As we celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month I want to extend a huge thank you to the San Francisco, Small Business Development Center, (SBDC), for naming Love Is Project as a successful Women’s Small Business.
Even more exciting, the San Francisco SBDC helped to secure a substantial small business loan from Main Street Launch to finance the phenomenal growth of Love Is Project. These funds go to developing new products, building up our existing catalog, and spreading LOVE and good fortune with our many artisan partners around the world.
SBDC business management training, education and support has been instrumental for us in securing this U.S. Small Business Association’s loan. Financing can be hard to come by for any small business, and as a women and minority-owned business, we are especially honored and grateful.
On behalf of the more than 1,600 female artisans we work with across 10 countries, we extend our most sincere appreciation to both the Small Business Development Center and the Small business Association.
As we work with our artisans and learn about their personal priorities, we’ve seen their struggles and more recently how the pandemic has affected them and their loved ones. We’ve been hard at work developing programs to lift them up through support and advocacy. Check out a few examples:
- In India, all of our artisans are illiterate, so we are working with them to secure tutors.
- In Bali, the tourism industry has collapsed because of travel restrictions, causing food insecurity. We asked our artisans to begin producing face masks to help keep the world safe, and to generate additional income that they use to share groceries with their own communities.
- In Kenya, the Maasai tribes are also facing food scarcity due to the lockdowns. Love Is Project is supplying them with funding for goats, sheep and food gardens that will feed more than 2,000 people in Ngong, Tsavo, Laikipia and Kibera.
When you buy our beautiful LOVE bracelets and accessories, you’re helping to support these programs and others like them. Our mission: Women supporting women, empowering women will change the world.
“How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings – and especially for women? Because when you lift up women, you lift up humanity.” The Moment of LIFT – Melinda Gates
Make this holiday season one to remember for the ones you LOVE, and spread that LOVE across the globe. Check out old favorites and new additions for unique gift ideas, and warm up with the feeling that you’re helping to make the world a little better.