Experience

The Little Market

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Programs

  • Apr 2022 - Present

• Senior Artisan Relations and Supply Chain Strategist

  • Dec 2021 - Mar 2022



Ten Thousand Villages US

• United States
• Retail
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Director of Artisan Relations/Purchasing Manager

  • Feb 2017 - Dec 2021

  - Represent the needs and priorities of the producer groups as the primary organizational stakeholders, focusing on strategic efforts that provide opportunities for achieving long term sustainability both for the organization, and for each supplier- Provide oversight to communications and general relations with producer groups, ensuring the maintenance of regular and transparent dialogue and engagement - Evaluate producer groups’ compliance with established fair trade benchmarks, including social and environmental standards - Evaluate and monitor supplier performance and progress, addressing and resolving concerns as needed- Manage interactions with international and domestic fair trade membership organizations. Compile and report information needed to show evidence of the organization’s compliance with established fair trade benchmarks - Monitor and support adherence to fair trade benchmarks within the organization’s operational and strategic areas- Manage supply chain of emerging market enterprises in 30 countries to meet mission and budget objectives of revenue-based $20+ million social enterprise.- Solve business challenges in cross-cultural settings with workshops and Fair Trade export organizations - Lead team responsible for analysis, trend forecasting, developing 500+ new products a year, and day-to-day communication with producer groups.- Manage product assortment and price point targets as needed to achieve financial success in all sales channels- Collaborate with cross departmental teams to develop strategic plans allowing a constant evolution of the brand’s positioning in the North American

• Senior Buyer

  • Jul 2007 - Feb 2017

  - Provide leadership to the Buying Team in category management, product assortment and pricing- Develop and manage a planning schedule that allowed the Buying Team to complete the annual new item collection planning and purchase order generation processes in an efficient and timely manner - Collaborate with the Merchandising Department in determining retail price levels for all products that allowed a competitive market positioning, while also meeting the organization’s overall margin requirements - Collaborate with the Merchandising Department to monitor and analyze sales patterns in order to anticipate future consumer-buying patterns, developing product assortment guidelines designed to best meet the future demand. - Directly responsible for managing the purchasing relationships with 25+ producer groups located in 15 countries throughout the developing world- Act as the liaison to the greater Fair Trade community, including the World Fair Trade Organization (Brussels) and the Fair Trade Federation (North America.)

• Buyer

  • Jul 2001 - Jul 2007

  - Directly responsible for managing the purchasing relationships with 25+ producer groups located in 15 countries throughout the developing world- Collaborate with others in the Buying Team to conceptualize new item product collections that incorporate the skills and traditions of the producer groups, while also appealing to the customers in the North American market- Manage the product design and development process with the assigned producer groups - Accountable for the purchase of products meeting the quality standards, and production/shipping requirements of the organization.- Undertake annual travel to conduct onsite visits, including the monitoring of Fair Trade practices