I believe business and entrepreneurship can change the world. The opportunity to do meaningful work and build something that can consistently provide for you and your family is the epitome of self-sufficiency and independence.
The lifestyle brand, Able, was created to make this dream a reality for communities of women in Ethiopia. After years working for for-profit companies eventually led Barrett Ward to a first-hand encounter with world poverty, he made the jump to the nonprofit space to begin to tackle some of the inequalities he’d witnessed.
Able was originally started as a nonprofit in 2010 by Barrett and his wife, Rachel, to help women in Ethiopia leave the commercial sex industry. The nonprofit worked with local communities to provide resources and help meet the needs of these communities where women had no other option in order to provide for their families.
However, the feedback they received was that, while the charity was appreciated, without other job opportunities, the women would end up right back where they started, falling back on their only source of income and stuck in the perpetual cycle of poverty. The couple was challenged to create a long-term solution if they really were passionate about solving the problem.
They shifted their focus from charitable resources to providing economic opportunity to facilitate the upward mobility of the community. When the women were asked what they might want to create and sell, their answer was: scarves. And so the couple set about building a marketplace and company that would connect these women to other individuals around that world that were willing and able to pay for their unique skills and product.
Creating economic solutions for these women gave them hope and dignity in their work and their ability to take care of themselves. Since then, Able has continued to grow and expand their product line and has recreated their model in other impoverished communities. They were the first brand to publish their lowest wages believing that, “you don’t have to be perfect before you can be honest,” and they are continuously working towards better pay and livable wages among all of their manufacturers.
Based in Nashville, Able also works with their local community to provide job opportunities for women overcoming addiction. Their jewelry line is made by hand in their Nashville studio. The gold pieces in their jewelry line are all gold-filled which can sometimes be hard to find. (Gold-filled jewelry is essentially a better option for a reasonable price. Find a diagram about the different types of jewelry here.)
As you explore Able’s site, you’ll also find indicators for easy shopping including, “bust-friendly, nursing-friendly, petite and tall -friendly,” and sizes from XXS-3X, a clear sign of their 96% female staff. Their recent lines have also taken into account changing lifestyles, providing more options that are appropriate for hybrid roles, urban commuting, and the return to travel.
Check out my favorite Able pieces here.