Early in his life, our founder, Ralph Schwaninger, had been motivated to help people in need. Through various life experiences, he became increasingly aware of the harsh realities of human trafficking and labor exploitation, which deeply impacted him. This awareness along with his background in software engineering, were the catalysts to creating and launching an online marketplace for ethical fashion brands and fair trade products.

Heather Schwaninger lived and worked in Cambodia for several years. Early on, much of her clothing was made by local seamstresses using traditional fabrics. By 2009, she saw the landscape change—fast fashion and secondhand imports had taken over many of the local markets. During her time in Cambodia, she also worked as a counselor, often witnessing firsthand the toll poverty and exploitation takes on the human soul. These experiences motivate her to work to change the norms that accept labor exploitation and to help people easily access ethically made products.