One of the best features of capitalism is the fact that it promotes the culture of work across all human societies by actively and steadily rewarding innovations. This enforces efficiency while increasing competition, all of which is great for economic growth. Economic freedom helps political freedom and so capitalism if more often than not, is...
Owning and running a business is not easy and if you are a black entrepreneur, the challenge of funding can be downright overwhelming. In a perfect world, free from racial biases, a black–owned business might be able to acquire the capital it needs by merely selling its services or products for profit. The reality though...
With the amount of marine plastic pollution expected to almost triple to 20 million metric tons by 2040, and packaging a dominant generator of plastic waste, there is mounting pressure on businesses to address the problem. On August 13, California-based sustainable yoga and outdoor apparel brand prAna – established in 1992 and a pioneer in conscious fashion – announced the Responsible Packaging...
Ethical business is not just about what you sell, but how you sell it. Almost daily, we see more and more ethical brands and publications battle for the attention of conscious consumers. Many of these enterprises are driven by the increasing profitability of sustainable buzzwords rather than a genuine passion for sustainability. Worse, they’re simply...
In 2008, I travelled to China on a mission to start a fashion business with my then business partner. What I witnessed there was the catalyst for my advocacy for ethics and sustainability in fashion. I had been raised by politically active parents so unionism and fighting for workers’ rights were concepts I had knowledge...
Like a home renovation project exposing underlying damp and cracked walls, this pandemic has torn open the systemic problems in fashion retail that lay under the surface all along. From the cancelled orders crisis spotlighting garment workers on the poverty line, to the dramatic halt in shopping that’s shifted millions of consumers towards a slower,...
A new report by one of the world’s leading global community marketplaces for ‘desirable’ pre-loved fashion reveals positive growth in second-hand retailing and sustainable fashion, driven mainly by Gen Z and Millennials. Blending data from its global platform with market insights and international consumer trends, Vestiaire Collective‘s first ever bi-annual fashion report ‘The Smart Side...
GoParity, an impact investment platform based in Portugal and with more than 2.1 million euros of investment raised for environmentally and socially responsible projects is now launching its first project in Africa. Its new project called SolarWood Hospital, will co-finance a renewable energy solution that will be installed at Good Shepherd Mission Hospital in Siteki, capital of Lubombo...
It’s 8.30am and I’m staring at my laptop, my eyes running over the numbers on its dusty screen while I sip my coffee. There’s still a long way to go, and with each day I’m closer to being forced to face what I’ve always suspected: that we’re not going to make it. My Kickstarter campaign...
In the world of venture capital, only 2.2% of funding goes to women-led startups. It’s even harder for women of colour (WOC) founded businesses. According to ProjectDiane, a biennial demographic study of Black women founders, Latinx women-led startups raised 0.04% of the $424.7 billion in total tech VC funding raised since 2009, while Black women raised...
While fashion retailers are collapsing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some analysts predicting that a quarter of US malls may close in the next five years, the opposite is true for the second-hand and resale market. A recently published annual report by the world’s largest thrift and consignment platform reveals that the...
Pause. The world was virtually at a standstill over the last couple months as countries imposed lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Non-essential businesses, establishments, and transportation were put on halt and people were told to stay at home. With the pandemic restrictions, the environment was also given a reprieve – our cities...