Helium: Red Earth Trading Co.

by Robot Balloon

As the business grows, we often find ourselves slipping into complication and inefficiency. Our HELIUM SERIES is aimed to feature entrepreneurs that inspire us with simple, creative ideas for smart business practices.

Red Earth Trading Co. Store Front in Kansas City

What is Red Earth Trading Co.? 

Edwin Ortiz: RED EARTH TRADING CO. is a handmade jewelry company that specializes in products made in East Africa. All of our products are purchased directly from the people who make them. At the end of the year, after we reinvest into the company, all of our profits go to sustain the work of Know Think Act. KNOW THINK ACT is a web based platform that allows people to connect with needs in Kenya and Uganda with the confidence that 100% of their donations go to the specific need. 

What is your role with Red Earth? 

My title is Live Events Director, however I am currently the only salaried full time employee of Red Earth Trading Co. and handle most of the day to day operations. 

Tell me about the "Pop-Up Store" model? 

We see our Pop-Up Stores as a form of advertisement that directly creates revenue. We come to a city and do a large amount of person to person marketing. This allows us to tell our story in the most direct manner possible– from a person who wholly understands the concept. This also allows customers to see/feel our product and its quality as well as the aesthetic that our company maintains. These stores create excitement, not only for Red Earth but also for community minded people who live in these areas. 

How has the response been to the "Pop-Up" model? 

Being an unorthodox method of retail. the stores are normally met with a certain amount of curiosity. Also, I feel that people get excited to see a company that runs with this newer approach to economic and community development. Although, being such a small company, it takes a lot of work to get people through the door. However, people seem to love what we are doing once they see our products and hear our story. 

What is the biggest challenge to this model? 

I think that getting the word out is our biggest hurdle. And that takes a lot of leg work on our part, along with finding champions in the press world for each city. I can't say we've succeeded yet, but we're well on our way. 

What country are your artisans from? How do you find them?

Most of our ARTISANS come from Kenya and Uganda. More specifically Nairobi, Mombassa Kenya and a small village called Kaihura in Uganda. All of our artisans were found by finding quality products at the various markets in those cities and chasing down leads to the source of the actual manufacturers. Once we see how are these products are being made, and who is making them, we develop relationships in the hopes of working with them in the long term. As of now we have 9 artisans, all of which we know personally. We have been to their shops and know their staff. A big part of what we do is making sure that we are helping develop them as entrepreneurs and enabling them to understand what it takes to produce on a global scale.   

"...community development works best from the inside out, with us seeing the difference and them living it."

How do you get the items to America?

Well, in the past we have tried many different methods, but what seems to work best is to be on the ground untill production is over and carry them as a team with us when we fly back to The States. This may seem like a hassle, but its the only way to insure all of our items can make it safely and swiftly through customs. 

How has your work impacted the people of Kenya?

The impact we make is twofold– not only are we creating revenue for our artisans from a new source, and helping them establish themselves as business owners in their respective communities, allowing them to employ others and help them get out of poverty, but our profits also sustain the work of Know Think Act. Everything that Know Think Act does is enacted by locals. Locals build the wells, take care of the orphans, build the schools. We feel that community development works best from the inside out, with us seeing the difference and them living it. 

Do you think this nonprofit model could be replicated in America, working to find artisans in poverty stricken areas?

I fully believe that we can take this model and put it to work in low income communities. I personally believe that every community in the US has something great to offer. If we can find a way to make that thing viable to everyone in that city, they could change the landscape of these poverty stricken areas. However, it takes a lot of work and dedication to the preservation of its uniqueness and the people behind it. 

What type of American artisan do you think could work within this model?

Honestly, I feel that any artisan has value. I do feel that the easiest would be food. Every community has its own fare, and that you cannot replicate too easily. They come with traditions, and secrets and a built in fan base. 

Have you seen this in other cities?

I do not have to look too far away from my own community (Nashville, TN) and the growing popularity of its "Hot Chicken", to see that we can help develop revenue and growth from something that has been around for longer than myself. 

Can you describe a few of your favorite items Red Earth carries?

I personally wear one of our MAASAI STRETCH BEADED BRACELETS everyday. I think its a classic bracelet that fits our time and reminds me of my time in Africa. Its also a great item to wear with any style of outfit, being workwear or dress wear. I also love our BELTS, with hand cast brass buckles and a rugged leather that's both classic and unique. But my all time favorite is our PANTHERA LEO RING; its definitely a show piece that I fell in love with after personally seeing it being hand cast at out brass artisan's (RAYMOND) shop in a small village outside of Nairobi called Karen. 

If there was a popular retailer that would be a good fit to carry your items, who would it be?

I think we could hold up to a lot of different lines in some of the larger retailers, however I feel we would fit the aesthetic of a company like Anthropology or Free People. 

Why aren't you wanting to get your jewelry into some of these larger retailer stores?

I think that where we are as a company, our production methods aren't prepared for what it would take to sell to a larger retailer. Not to mention that we feel our branding and story are too important to put into others' hands. Thats not to say that we wouldn't consider that in the not-so-distant future, but for now we would like to grow on our own.

As your artisans become more popular, what does the future hold for them?

I believe that as we grow they will grow with us. I feel that the benefit for them will be to be able to not only sell to us, but to many different companies across the world. This will intern create jobs and revenue that these communities didn't have before and desperately need.

RED EARTH TRADING CO. Website    |    Photography by SCOUT VISUAL