BIPOC & Women-Owned Suppliers
One of the easiest ways to support women and BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous and people of color) is to buy from companies they own. Back in 2020, we searched for a list highlighting these suppliers in our industry, but this proved harder to find than we thought it should be. So, we decided to build a list ourselves. This guide is the result. We’ll keep adding to the guide as we grow these partnerships.
BIPOC & Women-Owned Suppliers
One of the easiest ways to support women and BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous and people of color) is to buy from companies they own. Back in 2020, we searched for a list highlighting these suppliers in out industry, but this proved harder to find than we thought it should be. So, we decided to build a list ourselves. This guide is the result. We’ll keep adding to the guide as we grow these partnerships.
Apparel
WOMEN & BIPOC-OWNED
Where Streetwear Meets Sportswear – Meets You
When Judy and daughter Michelle founded Fossa in 2007, their mission was to introduce trendy, retail-quality apparel to women and men in the corporate world. With more than a decade building a household name, while collecting multiple accolades along the way, Fossa’s family-owned business has become one of the most desirable apparel companies in the promo industry.
Maverick Bomber Jacket
$20.00
WOMEN-OWNED
Minimal & timeless wardrobe staples
Le Bon Shoppe, meaning “The Good Shop”, offers a curated selection of everyday pieces that are both simple and stylish. The brand’s mission is to provide a one-stop shop for products that make you look and feel good. With a focus on simplicity and wearability, Le Bon Shoppe sets out to bring together hard-to-find items that effortlessly elevate your daily look.
BIPOC-OWNED
From dirt to shirt
Mohamed Amin Dadabhoy and his family founded AST Sportswear Inc., headquartered in Anaheim, California. Born in Myanmar to a business family, he moved to Los Angeles after a military coup made business difficult. He started selling T-shirts at flea markets, but later identified a demand for quickly manufactured T-shirts and other garments, which led to the creation of Bayside Apparel. Today, Bayside is the largest vertical apparel manufacturer in America, with Mohamed’s brother Abdul as the COO.
WOMEN-OWNED
Durable gear built for more than work
Dri Duck is made up of a strong leadership team consisting of President Jason Krakow and VP of Sales & Marketing Nicole Parker. They bring a wealth of experience in retail, manufacturing, sports licensing, and apparel sourcing. Dri Duck is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas and also operates a distribution center in Edwardsville, Kansas.
Premium Retail Brands
WOMEN-OWNED
Ethically Sourced. Women Owned.
Stanford colleagues and designers Eva Bauer and Hetal Jariwala teamed up with a mission to solve real world problems with functionality and design. Flip & Tumble offers its customers a variety of lightweight, long-lasting, and ethically produced reusable bags, perfect for life on the go.
Flip & Tumble Cross Body
$40.00
flip & tumble backpack
$21.00
BIPOC & WOMEN-OWNED
Embracing the Intersection of Travel and Sustainability
Paravel co-founders and avid travelers Indré Rockefeller and Andy Krantz personally experienced the lack of options for sustainable luggage, so they took matters into their own hands. Named #1 best luggage for traveling in 2021, among a myriad of other high accolades, Paravel has succeeded in creating attractive, eco-friendly travel accessories for nomads worldwide.
Paravel Fold-Up Belt Bag
$31.00
Paravel Toiletry Bag
$31.00
Paravel Aviator Carry-On
$355.00
Paravel Crossbody Capsule
$238.00
Paravel Cabana Tote
$166.00
Paravel Grand Tour
$300.00WOMEN-OWNED
Customizable accessories by sisters
Sisters Kendall and Libby Glazer founded Stoney Clover Lane in 2009 with a mission to revolutionize organization through expressive travel accessories. As experienced travelers with a love for fun and order, they grew the brand to include lively lifestyle and travel accessories for staying organized on-the-go. The sisters transformed their teenage endeavor into a multimillion-dollar company in under a decade.
Food and Beverage
WOMEN & BIPOC-OWNED
The Story of Coffee is an African Story
Kahawa 1893’s founder Margaret Kemunto Nyamumbo is on a mission to empower women farmers. After witnessing the effect under-compensation had on women farmers first-hand, Margaret embarked on a journey to help Kenyan and Rwandan women by sourcing directly from their farms and giving back through financial aid and direct tips.
WOMEN-OWNED
Direct trade teas & certified organic herbs
Big Heart Tea Co. was founded in 2012 by Lisa Govro and Kunthearath Nhek-Morrissey with the mission of making healing herbs and teas more fun and accessible. The company started selling its teas at farmers’ markets and street fairs using a 1969 camper trailer. Big Heart Tea prides itself on using certified organic or direct trade ingredients and local, sustainable packaging. As a female-founded company, Big Heart Tea is committed to promoting wellness through its delicious and eco-friendly products.
Home and Accessories
WOMEN-OWNED
Connecting people and plants
Co-founders Sarah & Nick started Modern Sprout to bring a practical solution for growing herbs in small spaces and busy lifestyles. With a focus on purposeful planting, minimal friction, and design, the Chicago-based company sources materials domestically whenever possible, supporting their community through local manufacturing, assembly, and shipping.
BIPOC-OWNED
Eco-friendly everyday
Engineers Seth and Vinh discovered their shared passion for improving people’s lives and the planet while addressing the need for water. With Seth’s creativity and Vinh’s technical expertise, they co-founded Elemental in 2016 to launch a reusable water bottle and to create a healthier, more sustainable future through functional consumer products.
BIPOC-OWNED
Damn good kitchen gear
The goal of Hedley & Bennett is to inspire confidence and encourage creativity in the kitchen. For over 10 years, the Hedley team, led by founder Ellen Bennett, has strived to produce the best-looking and most functional aprons and kitchen gear. The company began in a restaurant kitchen to address the demand for an apron that combined functionality with aesthetics and this philosophy remains at the forefront of their operations.
BIPOC-OWNED
FlexFit® everywhere
As a fan of headwear, you probably own at least one Flexfit or Yupoong product. Flexfit, a global brand founded in South Korea by Aaron Pineda, offers a wide range of headwear, including dad hats, snapback caps, and everything in between. Yupoong is the name of the Korean company that manufactures Flexfit. Celebrities like Will Smith and Rickie Fowler have been avid supporters of the Flexfit brand for a long time and it is a prominent symbol of Korean culture.
WOMEN & BIPOC-OWNED
Beautiful tools to inspire beautiful work
Suann Song, the founder and CEO of Appointed, leveraged her expertise in graphic design, public relations, and marketing to establish the brand which prioritizes sustainability, aesthetics, and American-made products. The launch of Appointed began with a successful Kickstarter campaign after 18 months of research, and the brand’s flagship product, The Notebook, was introduced. Currently, Appointed boasts a collection of desktop and paper goods after six years of growth.
WOMEN-OWNED
Powering the ethical supply chain
Jane Mosbacher Morris founded TO THE MARKET in 2016 after her experiences working at the State Department, where she interacted with women in underrepresented communities around the world who expressed the need for safe employment. Despite bootstrapping the business on her own, TO THE MARKET’s success led to recognition, as Jane was listed on Fortune’s list of the World’s 25 Greatest Leaders: Heroes of the Pandemic. With her experience and passion, Jane aims to provide these women with economic empowerment through ethical manufacturing and access to the global supply chain.
WOMEN-OWNED
Better for the planet and in bed
Ettitude was established in 2014 by Phoebe Yu and Kat Dey with a vision to revolutionize the bedding and homeware industry.
They offer customers a range of products made using advanced fabric technologies, with a focus on reducing the environmental impact and supporting a healthy planet. Their patented CleanBamboo material is a testament to this goal, as it is both incredibly soft and sustainably produced. The company’s name, Ettitude, reflects their commitment to eco-consciousness.
Let’s do swag together