Taking the Social Enterprise World by Storm!

How did “Guys Who Rock” Matt Mitro and Ben Stone – former corporate lawyers and self-described “fashion-challenged dorks” – found and build Indego Africa, a 501(c)(3) social enterprise that takes a market-driven, fashion-forward approach to empowering African women?

Join 85 Broads on July 19 at noon for a Jam Session with Matt (Founder & Chairman) and Ben (President & CEO), about Indego Africa’s history, challenges, and successes as they leverage the power of export markets and job skills to unleash the potential of remarkable African businesswomen. Register HERE.

Indego Africa is hiring fall interns in NYC and Rwanda!

Starting from the most difficult circumstances, Indego Africa’s more than 300 artisan partners in Rwanda are now fulfilling their destiny to “hold up half the sky.” For example, less than three years ago Emelienne Nyiramana carried water for 25 cents a day to support her three children and an orphan. After launching a sewing and textile cooperative and spearheading a partnership with Indego Africa, Emelienne now makes more than 20 times that amount, speaks English, and has graduated from the GS 10,000 Women Entrepreneurship Program at Rwanda’s School of Finance and Banking.

Indego Africa isn’t a typical “handicraft” company. Now the subject of a Harvard Business School case study, Indego Africa first partners with cooperatives of women artisans in Rwanda on a fair trade basis and sells their stylish hand-made products on Indego’s online store and at more than 70 U.S. retailers, including Nicole Miller, Ralph Lauren, Steven Alan, Shopbop, Anthropologie, and Dannijo (founded by 85 Broads members Danielle and Jodie Snyder!) Indego Africa then invests 100% of profits from sales and donations into its ground-breaking training programs for the artisans in business management, entrepreneurship, literacy, and technology – all taught by Rwanda’s top university students.

Indego Africa is the proud recipient of the Fair Trade Federation’s 2010 award for “Most Positive Change in a Producer Community,” and has received praise from Elle, The Huffington Post, InStyle, Essence, NY Times Style, and many other fashion mags!

With a principled adherence to accountability and transparency, coupled with a core focus on business systems and measurable social impact, Indego Africa is a company built to last and represents a high-value investment opportunity for potential donors. Please visit http://www.indegoafrica.org/donate to donate or email ben.stone@indegoafrica.org for more information.

About 85 Broads

http://www.85broads.com

85 Broads is an exclusive global women’s network whose mission is to generate exceptional professional and social value for its members. Through regional events and our online, password-protected community, members engage in a rapid, high-powered exchange of ideas and information which is what makes 85 Broads unique.

From 1997 to 2000, 85 Broads was a network founded exclusively for current and former Goldman Sachs women who worked at 85 Broad Street, the firm's NYC headquarters, and at other GS offices worldwide. In 2000, we realized that we were "too exclusive" and at the urging of women at Harvard Business School, we invited HBS women to join, along with thousands of women at other leading graduate business schools in the US and abroad, irrespective of chosen career path.

In 2004, we recognized the need to include women at the undergraduate level who were pursuing every career path imaginable and over the next 3 years, we created clubs on over 40 campuses in the US and abroad.

And in 2007, we extended membership in 85 Broads to all trailblazing women worldwide, irrespective of one's college or graduate school affiliation.

The women in 85 Broads are entrepreneurs, investment bankers, consultants, lawyers, educators, venture capitalists, hedge fund managers, philanthropists, athletes, doctors, engineers, artists, and rocket scientists.

Learn more about our exclusive global network and apply for membership.