Last updated on 22/10/2017
Ashley initiated The Shine project as a non-profit organization to help young individuals get the education they deserved.
To sustain the project and take it to the next level she started Threads, a cause driven business that employs at-risk youth and teaches them the leadership skills needed to thrive in today’s job market.
We interviewed Ashley to find out what social entrepreneurship means to her.
We teach them important business skills and guide them to become successful community leaders
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you get involved with clothing and jewelry?
I’m Ashley, a 27 year old entrepreneur living in Phoenix, AZ. I always knew I wanted to help people the rest of my life, and after doing an internship at an inner city high school 3 years ago I fell in love with the kids I was teaching and wanted to help them. During that time I had started a blog, The Shine Project, which had grown really quickly. I decided to use my blog to raise money to send the youth to college. Last year, after becoming frustrated with grant money, I knew I needed to create my own business that I could use to employ the youth I was helping.
What is The Shine Project and Threads? What is the idea behind it?
The Shine Project’s purpose is to inspire you to live the highest quality of life obtainable, and to motivate you to join our efforts in making this world a better place. We have many events set up around the country to inspire people to make a change.
Threads by The Shine Project employs at risk American youth to hand make jewelry to help them pay their way through college. We teach them important business skills and guide them to become successful community leaders. We also do community service projects so they can see how much impact they can have on the people around them.
Why make a magazine? How did people react when they saw it?
We wanted to make a lookbook so our readers could feel the excitement and energy behind our brand. They LOVED it, and we can’t wait to make the next one in the spring! It’s fun to see our products in action.
What’s next for The Shine Project?
We are currently working on getting our first SHINE center in Phoenix, and should be all moved in in January! This will be a place where the kids can come work, learn, and be mentored. Our goal is to be sold in major national retailers by the end of 2014. We’re currently in 50 boutiques nationwide.
You can purchase online at www.theshineproject.com
Many thanks to Ashley and the Threads team! Check out their magazine underneath while waiting for the next issue.
A mag created with Madmagz.
