USD Magazine Summer 2014

Tomake a living without compromising ethics Antoine Didienne ‘01 (BBA) was frustrated, as was his buddy Dan Amaro ’04 (BBA). The pair had met as undergraduates a decade earlier, and had remained friends over the years. “We were hanging out at a bar talking about the lack of ethical products avail- able and how we wanted to be able to buy products that stood for something,” recalls Didienne (at right, below). “Then we suddenly looked at each other and said, ‘Why don’t we work on a solution together?’” After talking it over with a third partner, Linda Amaro, the trio created their company, VavaVida, which sells fashion accessories that aren’t just stylish, but are produced with deliberate emphasis on

ethics and fair trade in particular. Toward that end, every sale gives back a percentage to Project Con- cern International, which is actively involved in improving the wellness of women around the globe. Why go to such lengths? After Didienne earned his masters degree, he knew one thing for sure: “I wanted a job, but not if I had to sacrifice my ethics.” That first conversation with Amaro led

to the development of a business plan that didn’t compromise on ideals, a fair-trade jewelry retail store that’s “in the business of changing the world through fair-trade fashion.” “Fashion can be ethical and fun,” stresses Didienne. “Looking good doesn’t have to come at the expense of others.” — Julene Snyder [vavavida.com]

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SUMMER 2014