Pass The Pen: Hannah Skvarla
Hi Happy Placers,
I am so grateful to my friends Kate Gordon and JoAnna Garcia Swisher for their generosity and inviting me to be a guest contributor to The Happy Place today.
It’s wonderful to meet you all (virtually!). I’m Hannah Skvarla, co-founder and CEO of The Little Market, which is a mission-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing dignified work to underserved women. As a fair trade shop, we ethically purchase handmade goods from artisan groups and social enterprises all around the world. As a community, we strive to break the cycle of poverty and support a better future for people in the most vulnerable communities.
In honor of our seventh anniversary coming up this month, I wanted to share a little bit about our mission, how to pursue the causes we’re most passionate about, and how to shop with intention.
Where it All Began
Growing up, my parents taught me the importance of giving back. I had the opportunity to work and travel with inspiring nonprofits including American Jewish World Service and Human Rights Watch. These experiences shaped my life — I was motivated from a young age to make a positive difference using my time and skills.
I continued my travels and volunteer work through college, which is when I met my friend and The Little Market co-founder Lauren Conrad. We became close friends and each time I traveled to visit a nonprofit, I would come home and share my stories with her. In 2012, she asked me if she could join me on my next trip to connect with and learn more about charitable organizations that were focused on women. We planned a trip to Uganda and Tanzania to meet with nonprofits that were dedicated to empowering women and children.
We were inspired and wanted to create a sustainable way to support women and children in the most vulnerable communities. We wanted to find the most impactful way for us to use Lauren’s background in business and fashion and my background in nonprofits and human rights to give back. We asked for advice from experts in human rights, international development, and fair trade, and we outlined a plan to launch an online store to connect artisans in vulnerable communities to a larger audience. We launched The Little Market in October 2013.
We started our first year by ethically purchasing handmade goods from eight artisan groups in five countries and have since grown to ethically purchase products from more than 65 artisan groups and social enterprises across over 25 countries. We work with groups locally here in Downtown Los Angeles, in the United States, and globally. We measure our impact in terms of the number of people we can help. The more products we purchase, the more dignified income opportunities we support and the greater an impact we have. Since 2013, The Little Market has ethically purchased 304,743 units, which represent more than 1 million hours of dignified work.
Growing our collection has truly been a labor of love — we carry everything from candles and spa goods to bags and accessories to ready-made gift sets for every occasion. We work with individuals in underrepresented groups including people rising above poverty, people who have experienced homelesseness, survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, and refugees and resettled individuals.
We are so thankful for the community we are growing at The Little Market, from the network of artisan groups to the dedicated conscious shoppers.
Gifts That Give Back
Our mission year-round is to give back, create positive change, and empower women in under-resourced communities. Here are a few tips and small changes we can all incorporate to get involved in the fair trade space and shop purposefully.
The purchases and donations we make carry power. I like to think of shopping like casting a vote with my dollars. When you shop, keep an eye out for labels including the Fair Trade Federation, Fairtrade International, and Fair Trade USA logos on packaging so you know the person who made the product was paid properly and treated right. It’s important to me to purchase fair trade gifts to give loved ones, knowing that I’m treating my family and friends while supporting the producers who made the pieces by hand. I believe that it is important to shop consciously and with intention.
Every product we carry at The Little Market has a meaningful story behind it — the story of the maker and the technique used to make the product. We practice fair trade principles to ensure artisan groups and social enterprises are paid fairly, work in safe, empowering environments, and have access to a larger marketplace. We believe each of our voices and platforms can make an impact and raise awareness around human rights and social justice.
We see first-hand the benefits of shopping ethically and learning more about the artisans and producers’ stories. According to The United Nations, when women work, they invest 90 percent of their income back into their families. When they earn a sustainable income, they can purchase nutritious food, cleaner drinking water, and better healthcare. They can send both their sons and their daughters to school to receive a higher quality of education. They can feel empowered to participate in decision-making processes. Investing in women means investing in families and communities at-large.
Shopping small, putting people and our planet first, and celebrating the uniqueness of handmade goods can make a meaningful difference — in your life, in the life of the recipient, and in the life of the person who crafted each piece.
How to Get Started
We created The Little Market to empower women around the world. I’m often asked for advice on how to pursue causes that are close to your heart — from who to ask for advice to how to get started.
Lauren and I have leaned on each other and relied on the guidance of our mentors and experts in the human rights space. Every day, we are so grateful for their continued support and what they’ve taught us. I always encourage others to network and build a strong community you can count on as well — our work would not be possible without uplifting women like JoAnna and Kate and our friends and family who have guided us on this journey. It’s also important to seek out experience in the field you’re interested in. My time with charitable organizations like Human Rights Watch was invaluable and continues to play a huge role in my everyday life.
I’m so grateful for the village behind The Little Market and am looking forward to what’s to come! Together, we can create a more peaceful, just world in which everyone’s human rights are recognized, regardless of background or any identifying factors.
Thank you to The Happy Place community for inviting me to contribute today! Now more than ever before, your support of The Little Market and our nonprofit mission is crucial.