In my early twenties, I was bright-eyed and adventurous. So, I did what any young woman should do and I traveled. To Uganda, China, Laos, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico, and on and on. At one point I found myself on a rickshaw adventure race during a jaunt in India...but that's another story!

Through those years I played and I learned. Naturally, my relationship with the earth and people changed. A deep love emerged with a sense of duty to preserve life, our ancestral knowledge, and the biodiversity that sustains us.

In the winter of 2013 I moved to New York City. I found a tiny walk-up apartment in the East Village and wiggled myself into the fashion industry. I assisted designers, styled photoshoots, produced fashion shows, and even worked for Bono’s fashion house, EDUN. New York was my expansion. The place that showed me the goodness that comes from creative creation.

Living on Lake Atitlan, I began a deep study of textiles and craft techniques. Eventually, I took a hopeful risk and started employing indigenous women to weave children's clothes by hand. There was a wealth of talent around me, a need for jobs, and I felt that this could be a way to make beautiful products in a better way.

Sticks is the result of my ongoing journey to reshape the fashion industry while committing to environmental and social good. I am working to balance play and learning, have fun while doing better, and commit to nourishment for people and our planet.

In October 2018, the humble efforts of our work in Guatemala took root, and Chip and Joanna Gains became the first investors of Sticks.