West Virginia
Abbey Estep, the creative mind behind Wayfarer Design Studio, grew up in the mountains of West Virginia where she basked in long and slow days. She grew up in a town where one could take comfort in the familiarity of community. The rural landscape gave rise to small and unique businesses. As a response, Abbey saw the potential to help these business create brands they could be proud of.
Read MoreIndego Africa was founded in 2007 with a simple idea: empower women artisans in Africa by showcasing their beautiful craft and investing in the power of education. We team up with groups of women in Rwanda and Ghana to sell products that are designed in NYC and handmade in Africa—combining traditional techniques, local materials and genuine artisanal skill—all with a creative voice of playfulness, an appreciation of color, and a desire to bring beauty into the world while uplifting communities at the same time. We invest all of our profits from sales, along with donations, into education programs for the artisans who handcraft our products. Our courses range from business management and entrepreneurship to leadership training, skills-based vocational education for younger women, and more!
Read MoreThe co-founders of WEND Studio developed their home furnishing brand with three things in mind: transparency, people and place, and global citizenship. They offer the highest level of social and environmental commitment, without sacrificing aesthetics. With backgrounds rooted in painting, art history, international business and architecture, Genevieve Bandrowski and Michelle Plante are the perfect design duo.
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