AMDP Proposal Draft

 TO: Clark Hansen, CEO, AMDP

FROM: Samantha Pape, Research and Development, AMDP

DATE: March 11, 2022

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Invest in Hope Sews


As a member of the Research and Development team with AMDP, I am well versed in finding business opportunities that do not just prioritize profitability, but also social responsibility and sustainability. That being said, I highly recommend investing in Hope Sews, an organization dedicated to sustainable fashion and developing entrepreneurial skills in women in other countries. 



AMDP Standards 

In determining potential investment opportunities, it is important that organizations are evaluated in accordance with AMDP’s standards. 

  • Triple Bottom Line: companies that adhere to the triple bottom line standard are committed to valuing profits, as well as social and environmental impacts it makes as it operates

  • Corporate Social Responsibility: the level to which a business or organization holds itself accountable for the impacts it makes as it operates

  • Social Enterprise: a business that looks to achieving the triple bottom line by investing their profits into making beneficial social and environmental impacts 

  • Carbon Footprint: total greenhouse gasses emitted by a company, directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is measured by adding up all emissions that resulted from any stage of production of a product. It is important to decrease your carbon footprint to reduce the effects of climate change and create a cleaner environment.  



An Award Winning Fashion Brand  


Hope Sews is a sustainable, cross-cultural fashion brand that launched in January of 2018 under founder Maya Mutalik. The founder, still in college at the time and studying Social Entrepreneurship, was browsing traditional fabrics in Ghana when she met a woman named Vida. As they spoke about their mutual love for entrepreneurship, Maya learned that Vida was struggling to expand her fashion business because of a lack of electric sewing machines. This inspired Maya to create a sustainable clothing brand using authentic African fabrics. From there, portions of profits would go to micro-financing the loans of seamstresses in Ghana to aid them in expanding their businesses.  


After its launch, Hope Sews has been highly regarded by people within the fashion industry. It has been considered to have a “banner year in Boston’s innovation economy.” It has also won Steve Madden’s Fashion Forward Showcase, as well as been featured in an article focusing on top social entrepreneurs to look out for. 


Though financials of Hope Sews have not been released or much discussed, there are a few factors to consider in terms of its financial viability. They operate with enough revenue to allow them to put 5-10% of their profit to seamstresses in Africa as an aid in their entrepreneurial development. As a company, they were able to micro-finance their first loan after a year of operation. While they had to pause production and operations because of COVID-19, their past launches have completely sold out. 



And an Award Winning Social Impact Mission


While winning awards for its fashion prowess, Hope Sews has also been acclaimed for its social impact by winning the B-Seed Social Impact Pitch Competition. With Hope Sews, Maya looks to revolutionize an industry famous for exploitative labor and negative environmental impacts. Since helping Vida, Hope Sews has launched the Volta Project. This joint project with the Alliance for African Women Initiative assists female entrepreneurs in African countries in micro-financing loans and provides financial training and health workshops while emphasizing the importance of gender equality. 


While working hard to establish themselves as a successful fashion brand, Hope Sews has made it a well known priority to also focus on their social responsibility. They don’t believe in mutual exclusivity. 



According to the Industry


Hope Sews launched at a time where “fashion companies are increasingly urged by their stakeholders, such as the government, their customers and the public groups, to mitigate environmental impacts.” According to the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, there are multiple factors that sustainable fashion companies should consider. The first is the importance of internet retail, which Hope Sews operates with exclusively. Next, companies should consider psychological effects on consumers and provide information about what makes their brand eco-friendly and ethical. All of this information is explicitly outlined on Hope Sews website. These factors positively influence consumption decisions in regards to sustainable fashion, and it is beneficial that Hope Sews adheres to these guidelines as they hope to grow their business and outreach. 


The amount of press that Hope Sews has received also signals their expected impact on the fashion industry as a social business. Hope Sews has been featured at the Michigan Fashion Media Summit, a premier fashion platform that showcases elite up-and-coming talent within the industry. The summit follows a competitive application process to be featured in the student showcase, and Hope Sews has an even more impressive story of its status at the summit. Hand-selected by Steve Madden, Hope Sews was featured as a “top example of leading the generation not only as [a] fashion icon, but also as [an] innovator.” This is high praise from a leading brand in the fashion industry and Steve Madden clearly sees the potential of Hope Sews as it continues to grow. 



Investment Recommendation

As AMDP looks to invest in the next round of companies that prioritize the triple bottom line, my research has led me to Hope Sews and its sustainable fashion and interest in community building. While operations have been limited due the the COVID-19 pandemic, they look to take on new challenges in the future and increase their globalization, while Maya hopes to increase her knowledge of the industry by traveling to Asia and becoming acquainted with textiles. While there is a long road ahead of Hope Sews, it was truly said best in the words of the founder herself -- “inexperience is the greatest qualification for innovation.” 

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