I'm so excited to be bringing you this special edition episode featuring the recording of our LIVE panel discussion in Chicago with Chicago Fair Trade and 3 of their business members. This was such a fun event to uncover the powerful stories behind these purpose-driven founders in Chicago and what ethically-made and sustainably-made mean in practice.

We've all seen words like "sustainable" become buzzwords by Big Fashion, but what does it actually look like to do the work to ensure fair employment, responsible sourcing, and mindful production? This was an ongoing theme throughout the panel — each of these founders' ideas of sustainability was distinct and yet overlapped.

Pushpika Freitas, founder of Marketplace Handwork of India, told the story of partnering with artisans in India to create truly fair trade fashion; Jamie Hayes, founder of Production Mode, discussed what it really takes to produce ethically in the US today (hint: "made in the US" does NOT automatically equal ethical); and Vanessa Arroyo shared how her heritage and 15+ years in fashion helped her build an authentic, ethical footwear brand.

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• Pushpika | Marketplace Handwork of India: marketplaceindia.com
• Jamie | Production Mode: productionmodechicago.com
• Vanessa | SERES: seresfootwear.com
• Chicago Fair Trade: chicagofairtrade.org

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