Description
Not only are they the unwilling subjects of hatred at home and suspicion at their destination, refugees and immigrants face some of the most disorienting experiences that humans can have. Often in a matter of days or weeks, their reality shifts from relative safety to catastrophic risk as they fly from peril or strike out in hope of something new.
Instead of just policy debates, we're interested in building ventures that actively help individual people and families going through these experiences, including transition safety, job provision, shelter, education and more. We’re also seeking ventures that help refugees and immigrants adapt and contribute to a new culture without losing their own.
In today’s commercially-driven world people are more likely to be seen and referred to as 'consumers' than anything else. Instead of being met with resistance, this shift has often meant that individuals have formed their identity through a composite of brands, and product purchasing can be guided more by the desire to make a statement about one’s identity and values than strict utility. As a result, the lines between social movement, capitalism, and community are increasingly blurry (see: Nike, Whole Foods, and Patagonia).
Given this reality (which is with us for both better and worse), we’d like to support entrepreneurs with a vision for building brands with a counter-culturally virtuous and optimistic view of the world, spreading hope and beauty, eliminating stigma, and most fundamentally, redirecting our identity away from materialistic consumption and toward lasting contentment.
