Mercado Global Inc

Rural entrepreneurs leadership training programin conjunction with our economic empowerment program, our community-based rural entrepreneursleadership training program helps rural artisans gain the skills they need to build successful businesses and lift their families out of poverty. Our leadership training classes are conducted in our partner communities and cover topics ranging from financial literacy to leadership skills, goal-setting, self-esteem and financial management for rural artisan entrepreneurs. Our in-house business training team provides courses in each of our partner communities for rural artisans, most of whom cannot read and write, and who are learning to navigate business-ownership for the first time.

Community partnerships programwe seek to build mutual understanding and facilitate cultural exhcange between artisan communities across the americas and our supporter communities in the united states. Through the community partnership programm, individuals from the u.s. Visit communities in guatemala to see the impact of their support. Likewise, our current and past staff, volunteers and supporters act as fair trade ambassadors within their communities in the u.s. Through speaking engagements, community events and other awareness-raising functions.

Design a difference programas pioneers in the ethical-sourcing movement within the fashion industry, we educate leading u.s.-based designers about responsible sourcing through our design a difference program. Designersfrom major u.s. Fashion houses come to our offices to work alongside our artisans and learnabout the impact that sustainable production has in these communities. In turn, the designersextend their expertise in product design and development directly to our artisans. Upon returningto the u.s., these designers are then able to share their knowledge and adopt sustainablepractices within their companies. In this way we are reaching the people and institutions on thecutting edge of industry with first-hand experience empowering communities through responsiblesourcing.