Starting a Social Impact Brand is incredibly exciting and extremely satisfying. It is a great way to educate consumers about important social issues, while also serving as a solution to the problem through your service. Neococo was founded on a mission to create job opportunities for women refugees resettling in the United States. Our for-profit model allows us to continue hiring more women, and our forward integration plan promises the opportunity for growth within our team. Our vision is to create a place where women feel empowered at every level. From creating our designs, to hand embroidering each piece, to the purchase and styling of our products, we believe that the power of the “Neococo woman” is part of every stitch.
#1 Impact First
As a Social Enterprise, impact always comes first. Obviously! As an entrepreneur, you must be able to wear many hats. Sometimes you must be ready to act as a risk-taker, problem solver, or an innovator, all while keeping the mission in your mind even when making hard decisions. We want our products to serve as messengers on refugee rights and the feminine experience, and for the artwork to drive conversations around these issues. Sales of our products not only create equitable job opportunities for the women on our team, they also inspire our consumers to shop consciously so that every dollar spent has meaning. We are delighted to be even just a small (but growing) part of a shifting market culture, where conversations on sustainability and wage equality have driven companies to keep production local and scale; thus increasing more job opportunities and economic growth.
#2 Collaborate (Reach Out Globally)
Merging your efforts with external partners and organizations that align with your mission is a great way to accelerate your impact and drive momentum. Nonprofits especially, are always working on a grassroots level and their involvement on and off the field helps strengthen advocacy voices. Collaborations also create dynamic and cross industry teams forward towards a common goal, ultimately driving even more growth and innovation. For example, our collaboration with the International Rescue Committee during World Refugee Day was a great way for our Neococo team to give back to current refugees. This was especially meaningful because it gave a chance for our current team members to give back directly to those who are currently going through the experience of passing through resettlement camps from around the world. Additionally, partnerships with Influencers and other brands increase brand awareness and foster sustainable growth.
#3 Rally People Around You
When it comes to the modality of social impact, it is truly the work and support of the people around you that matters the most. An entrepreneur can have the ideas and the leadership to rally the team forward, but if there is no community alongside to help make it a reality, there is no scalable impact. A strong community of people who share your vision can help build long term prosperity. To scale successfully and produce consistent results requires a coordinated and cooperative effort from multiple people.
#4 Create Your Own Roadmap For Success
My favorite part about being a business owner is developing our own company culture. Companies with traditional workplace cultures are often bureaucratic and working in such an environment means structured communication, central authority and decision-making leaving little scope for growth. At Neococo we believe that goals can be met with a flexible work schedule. Investing in our team and encouraging a collaborative work environment ensures success based on the “triple bottom line” (people, planet and profit), and serves both our team (the people benefiting socially) and customers (the people buying). Achieving a healthy work/life balance is an attainable goal in which your team and businesses alike will see rewards. When your team is balanced and happy, they are more productive, take fewer sick days, and are more likely to stay in their jobs. This is especially important when it comes to creating long term job opportunities for populations at risk.
We believe that womankind radiates beauty and strength. Through hand embroidery, the women of Neococo are able to re-energize the timeless craft and honor the art of the female form. A purchase at Neococo is a gesture of feminine unity — contributing to equity, financial freedom, and hope for refugee women.
About the Author: I started my career in as a Fashion Stylist right out of college and worked my way up as an Independent Costume Designer for films and advertising. It was the most enjoyable experience working in India, where textile design and access to cottage industries allowed me to totally immerse myself in the process. With over 10 years of work experience, I moved to New York and studied Fashion at Parsons, The New School. After graduating I continued to work as a Fashion Stylist. I also found purpose through volunteering my weekends with local refugee groups. As I developed meaningful relationships with the women, I learned about some of the biggest challenges facing refugees including secure housing, adjusting to a different culture, finding a job, surviving on food stamps, and learning a foreign language. This led me to start Neococo in the Fall of 2017.
Featured image: Color Joy Stock