We were lucky to catch up with KIM VAUGHAN recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, KIM thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Well, I have to start off with our mission of course: our organization is called Bridge for Africa
BRIDGE
Building Resources to Inspire Dignity, Growth & Empowerment.
Why: Our GOAL is to provide consistent work and a living wage for the skilled artisans with whom we partner with in Africa. For them to empower themselves to create a better world and life by using their skills in creating beautiful handmade items from local resources. We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of Self-Sufficiency and the dignity of work in Rural Africa.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Kim Vaughan, co-executive director of Bridge for Africa. Our wholesale organization consists of myself, my business partner Susie Runyan and our Fulfillment center based is Charleston, SC.
The organization’s founder is my sister-in-Law, Kathleen Vaughan, who created Bridge for Africa back in 2004 when she fell in love with South Africa and felt the need to help the people she met while on her many trips over to South Africa. She started the organization by having a Gourmet Safari Live Auction dinner party hosted at her house to raise money for the start of Bridge for Africa and its history from there. She stepped down in 2012 and we took the reins from there.
The high-quality products we import from South Africa are all handmade and unique ranging from Telephone wire baskets, Grass baskets, Beaded items and jewelry pieces.
Our products are displayed and sold in over 250 stores/museums/zoo’s throughout the world.
Most proud of? We LOVE what we do! & will continue doing this as long as we can – the most rewarding job we could dream of.
Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?
Well, I didn’t buy a business but took over a non Profit/Fair Trade business. Probably one of the biggest challenges I have done in my working years. I knew absolutely nothing about running a business though I LOVED the concept and the mission so dug in and figured it out.
Were there difficult times? Absolutely and to this day I am still learning
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have my business partner also be one of my closest friends. Susie has truly been a godsend to Bridge for Africa, bringing her remarkable qualities to the organization for which I am deeply grateful.
Our partnership began during a Holiday Market show in Colorado Springs back in 2011, coincidentally in Susie’s neighborhood. When I shared with her what I was doing, she immediately offered her assistance and expressed interest in learning more about Bridge for Africa.
Upon hearing about the organization’s mission and vision, Susie wholeheartedly embraced the concept and expressed her desire to be a part of it. The timing was perfect for her, aligning with where she was in her life.
Over the past 13 years, it’s been an incredible journey working together, and we aspire to continue this mission for as long as possible. In recent years, we made the decision to entrust our shipping and fulfillment center, located in Charleston, S.C., to one of our top customers who expressed interest in handling that aspect of Bridge for Africa. With the three of us managing the day-to-day operations of Bridge for Africa, supported by an amazing team, we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to make a difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bridgeforafricawholesale.org
- Instagram: bridgeforafrica
- Facebook: bridgeforafrica
Image Credits
My own images + images from our artisan in South Africa