Executive Summary
Kate Spade & Company recruited 150 talented women artisans in the small Rwandan community of Masoro in 2013 and helped them create a worker-owned, for-profit social enterprise. The Rwandan facility is now a supplier for Kate Spade & Company, known for its chic handbags and other merchandise.
Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business – in partnership with the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace & Security (GIWPS) – assessed the innovative supply chain model and found it has empowered the women of Masoro economically, socially and psychologically.
“Kate Spade’s work in Rwanda is showing that it is possible to transform and empower a marginalized community through a business investment,” said Ambassador Melanne Verveer, executive director of GIWPS.
Soule, E., Tinsley, C., Rivoli, P. (2017). A Social Enterprise Link in a Global Value Chain: Performance and Potential of a New Supplier Model. Georgetown University Women’s Leadership Institute, Georgetown University, Washington, DC. Retrieved from: http://womensleadershipinstitute.georgetown.domains/on-purpose-kate-spade/