Contestant's Case to Win

Chi Chi Amor, Inc., is much more than a clothing line for children. Danielle O'Connor and Shari Feldman, met while working on their doctoral degrees in Cultural Anthropology. Both of them became mommies, and longed to stay connected to their life as anthropologists. We started Chi Chi Amor, as a way to keep us connected to our two shared passions: learning about world culture, and being mommies. Many of our items are made from pieces of the "huipil" and "corte", the traditional shirt (huipil) and skirt (corte), woven and worn by indigenous Mayan women of Guatemala. We work very closely with all of our producers in Guatemala, to collaborate on design, and to set fair prices for all of their work. On our trips to Guatemala, we spend much of our time at the second hand markets, searching for used hand-woven textiles that would make bright and colorful clothes for children. Additionally, we spend a significant amount of our time getting to know Chi Chi Amor artisans, and their families, so that we can always stay very connected to the economic and social struggles they face, which keeps us very connected and committed to the heart and soul they put into the incredible work they produce for Chi Chi Amor. We also work with a Mayan woman in a small village, who makes natural dyes from plants and seeds that she grows in her own, humble, backyard. Part of the proceeds we make from a sale are sent back to Guatemala to support various causes. We work with one organization based in Guatemala, called Pueblo a Pueblo (www.puebloapueblo.org), sponsoring children so that they can attend school with all of the necessary school materials, and also cover their lunch. We are also using some of our profit to help our natural dye artisan, Filomena, to raise enough money to be able to buy larger pots, so she can handle larger orders, as new business comes to her. Finally, on our annual, or bi-annual trips to Guatemala, we always ask for donations from our friends, neighbors and families, so that we can bring huge suitcases of dolls, school supplies and other requested basic needs, to the people with whom we work.

Why should we be considered as a winner of this competition? We believe there are many reasons that Chi Chi Amor should be considered as a winner of this competition. Danielle and I both feel that we have developed an extremely innovative, socially and ecologically, and globally conscious business idea. We see these different dimensions reflected in each sale we make. Practically every customer we've sold our products to has come back to us to learn more about the product. Where does it come from? How is it made? Who are the Mayan people? Where does the money go? We are able to proudly answer each of these questions. We are able to educate mothers, fathers, grandparents, and the Chi Chi Amor children, about the beauty and the long standing traditions of the ancient and contemporary indigenous peoples of Guatemala. We are also able to explain their struggles, by educating them about the weaving process, and why it is currently in jeopardy as a result of major recent shifts in the global economy. Women are unable to spend the months or years it takes to make one beautiful piece of clothing because they are often forced to spend their time in more lucrative ways. They are unable to pass down these traditions to their daughters, and as a result, so much of the Mayan way of life, that has persisted for hundreds of years, is getting lost at an unprecedented rate. This is not just the story of the Mayan people of Guatemala, but the story of indigenous peoples from all parts of the globe.

We LOVE our business model and our idea, and so do our customers. Many "green" companies, are green, simply because their product are organic, or destroy the environment less than other companies. We are "green" because we come at business through the most holistically conscientious avenue that we have yet to see...We connect with our artisans on a face-to-face basis, and spend equal amount of time promoting the incredible beauty and intricacy of the Mayan culture, as we do promoting our own business. Our business has so much potential for expansion, because we have committed so much to developing all aspects of Chi Chi Amor. We sell quality ecologically conscientious children's clothes, and we are involved in several different projects to ensure that a portion of each sale is returned directly to Guatemalan Mayan people in various ways. We have also maintained a relationship with the discipline of anthropology, for example, we recently submitted an article about our experience with this endeavor, to a prominent anthropological journal. Additionally, we are really fostering the artistic, one-of-a-kind aspect of our products and have invested in the supporting, not only artisans in Guatemala, but local artists, as well. Currently, we are growing a smaller line within our line, called "Chi Chi Amor by P$ynner". Danielle and I bring back textiles from Guatemala to the United States, and a very well established artist, Cindy Arriola "P$ynner" (www.psynner.com), repurposes these textiles, turning them into one-of-a-kind toys for children. This allows us to also show these beautiful accessories for moms and babies by participating in art exhibitions, which adds another dimension to this really cool business. Finally, and probably most obviously, Chi Chi Amor clothes are utterly adorable! There is nothing like us out there...