How did Brandaid choose Haiti as a place to focus on?
Brandaid Project chose Haiti as a place to debut our work because Haiti is an extraordinarily creative culture. Haitians are almost supernaturally artistic. Within an environment of extreme scarcity they produce aesthetic miracles and make beautiful things from materials you and I would throw away. This talent is the foundation for launching branded products into the global marketplace. What advantage does the involvement of Hollywood celebrities give you over other social enterprises? Hollywood celebrities are like ambassadors. When they speak, people notice. The support from a popular actor creates momentum from something I’ve heard called “Buzz.” This led to Vanity Fair magazine taking an interest in Brandaid. That sort of publicity gets your model in the public consciousness. What role do artisans play in Haiti’s economy in general? Why not focus on young scientists, for example? Artisans are the backbone of the Haitian economy. Like most poor countries, it is a handmade economy wh
