Ali Hewson, co-founder of Edun Apparel Ltd. and the wife of U2 musician Bono, speaks with other company executives Wednesday at Hall Auditorium. (Michael Pickering)
Partnering with business executives and humanitarian efforts across the globe, Miami University students from the Richard T. Farmer School of Business Center for Social Entrepreneurship unveiled a plan Wednesday for the newly created business, Edun LIVE on Campus.
This puts Miami students at the heart of first collegiate program to work with Edun LIVE, a subsidiary of Edun Apparel Ltd., which employs workers in sub-Saharan Africa to produce blank T-shirts that can then be ordered by any business or organization for custom screen-printing.
In a packed Hall Auditorium Wednesday afternoon, Edun LIVE executives explained the history of the company and its main mission - to help those in impoverished countries.
"No matter how much outpouring of aid there is, the African people want to work and have employment," said Ali Hewson, co-founder of Edun Apparel and the wife of U2 musician, Bono. "Trade is essential in dealing with poverty. The African people don't want to be dependent on handouts."
Prior to the public presentation, Miami students involved with Edun LIVE on Campus met with Edun LIVE executives to present a business plan and strategize for the future. The pilot program for Edun LIVE on Campus was formed in September of 2006 by the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Miami by approximately 12 students.
Edun LIVE on Campus will serve as a link between Edun LIVE and universities who want to sell the brand of clothing, and members hope to spread it to college campuses nationwide in the future.
"We wanted to start this pilot program and penetrate the college market," said senior Andy Mitchelides, president of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship. "Basically we wanted to put together a 'cookbook for success' that could be used by other schools."
Edun LIVE's goal is developing sustainable employment opportunities for workers in developing countries, according to CEO Christian Kemp-Griffin.
Currently less than 2 percent of the world's trade business is in Africa. Edun LIVE not only endeavors to bring jobs to locations such as Lesotho, Africa, but also to keep the entire manufacturing process in the area with a "grower to sewer" mentality.
"Our goals are very clear," Kemp-Griffin said. "We want to develop our business and we want the opportunity to tell our story, to teach our model of socially conscious business."
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Edun LIVE representatives said they were excited about the new partnership with Miami students.
"College students are fantastic consumers and early trendsetters," Kemp-Griffin said.
Brett Smith, instructor of entrepreneurship at Miami, is also excited about what the partnership means for the recently created Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
"We're just beginning, just scratching the surface," Smith said. "It's a shining example of social entrepreneurship, you create change at so many levels and this is a wonderful first step."
Smith initially came with the idea for a partnership when he found Edun LIVE's Web site and saw that the business was looking for opportunities to expand. After e-mail correspondence, students from the Center for Social Entrepreneurship adopted the cause as the avenue for a real-life business venture.
So far Edun LIVE on Campus is already building business. Since operation began in October, the group has secured 24 orders, totaling more than 2,600 T-shirts from groups such as Associated Student Government, Program Board, Greek organizations, and Miami athletics.
"It's been unique because we don't have a store - our store is our apartments or dorms," Mitchelides said. Everything is done through e-mail."
President David Hodge said that the creation of Edun LIVE on Campus serves as an educational opportunity for students in multiple ways.
"I think it's fantastic because of the fact that it has potential to make a difference to the people of Africa and because it is also about students understanding the power they have," Hodge said. "This is smart education. They have learned so much about how to be an entrepreneur."
For Mitchelides, the humanitarian benefit resonates the loudest.
"It pushes students to be socially conscious," Mitchelides said. "T-shirts aside, it's about helping people."
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