I’m very excited to introduce the next installment the Driven series today. I hope you’re inspired by this as I am!
Suzanne McKenzie recently launched Able Made, a shopping experience that impacts other people’s lives. Think of it as a shop where each product gives back to a specific social cause, equipping people with tools to make them more able.
Able Made partners with designers to create exclusive products that support an organization dear to the designer’s heart. A portion of each product sold goes towards supporting that organization. The brand also offers Able Made Select, curated products that already exist and follow a give back model.
Bracelets from Jessica Hendricks’ The Brave Collection help survivors of human trafficking in Cambodia. Public School tote bags, designed by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osbourne, help educate children in developing countries. Hoodies from FEED Projects provided meals to New Yorkers affected by Hurricane Sandy. (FEED is an example of an Able Made Select Product).
Each Able Made Exclusive product is limited-run, which allows Able Made to tangibly quantify how the particular social cause is helped. The goal is for consumers to see exactly how their purchase has impacted others.
What inspired you to start Able Made?
My late husband was very involved in soccer. It was his passion – he played and coached it, watched and studied it; lived it everyday. His gift was not only making his teammates and players better at soccer, but it was also helping them reach their goals as individuals off the field. He coached high school varsity at Newton North High School and an inner city youth team in Boston.
When he unexpectedly passed away of sudden cardiac arrest playing the game he loved, in his honor, I started a foundation to provide soccer and health clinics for inner city youth in the area. I created an apparel line and poster calendar, and through the sales of those design pieces, we were able to fund the foundation for 3 years. As a designer, I’ve always believed design can make social impact and in the power of partnership, but this experience really confirmed it for me in a very personal way.
While in New York City cultivating new partnerships, I had the idea to build one platform that not only would create products to help fund Ucal’s foundation, but that could help other social initiatives as well. And from there, Able Made was created.
What are some hurdles you’ve encountered along the way?
I’ve built my business from a creative concept, versus starting with a business plan. With this non-traditional manner, I ended up creating the retail model around a brand, as opposed to with margins and numbers. It was challenging but really
rewarding in the end. And I’ve been really lucky to have support from people who believed in the idea and in the possibilities that Able Made could offer, even when I just had rough concept sketches. Taylor Writing, IDEO, and Launch Collective, as well as an amazing advisory board and many friends along the way, have all made Able Made possible.
Suzanne talks about:
-what Able Made stands for
Our end goal is to support charitable causes and initiatives through the sale of Exclusive and Select designer goods. Our Able Made Exclusive products are limited-run, so we can tangibly quantify what we did with the proceeds of the collaboration. For instance, the Able Made x Public School Lobo Tote collaboration gives 120 children a year of education through Pencils of Promise.
And Able Made Select products each give back in a specific way that is also quantifiable and easy for the customer to understand. One FEED hoodie provides 25 meals to those recovering from Hurricane Sandy.
-storytelling
We’re a storytelling brand. We want our consumers to know about our process. It serves as a tool to educate people about the designer, the social cause they support and the making-of the product.
-how Able Made chooses designers to partner with
We identify social entrepreneurs and brands who have an existing product and already give back to a cause, and collaborate on an exclusive product for the Able Made. Or, if we really love one of their existing products, we offer it as an Able Made
Select. We also are excited to work with brands and designers who are new to the give back model, and match them with an organization that they would like to support.
-the Able Made Exclusive product design process
It’s a fully collaborative process between the designer and Able Made. We start off with the designer’s passion and story, and develop a product from that. One of my favorite parts of the process is sitting down with the designers and talking about what kind of product is going to be created. At times, we choose to stay true to what they already do best, an iconic piece from the brand. For example, our Brave Collection piece was a bracelet, which is what they are known best for. But sometimes, we try something completely new. With Public School, they decided to design a tote for us, and bags are something new for them as a brand. In both cases, we offer something exclusive about the product, through materials, and design – it gives the consumer something new and exciting to discover.
-responsibility
Our Able Made team is accountable for every step of the process: from how it’s made, to where we source our materials and labor, transportation, and how the money raised is spent.
So we aim to be as thoughtful as we can. For instance, having fair trade artisans create products, helping create jobs in communities, choosing sustainable materials, or finding an environmental way to transport products so that we create the least amount of pollution. And of course, making sure that what impact we identify is quantifiable so people know what they are supporting by buying a specific product. After a goal is reached, we show our customers through film and imagery how they helped others become more able.
what’s up next for Able Made?
We have a number of exciting partnerships launching, including our global t-shirt design challenge with Threadless to support music education in the U.S. through the VH1′s Save the Music Foundation.
And we are also launching an event series, and creating actionable content with thought leaders in different arenas. Everything we do as a brand is social impact and action-oriented.
To learn more about Able Made and to shop for a cause, go to their website, or check them out on Facebook and twitter.
Thanks, Suzanne for being a part of the Driven series. I’m so excited to hear how Able Made is picking up speed, and wish you all the best!
