Jewelry and Accessories
ABURY
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Andrea Bury founded ABURY, a fair trade lifestyle brand connecting designers with traditional artisans to create unique handmade bags, shoes and accessories and re-investing in social causes. Hours of education have been given back to the ABURY communities.
Earth Heir
Founded by VV GROW alumna Sasibai Kimis, Earth Heir works with over 500 artisans from women’s cooperatives, indigenous tribes and refugee groups, across six states of Malaysia.
Love & Sense
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Tamae Takatsu is the founder and CEO of Love & Sense, a fair trade select shop in Japan established in 2006. Their mission is to increase the number of people who act toward a sustainable society by making more people feel closer to the problems of the world through Fair Trade products. The company delivers handmade products from fair trade producers from around the world.
Luna Mena
Founded by Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program and VV GROW alumna Lula Mena, Lula Mena creates opportunities for women in high-risk areas of El Salvador by producing unique, eco-friendly, handmade products under norms of fair trade.
Oleana Jewelry
Global Ambassadors Program and VV GROW alumna Yanina Faour founded Oleana Jewelry combining the high quality craftsmanship of her ancestors with a fresh and modern aesthetic. Hailing from a family of jewelers, she continued in their footsteps and dedicated herself to creating unique, handmade pieces.
Resm Jewelry
VV GROW alumna Rasmina Gurbatova is the owner and designer of Resm Jewelry, a company rooted in the culture and tradition of Azerbaijan. The patterns and symbols that give each piece a distinctive sense and unique design originate from the name of the company, Resm, meaning ‘drawing’ in Turkish and Arabic.
Sequence Collection
Global Ambassadors Program and VV GROW alumna Ariela Suster founded Sequence Collection with a sustainable business model for violence prevention using the creation of fashion products to generate jobs and new opportunities to positively impact the lives of young people living in at risk communities in El Salvador.
Villageworks
Global Ambassadors Program and Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program alumna Norm Bunnak is CEO of Villageworks, a fair-trade certified enterprise that trains artisans to produce handcrafted products using recycled, organic materials. With a network of nearly 500 artisans, Villageworks employs home-based workers in rural areas of Cambodia.
Wakami
Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program alumna Maria Pacheco’s Wakami is a socially-minded fashion accessories brand that enables women in Guatemala to export handmade accessories created with ancestral Mayan weaving techniques.
Clothing
b.WR
Leadership Incubator Fellow Sara Shokouhi is the Founder and CEO of b.WR, an organic and eco-friendly undergarment company. Part of proceeds go to support women’s health organizations. Many traditional products out there today are ridden with synthetic and irritating materials. At b.WR they believe what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in our bodies.
COOPA-ROCA
Global Ambassadors Program and VV GROW alumna Maria Teresa Leal founded COOPA-ROCA, a social enterprise that integrates and trains textile artisans from various areas of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The business connects consumers interested in ethical production with high quality design offerings, t-shirts and home decor.
Darling’s Touch
Founded by VV GROW alumna Madiha Raslan, Darling’s Touch designs and develops jewelry, accessories and clothing in Lebanon. They offer a world of modernity with the confident and style-conscious woman in mind. Presenting a wide array of ready-to-wear creations for women seeking a unique form of self-expression through the clothes and accessories they wear.
GrillzandGranola
Leadership Incubator Fellow Chavonne Hodges is the Founder and CEO of GrillzandGranola, which is a MWBE certified, NYC-based fitness company that curates and creates community-based experiences powered by women of color, starting with our signature class, TrapAerobics.
Paradise Fashion
VV GROW alumna Genet Kebed’s Paradise Fashion was inspired by a love for traditional Ethiopian handweaving, the desire to preserve the beauty of this tradition, and to empower women across Ethiopia with sustainable employment opportunities.
SheFly
HERlead alumna Charlotte Massey is the Founder of SheFly. SheFly revolutionized women’s clothing with outdoor pants that include a stealth-pee zipper design to answer nature’s call without pulling your pants down, no matter your anatomy.
Undercover
VV GROW alumna Maria Quintero is the CEO of Undercover, a Panama-based rain boot company with a focus on social responsibility. For every boot purchased, Undercover donates to a non-profit, focusing primarily on children in need, environmental conservation, and animal protection. Check out Undercover’s Amazon store
Skincare, Makeup and Hair Care
Afrobotanics
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Ntombenhle Khathwane created Afrobotanics to retell, reposition and reimagine the African story and identity by producing high quality, high performance consumer brands created with African botanical ingredients. Products are sustainably sourced to empower African rural women.
Ellie Bianca
VV GROW alumna Evelyne Nyairo created her beauty company of serums, oils, salts and more to help create a world where every woman has the opportunity to embrace and own her strength and beauty, inside and out.
Ethique
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Brianne West founded Ethique, a beauty company offering solid beauty bars using naturally derived and sustainably sourced active ingredients in a compostable cardboard box, and you add the water! One concentrate saves 700ml of water and one plastic bottle from manufacture and disposal into landfill.
Kiki Thunda
VV GROW alumna Takia Ross is the owner and lead make-up artist at Kiki Thunda, a company that is reimagining the make-up industry. They provide professional, affordable, and reliable make-up products that meet their clients’ needs and facilitate their ability to be their most confident selves.
LHAMOUR
VV GROW and Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program alumna Khulan Davaadorj is the founder of LHAMOUR, the first-ever natural skincare brand in Mongolia. LHAMOUR is a social business with a mission to make the world a better place by providing natural skincare products through zero waste production. Check out their skincare, body care and hair care products with unique Mongolian ingredients.
Mount Horeb Hemp LLC
Mount Horeb Hemp LLC is a small batch hemp farm located in south-central Wisconsin. VV GROW Fellow, Kattia Jimenez, founded her company in 2018, the first year hemp was legalized in Wisconsin. All Full Spectrum CBD products are third-party tested and include a QR code that links to the COA (Certificate of Analysis). Kattia believes CBD products should be organic, transparent, and affordable.
Soul Seed CBD
Founded by VV GROW alum and VV100 participant, Amber Swenor was inspired to reconnect with the land, becoming a hemp grower and creator of Soul Seed CBD, bringing natural wellness and high quality CBD products to inspire people to live a healthy, soulful life. From soil to oil, you’ll enjoy high quality, hand-crafted CBD products to promote calm, clarity and ease. Products include Soul Vibes Scented CBD roll on, Be at Ease CBD Bath Bombs, The Soul Seed Tincture and more. Use this code by Dec. 31 for 10% off: GIFT
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CIELO HAMMOCKS
Global Ambassadors Program and VV GROW alumna Josefina Urzaiz created her company Cielo Hammocks to help alleviate poverty and promote gender equality. The Cielo Foundation’s work is focused on the native Mayan communities in the Yucatan peninsula, where weaving supplements family incomes. With each hammock purchased, a contribution is made to improve the living conditions of these families.
Ella Ember
Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program alumna Claudia Mendez created Ella Ember, a socially conscious brand of upscale alpaca clothing and blankets. Every piece is independently designed and handcrafted by highly skilled artisans in Bolivia, most of whom are women from indigenous background. Their production process is based on fair trade principles and practices and they are members of the Fair Trade Federation.
STEVIE HOWELL DESIGNS
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Stevie Howell’s Stevie Howell brand is distinguished by artful prints, ethical and sustainable sourcing, and high-quality craftsmanship. Check out their unique collection of wallpaper, home items, loungewear, robes and buy-one-donate-one durable cotton face masks.
Specialty Food and Beverages
Black Mamba Chili
Global Ambassadors Program and VV GROW alumna Claudia Castellanos Roques is the founder and managing director of Black Mamba Chili, an international food brand committed to economic empowerment for families in Swaziland.
Butterfly Ayurveda
Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program alumna Akshi Khandelwal is the founder and CEO of Butterfly Ayurveda, an organization that develops Ayurvedic products ranging from immunity boosting Ayurvedic medicines for lifestyle-related disorders to herbal teas, infusions, cookies and bakery items.
Estación Colombia
VV GROW alumna Maria Clara Ruiz Zapata is the founder of Estación Colombia, a specialty coffee shop in Madison, WI that connects you with a network of Colombian coffee growers. Maria Clara started the coffee brand after founding Zooming.co, a travel company that builds meaningful experiences and bespoke trips for travelers visiting Colombia. After the decrease of coffee tours to zero in 2020, they focused their efforts on keeping the support to the small-scale coffee growers.
La Divisa
Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program alumna Silvana Gonzalez is the CEO of La Divisa, offering specialty coffee products while focused on sustainability and women’s economic empowerment. Their coffee is the result of better opportunities for coffee pickers, farmers and vulnerable communities combined with natural resource preservation and modern technologies for harvesting, roasting and brewing. Check out the La Divisa Amazon store
The Gluten Free Factory
Global Ambassadors Program and VV GROW alumna Maria Vargas is the owner and co-founder of The Gluten Free Factory, which specializes in manufacturing gluten free food products. The company is a pioneer in Costa Rica in research and development of healthy and tasty gluten free foods, and is one of the first companies in Latin America in this field.
Specialty Gifts
Bella Tunno
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Michelle Buelow is the founder and CEO of Bella Tunno, a company that sells childcare products and is committed to donating one meal for a child per product sold. Bella Tunno tasks themselves daily with creating products we wish-we-had that make us laugh. All products are 100% CPSIA compliant.
Blessing
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Rana Kotaiche and Fortune-U.S. Department of State Program alumna Rima Kotaiche co-founded Blessing, which can transform any occasion with gifts and favors. Sisters Rana and Rima co-founded the company in 1996 in Beirut, Lebanon. Blessing provides customizable gifts, souvenirs, chocolates or invitations for any occasion.
Evoma Journal
HerLead fellow Willa‘s gratitude journal, Evoma (a combination of the words ’emotion’ and ‘evoke’), is a guided journal filled with unique questions that prompt users to reflect and practice daily gratitude, kindness, and growth. Challenge yourself, reflect on your experiences, and step towards your goals, all while supporting a female and minority-owned business.
Glow Brands
VV GROW Fellow Markette Sheppard is the CEO of The Glow Brands, LLC, a communications consulting company with a specialization in content marketing. The Glow Brands’ flagship enterprise is Glow Stream TV, which acts as a Home Shopping Network (HSN) for socially conscious women’s lifestyle brands. Shop children’s flashcards, or visit Glow Brands’ Etsy store
La Cana
VV GROW Fellow Daniela Ancira’s La Cana is a social enterprise that seeks to create fair employment and provide skills training for incarcerated women, enabling them to earn an income away from crime through the creation of high-quality products. La Cana trains women prisoners in various weaving, embroidery, sewing, macramé and textile weaving techniques.
Little Africa
Global Ambassadors Program alumna Jacqueline NGO MPII’s Little Africa is a sustainable and inclusive enterprise based in Paris, France whose mission is to promote the art and culture of Africa and its diaspora. The Little Africa venture is the culmination of Jacqueline’s seven-year career in the tourism industry and features items ranging from notebooks to city guides to bags and more.
Lonergan Corporate Gifts
VV GROW alumna Louise Lonergan’s Lonergan Corporate Gifts has over 22 years experience and offers an unmatched gifting experience tailored to client needs. They are also supplying a large range of certified PPE including face masks, hand sanitizer, work safety kits and more. They can facilitate small and large orders.
Los Suenos Condo
VV Grow alumna María Jiménez’s vacation rental business Los Suenos Condo offers rental property Del Mar, in Herradura, Costa Rica. Del Mar is located within Los Suenos Resort and Marina, Costa Rica’s premier destination resort community.
Talleh
VV Grow alumna Ashmahan Ilian’s Talleh is a Palestinian registered brand established in Jerusalem to revive the Palestinian Culture. While Jerusalem’s women’s unemployment rate is around 80%, Talleh’s team members are exclusively women. Check out Talleh’s Palestinian cultural and customized gifts made of carved olive wood, mother of pearl, olive oil soap, basketry, pottery and many others, or shop through Talleh’s Etsy
Books and Education Gifts
Every Day is Day One – Maintaining the Startup Culture and Mindset by Valrie Grant
Have you been searching for a good read to apply to your business or professional development journey? VV GROW alumna and WE Empower awardee Valrie Grant has you covered with her new book, “Every Day is Day One”. Drawing on her own experience, Valrie wanted to show startup leaders how they can develop their own Day One organizational culture, no matter their size or industry.
NaTakallam
WE Empower awardee Aline Sara’s Natakallam is a disruptive social enterprise leveraging the freelance digital economy to provide income to refugees, displaced persons and their host community members by hiring them as online language tutors and cultural exchange partners. Want to give the gift of language learning? Check out NaTakallam and choose from over 15 languages and dialects and take skills to the next level.
SheFighter: From Trouble Maker to Global Change Maker by Lina Khalifeh
VV GROW alumna and WE Empower awardee Lina Khalifeh built SheFighter, the first self-defense studio exclusively for women in the Middle East, into an internationally-known organization dedicated to increasing women’s safety and self image. Lina remains passionate about her work and empowering women and girls, especially in her home region. Read her inspiring story: SheFighter – From Trouble Maker to Global Change Maker
Vital Voices Book and Education Gifts
Donate to Receive Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower
The Vital Voices: 100 Women Using their Power to Empower book is a celebration of 100 global women leaders, showcasing the transformative power and unique need for women’s leadership across cultures, sectors and generations. With a donation of $95, we’ll send you your own copy of the Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower book as well as a postcard of Vice President Kamala Harris AND a postcard of Amanda Gorman, the 2021 inaugural poet sensation and Vital Voices board member, as a thank you. Holiday orders are due by Dec 6.
Vital Voices Leadership Journey
The Vital Voices Leadership Journey is a brand new 7-week online course for anyone looking to make a positive impact in their community and to strengthen their leadership skills to make it happen. Based on a model practiced by Vital Voices network women creating change, the course will challenge traditional notions of leadership. Facilitated by inspiring, innovative experts, the virtual course incorporates experiential learning by combining live workshop sessions, self-paced activities, and peer group discussions.