Behind agriculture, artisan activity is the second-largest employer in the developing world. According to the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, “hundreds of thousands of people in the developing world, largely women, participate in the artisan sector. For many, their livelihood de- pends on income earned from their artisan activities.” In this episode Kate is joined by Jennifer Gootman, Vice President of Social Consciousness and Innovation at West Elm (Jennifer also serves as the Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for West Elm’s parent company, Williams Sonoma, Inc.) to discuss supply chain transparency, artisan sourcing and the role of commerce in supporting craft.
Behind agriculture, artisan activity is the second-largest employer in the developing world. According to the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, “hundreds of thousands of people in the developing world, largely women, participate in the artisan sector. For many, their livelihood de- pends on income earned from their artisan activities.” In this episode Kate is joined by Jennifer Gootman, Vice President of Social Consciousness and Innovation at West Elm (Jennifer also serves as the Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for West Elm’s parent company, Williams Sonoma, Inc.) to discuss supply chain transparency, artisan sourcing and the role of commerce in supporting craft.