When Jennifer Wong and Santos Agustin decided to start a local business in their Brooklyn neighborhood, 他们从来没有想到它会达到全球范围.
两个朋友, 谁都是热情的狗主人, 想把手工宠物用品带给大众. They also wanted to ensure that the artisans they work with were treated well and paid fairly.
“It was very important to us when we created our brand that we could be completely transparent,奥古斯丁说.
在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间， 陷入困境 was born: a pet accessory brand featuring ethically sourced and sustainably made products. Women artisans from low-income and immigrant communities in the 纽约 City area make the accessories, 包括衣领, 皮带, 玩具等.
Wong and Agustin also partner with women in countries around the world, 从柬埔寨到加纳以及其他地方. These artisans participate in a fair-trade agreement, ensuring craftsmanship in exchange for livable wages and safe working conditions.
“They provide job and income opportunities for these women who otherwise might not be able to send their children to school or simply put food on the table,珍妮·黄说, 12bet官方的业务关系经理. “作为一名亚洲移民, I feel proud to work for a company that supports women in business, especially AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) women in business.”
女性拥有的企业占 42%的美国人.S. 企业 ——而且这个数字还在增长. Between 2012 and 2019 (the latest data available), the number of women-owned 企业 grew 16.百分之七，根据 全国妇女商业委员会. That far outpaces the growth rate of 企业 owned by men over the same time (5.2%).
But women often face disparities when trying to access capital or find mentors who can help them start a small business.
12bet官方’s Women on the Move initiative is committed to fueling women’s ambitions and advancing financial equity. One of its key focus areas is driving the growth and representation of 企业 founded and run by women. 通过辅导和指导项目, Women on the Move provides networking and advice to women-owned and women-run 企业 of all sizes and has helped over 4,500名女企业家发展自己的事业.
“We aim to be the bank for all—and we really mean for everyone when we say that, so we have programs to support small business owners who might have historically been systematically excluded from traditional banking,黄说.
Wong and Agustin’s passion for “dog goods that do good” extends to ecological sustainability as well. 他们采购可回收资源, 回收, or renewable materials—including ropes donated from local climbing gyms — to make their products. 陷入困境还有一个玩具回收项目, and 99 percent of the used doggie toys they collect get composted.
王家卫和奥古斯丁, the hard work of steering a startup is made easier by their robust friendship, 共同愿景, 以及对救援幼崽的爱, 迈尔斯和奥利. 在黄和12bet官方的帮助下, 陷入困境 has the financial support to navigate the challenges of scaling. This support ranges from helping them manage their cashflow—just in time to stock up on inventory for the holidays—to dealing with the growing pains that come with rising demand.
陷入困境 proves that business success and social responsibility can coexist. Wong and Agustin have built their brand around empowering women artisans, showing how ingenuity and empathy can create ripple effects that extend far beyond profit margins. 在一个经常浪费的世界里, 它们防止材料进入垃圾填埋场, giving otherwise discarded objects a second life as cherished pet products.
“It’s very affirming to take our dogs to the park and see all the other dogs wearing our collars and 皮带 and knowing that we’re connecting with the community,奥古斯丁说.
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