51社区

51社区 students made an impact in India and Athens, while winning prize money, by submitting their T-shirt designs to the Sudara Tee Design Challenge as part of the fall 2020 Women Entrepreneurship Week.

Sudara Inc. employs Indian women who are at risk or survivors of human trafficking. The women are paid a sustainable, living wage to produce and sell ethically made pajamas and loungewear. Sudara, a benefit corporation, and its nonprofit, Sudara Freedom Fund, were created to end human trafficking in India.

鈥淭his collaboration drives impact both globally and locally which is what makes it so powerful,鈥� Sudara founder Shannon Keith said. 鈥淩evenue generated from student-designed tees creates more skills training and job opportunities for women in India working to remain free from sex slavery, while student designers gain real-world experience and have their voices lifted in the social impact work space.鈥�

Fifteen percent of the money generated from the sales of the design challenge tee shirts was also donated to , a domestic violence agency based in Athens that provides support to women in Athens, Hocking and Vinton counties.

My Sister鈥檚 Place Executive Director Kelly Cooke said the donations will give the shelter more flexibility in helping survivors who call its hotline.

鈥淲e are doing our best to keep numbers down in the shelter, and we are using emergency funds to problem solve with callers who need help,鈥� Cooke said.

In the beginning of October, Sudara Tee Design Challenge finalists were selected through two rounds of voting on social media. The three winning designs were available for pre-order on Oct. 16. Paige Burger received $500 because her design, sold the most,  Candace Clark won $250 for her design 鈥� and Sarah Baker won $100 for

Tees are from Sudara. Purchases of student-designed tees and matching flannel pants continue to support the effort. A 20 percent discount on purchases is available using code OhioGivesBack or choose to 鈥渄onate the discount鈥� back to My Sister鈥檚 Place.

鈥淢ost of us are scrambling to get our tasks done in this pandemic, but these students made an extra effort because they wanted to have an impact,鈥� said , director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. 鈥淭heir hard work is incredibly inspiring to me.鈥�

Burger, a senior studying graphic design, said she is happy to see the utilization of visual communication for a good cause rather than just for generating sales.

鈥淭he ability to use design as a tool not only for awareness but also as an action is something I will be pursuing to achieve for the rest of my career,鈥� Burger said.

Clark, a junior studying fashion product development and retail merchandising, said the competition motivated her to open her own boutique.

鈥淚 wanted to support a cause that I am passionate about,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淚 have never stepped outside of my comfort zone before with my designs before, so I thought I why not take a risk. I鈥檓 happy to see it pay off.鈥�

Image

In her own words, Clark鈥檚 design 鈥渞epresents the silence that many people resort to when they hear about human trafficking.鈥� Its simplistic design is intended to remind people to take a stand and speak up.

Keith also discussed the importance of skills and job training during the Sept. 24 presentation for Women Entrepreneurship Week, which can be viewed on the .

鈥淪udara鈥檚 work is critical because it鈥檚 about a lot more than a business generating profits for shareholders,鈥� Benedict said. 鈥淭he world needs companies that are driven by a cause like Sudara to serve people and make their lives better. Sudara is proof that our students can find a purpose bigger than themselves in their career.鈥�

Women Entrepreneurship Week was hosted by 51社区鈥檚 Center for Entrepreneurship, TechGROWTH Ohio and the OHIO Women鈥檚 Center. The Center for Entrepreneurship is a partnership between the College of Business and Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.

Sudara is committed to supporting and expanding the partnership with 51社区. Any referrals for the Sudara affiliate program, wholesale or distributor partnerships or corporate gifting opportunities will also benefit My Sister鈥檚 Place. Contact margaret@sudara.org for more information.

Every purchase of Sudara goods helps women in India working to remain free from sex slavery.