Will You Stand For Fair Trade Fashion?

In this episode, we introduce you to Monica Rojas, founder of online retailer Belvele and fashionista on a mission to promote Fair Trade Certified clothing.

Guest Profiles

Monica Rojas, Founder, Belvele

Monica became fascinated with fashion at a young age. She has worked in the industry for 10 years in various roles, including management, merchandising, and buying. She became passionate about sustainable fashion in 2013, when the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse opened her eyes to the devastating effects of the fashion industry. She made a choice to shop more consciously and even learned to sew for herself. The lack of transparency in the industry and the struggle of finding beautiful ethical fashion inspired her to put her business background to work. In 2015, she launched Belvele, a carefully curated online boutique with a focus on design, craftsmanship, and sustainability.  

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Alice Liu, Ambassador
Analyst, MOTIV

Alice believes profit and purpose can be a powerful combination for creating solutions to the world's biggest challenges. She currently manages partner relationships and ecosystem development for MOTIV, an investment ecosystem for purpose-driven funds and entrepreneurs focused on sustainable food & ag, education, resource efficiency, financial inclusion, and health & wellness. Her past projects include building a National Geographic TV series, consulting for major fashion houses in New York, leading the 3,000 member environmental meetup San Francisco Green Drinks, and shaping storytelling for an award-winning homeless housing nonprofit. She thrives on bringing good people together, building and managing strategic partnerships, creating meaningful experiences and events, crafting narratives for mission-driven work, and celebrating the vibrancy and possibilities of life.

Episode Notes:

Sponsor messages donated to Fashion Revolution by The Ambassadors Circle

Episode image from https://jungmaven.com/ by a designer from Belvele

What’s the 411:

• Getting High-School Grads Into the Closed-Off World of Tech
• Women-Led Mosque to Open in Berkeley
• US history comes alive for SF students attending ‘Hamilton’
• Napa Country wins $11.3 million grant to combat homelessness
• San Jose is the nation’s most competitive housing market, says report
  
  

Time for Some Action:

• Google an article about the effects of “Fast Fashion” and share to your social networks
• Visit the website of one of the featured stores from Fashion Revolution’s Night Out
  Amour Vert x Soko, Timbuk2, Marine Layer, Alternative Apparel, Acote, Viscera
  Two Jack’s Denim, KOSA Arts, Show & Tell, Field Day & Friends, Werkshak
  
  

Extras:

• The Last Word by Jennifer L. Scott “The Ten Item Wardrobe” TEDX St. George
• True Cost Trailer
  
  

Production: Sound Design by Courtney Grace, Production Assistance by Jen Huynh with Hosts Becca, Christianne Harder and j-

360BayArea Intro Music by Courtney Grace with vocals by ElleT

Featured Music:
Marcos H “Beach House”
The French Connection “The French Connection”
Appearing “A Look Out”
Evolv “Where Were You”
KidRioBeats “2020”
Black Eyed Peas “Fashion Beats”
Griot “Everyday”

Featured Quick clips:
Mary J Blige “What’s the 411”
Drake ft Future “Grammys”
Redman “Time 4 sum Aktion”