MyCity4Her is always excited to discover another fascinating “Industry Innovator” particularly in the world of fashion and design. We recently came across the very cool company – Raven + Lily based in Austin, Texas that is passionate about empowering women through design partnerships and sustainable opportunities. We recently got to know Kirsten Dickerson, one of the Co-Founders and she shared the following about her entrepreneurial journey…
What is the unique problem or situation Raven + Lily solves or serves?
Raven + Lily is a socially responsible brand dedicated to empowering women through design partnerships and sustainable economic opportunities. Founded with my dear friend Sophia Lin who shares a passion for fashion and ethical design, Raven + Lily was created as a platform to utilize those passions to alleviate poverty among women.
In addition to creating sustainable economic opportunities for marginalized women, Raven + Lily is dedicated to returning proceeds to our partner communities to fund education, healthcare, and micro-loans. By purchasing R+L products, consumers are part of breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming the lives of women and families.
Raven + Lily is proud to be a member of the Ethical Fashion Forum’s 500 Fellows around the globe. This is an exclusive group of 500 of the world’s foremost innovators and leaders in the fashion sector. We also received the StayClassy regional winner award for Philanthropic Business of the Year in 2012. We are certified by “Green America” as an environmentally and socially responsible business.
What would you say in hindsight you underestimated about the industry you’re in or being in business?
Raven + Lily started as a non-profit model in October 2008 and moved into a for-profit social business model in June 2011.
My previous experience has been as director of various non-profits, so the move to the for-profit world was a much bigger leap than I anticipated. There were multiple learning experiences and hurdles to overcome in our first year as I learned to navigate the role of Founder/CEO. I found it especially challenging to be a woman in that role! I had a glimpse of the discrimination so many of the women in our partnerships face. I knew that ultimately the best model for empowering the women in our global partnerships would be to provide them sustainable, fair trade income, and I truly believed the best model for doing so was the social business model. This model encourages the women to rise to the occasion, to build a strong business in their own country so that they can then create a strong market for their goods internationally. We come alongside an organized group of women to train them creating high quality, eco-friendly collections that we can market for them through Raven + Lily.
What were the hardest barriers of getting your idea off the ground?
Working with multiple countries and at-risk communities has multiple challenges. Sometimes there are droughts, war conflicts, disease, etc…that we have no control over. These things greatly affect the women and therefore production. The importing process has also been a learning experience for all involved since each country and every product has different regulations and duties applied. After much research and patience, we’ve greatly reduced our shipping and importing costs and raised the quality of goods produced significantly. It just took time and training on both ends of production to reach a model that would be sustainable and products that would be high quality and well designed. Today, we’re ready to scale our production and take things to the next level!
What do you enjoy best about being an entrepreneur?
As founder/CEO of the company, I love the role of sharing the story of the Raven + Lily artisans, and I love seeing all our efforts come to fruition with each season’s collection and each year’s impact report on the women. The collections are so beautiful and reflect the beauty and culture of the women who made them. It is an honor to share these collections with the world.When we get the yearly impact report from our partnerships, it brings great satisfaction to know that our hard work is truly making a difference in the lives of hundreds of women and children around the world. I also travel twice a year to visit our partnerships in person and lead “Ambassador Trips” so others can see our work first hand. This is by far the best part of my job. I absolutely am so inspired and blessed to spend time with the artisans and introduce others to them as well.
Do you feel becoming an entrepreneur has helped you grow as a person?
Yes indeed. I’ve learned to not take things so personally and to make choices that are best for the overall mission of Raven + Lily, not just individual needs or the “tyranny of the urgent” type requests. In the past I worried too much about making everyone happy. That’s an impossible task. I’ve let that go and focus on doing my best while taking things one day at a time.
What is the best business advice you’ve ever been given that you’d like to share with our audience of women in business?
“Don’t be afraid to fail and make mistakes. Learn from them and don’t give up.” My greatest inspiration has been the women in our partnerships. Many of them have struggled to survive for so many years, and now they and their children are thriving. Its a beautiful story of transformation playing out all around me, and it inspires our team to keep at it even when we face many challenges along the way.
About Raven + Lily Co-Founder Kirsten Dickerson
After a 15 year stint in California, Kirsten recently returned to her native state and planted roots in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two kids. Through her marriage to her best friend, filmmaker Brandon Dickerson, she developed a love for design creating the sets and wardrobe look for many of his projects. She and her family have traveled the world for film, humanitarian outreach, cross-cultural studies, and the adoption of their Chinese daughter. Motivated by a belief that each person is valuable and uniquely created, Kirsten is dedicated to empowering women to discover their full potential. The creative endeavors of Raven + Lily have given Kirsten a platform to connect her talented friends in the states with the amazing women she has met through her journeys around the world. You can learn more about Raven + Lily by visiting their web site – www.ravenandlily.com