Every time I come to work at Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, I get a daily dose of inspiration and hope. I consider this one of the perks of the job. The sheer scale of social impact by Miller Center Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI®) alumni is impressive and gives me hope that positive progress can prevail when it comes to addressing poverty. Another perk of the job is discovering the premium products from Miller Center social enterprise alumni. As the holiday season begins, we’ve curated an assortment of products from some of our alumni and compiled a gift guide from us to you. Click on any of the images below to be linked to the product page or continue to read below to learn more about each selection…and even some exclusive Miller Center friends and family savings! We hope this guide offers you some inspiration and hope knowing that you’re able to make a positive social impact this gift giving season.
1. 734 Coffee (CODE: MILLERCENT)
Coffee is almost an absolute staple here at Miller Center. 734 Coffee is providing a special offer on coffee beans for Miller Center friends and family! Purchase any medium roast coffee beans and receive 15% off all orders over $20 with the code MILLERCENT before December 7, 2018. Coffee from the Gambela region is lauded for its rich flavor—medium bodied with hints of caramel, spice and berries with a smokey chocolate aftertaste.
About 734 Coffee (Miller Center cohort: 2018 GSBI Social Entrepreneurship at the Margins)
734 Coffee is more than a number. It is a place of refuge. 7˚N 34˚E are the geographical coordinates for Gambela, a region in Ethiopia, where over 200,000 displaced South Sudanese citizens now live after fleeing war, atrocities, drought, and famine in South Sudan.
Our coffee is harvested by growers right in the Gambela region, and after it is brought to the US, 80% of sponsorship dollars go to educational scholarships for refugees of Sudan.
Our mission is simple: make great coffee for the greater good. With your support, we can make 7˚N 34˚E not the end of the story, but the start of something wonderful.
2. All Across Africa/KAZI Goods (CODE: MILLER30)
Looking for a new centerpiece for your coffee table? Check out the lovely handwoven Small Lake + Peach Pink Hope Basket from KAZI Goods. Enjoy 30% off this basket with the code MILLER30. Baskets carry their own symbolism in Rwanda because friends give them to celebrate major life events such as weddings, births and graduations, baskets are proudly displayed as symbols of wealth of friends, family and life. The sunburst pattern on these baskets is known as the “hope” design. Reflected on the Rwandan flag, this sunburst images stands for the county’s collective hope for a new dawn and brighter future. This design means a lot to the weavers as each basket they sell increases their chances for a better life.
About All Across Africa/KAZI (Miller Center cohorts: 2016 GSBI In-residence Accelerator, 2018 GSBI TECh)
We endeavor to bring to life your vision of home and style with artful craftsmanship that does good.
When you purchase and enjoy our handcrafted goods, you are creating opportunities for men and women across Africa to thrive. It’s that simple. Inspired living, opportunities to thrive. Go ahead, take in your love for the world every day and share in the delight of connecting with African artisans. It’s what we do every day at KAZI.
Our business model reaches deep into rural villages in the developing world and provides training and fair wage jobs that restore dignity and promote self-sufficiency—we see it as the way forward for sustainable development in Africa.
3. Kiva
This holiday, create hope around the world by giving Kiva Cards. For just $25, your loved ones can make a loan in the country of their choice and extend a hand to entrepreneurs and those in need. When those loans are repaid, they can use their funds again and again to make an even greater impact. Best of all, Kiva Cards can be emailed or printed at home, so you know they’ll arrive on time.
About Kiva (Miller Center cohort: 2006 GSBI In-Residence Accelerator)
Millions of lenders have come together to support entrepreneurs, farmers and students around the world on Kiva.org, collectively funding more than $1.2 billion in impactful loans.
4. Rebel Nell
A perfect gift for the fashion forward and socially conscious person on your list, Rebel Nell’s Sterling Silver Post Drop earrings are handcrafted, one-of-a-kind pieces made out of repurposed layers of fallen graffiti paint. The earrings are crafted in Detroit, Michigan and have a sterling silver bezel and backing, as well as resin and graffiti paint. Every piece sold directly supports the women employed at Rebel Nell. These earrings are priced at $80 and are available online.
About Rebel Nell (Miller Center cohort: 2016 GSBI Online Accelerator)
Rebel Nell exists to employ, educate, and empower women transitioning out of homelessness in Detroit. We repurpose fallen graffiti, revealing the beauty underneath each layer. Forged through fierce determination, our jewelry is a testament to the woman who created it.
5. Relevée
Relevée’s Icon earrings represent the label’s geometric approach to style with a hidden meaning inside the symbolic design. In ethically-sourced recycled Sterling Silver, these earrings have a sleek design, with an arrow pointing upwards encompassing the meaning behind Relevée—“to rise”. This upscale gift is priced at $85 and makes a beautiful gift for the sophisticated someone on your list.
About Relevée (Miller Center cohort: 2018 GSBI Social Entrepreneurship at the Margins)
Relevée is an international socially conscious fine jewelry brand. Our mission is to empower women through beautiful designs that elevate not only the wearer and beholder but the designers themselves. Our passionate jewelry team is guided with the ideology of “feeling beautiful inside and out”. In part, our collection is inspired by purposeful designs featuring classic meets modern, day-to-evening styles that are foundational pieces in your personal jewelry collection. Every Relevée piece is simple and elegant with extraordinary attention to details. With precious materials strictly chosen through ethical channels and a global initiative to uplift the world’s most marginalized women, we aim to deliver nothing less than perfect to our customers. Inspiring beauty inside and out.
6. Someone Somewhere (CODE: MILLER CENTER FRIENDS)
This holiday you can expand your wardrobe while supporting artisans from Mexico’s five poorest states. Someone Somewhere’s Confetti t-shirt pictured above is a playful cotton t-shirt with hand embroidered details made by artisans from the Northern Sierra of Puebla, Mexico. This is a great and impactful gift for both men and women. The retail price is $37 but with the special code MILLER CENTER FRIENDS, you can purchase this whimsical piece for $33!
About Someone Somewhere (Miller Center cohort: 2017 GSBI In-residence Accelerator)
Someone Somewhere works with hundreds of indigenous artisans, combining their traditional handcrafts with products that are carefully designed for the modern world. Each product is hand signed by the artisan involved in its creation. Click here to learn more.
7. Moringa Connect/True Moringa (CODE: MILLERCENTER15)
This holiday season, think global and shop local with a collection of True Moringa’s favorite Boston-based brands that care deeply about ethical and sustainable sourcing from around the world. Each Holiday Gift Box includes Taza Chocolate’s Peppermint Dark Bark, your choice of MEM Tea’s Moroccan Mint or Lemon Chamomile Tea, and the signature True Moringa Oil for Face, Body and Hair. This gift box is regularly priced at $35, but you can receive 15% off and free shipping in the U.S. using the code MILLERCENTER15.
About True Moringa (Miller Center cohort: 2017 GSBI In-residence Accelerator)
True Moringa works directly with over three thousand small farming families throughout Ghana to cultivate our cold-pressed moringa oil. To date, we have planted over two million moringa trees.
8. Yellow Leaf Hammocks (CODE: MILLERCENTER)
If you visit our Miller Center office on the Santa Clara University campus, you’ll discover that we have three comfy hammocks from Yellow Leaf Hammocks set up in our Innovation Space. They are the softest, most comfortable hammocks I’ve ever had the opportunity to lounge in. Now you can get your very own with a 20% savings using the code MILLERCENTER until December 17, 2018. The Montauk hammock, which is featured above, is one of Yellow Leaf Hammocks’ best-selling products at a great gifting price-point!
About Yellow Leaf Hammocks (Miller Center cohort: 2017 GSBI In-residence Accelerator)
Yellow Leaf Hammocks is breaking the cycle of extreme poverty through sustainable job creation. Our artisan weavers and their families were previously trapped in extreme poverty and debt slavery. Now they are empowered to earn a stable, healthy income through dignified work (we call this a “prosperity wage”). This is the basis for a brighter future, built on a hand up, not a handout.
9. Vega Coffee (CODE: MillerCenter)
Vega Coffee’s roast sampler is the perfect gift for office colleagues, party hosts, and any coffee lover in your life. You will receive four 6 oz bags of exclusive, curated coffees, one in each level of roast. The four bags of coffee will represent a range of high-quality microlots from Nicaragua and Colombia, making it the perfect gift for anyone who drinks coffee (everybody?). The price is $30 and comes with a note card and information about the farmers that grow the coffee. Enter code MillerCenter for 20% off any item purchased on the website!
About Vega Coffee (Miller Center cohort: 2017 GSBI In-residence Accelerator)
Vega Coffee reinvents the traditional coffee supply chain by empowering women farmers to earn four times more than through typical export channels. Vega connects farming communities who roast their own coffee to customers worldwide.
