“This investment from Amplify Her Foundation fortifies our Training Institute, Business Incubator, and Worker-Owned Cooperative Development, expanding our capability to assist a broader spectrum of women in various capacities. These invaluable funds will drive our growth, allowing us to expand our support network for an increasingly diverse community of no/low-income and immigrant women. ”
Custom Collaborative trains, mentors, and advocates for and with no/low-income and immigrant women to build the skills necessary to achieve economic success in the sustainable fashion industry and broader society. Custom Collaborative programs equip women with tangible skills, from garment design and production to business management, fostering their expertise and confidence to excel in various fields, especially within the fashion industry.
GRANT PURPOSE & IMPACT
General operating support from the Amplify Her Foundation will sustain and enhance the organization’s core operations and key activities, primarily its Training Institute, Business Incubator, and Worker-Owned Cooperative Development programs.
Custom Collaborative’s Training Institute is a free, comprehensive 15-week program teaching the art, craft, and business of fashion. Their training includes extensive instruction in fashion business basics, including marketing, sourcing, ethical manufacturing, sustainability and personal finance.
Custom Collaborative’s Business Incubator program provides continued support and advancement for participants, as they begin to grow and scale their small businesses. Custom Collaborative builds participants’ capacity by providing personalized consulting, access to capital, and professional facilities and equipment to Training Institute graduates and other small/emerging businesses.
Lastly, their Worker-Owned Cooperative Development program educates participants and small businesses in participatory leadership and cooperative ownership. Because working collaboratively can expand income potential, Custom Collaborative develops employee-owned cooperative businesses, in support of equitable economic development, and ownership opportunities for all.
With support from the Amplify Her Foundation, Custom Collaborative will be able to serve 175 women in New York City, creating a highly-trained fashion workforce, impacting not only the local economy, but the fashion industry as a whole.
