the field of sustainable business, and the partnerships she creates empower every single woman involved around the world.