Featured Alumni
Jeannie Bartlett ‘15 was in Middlebury College’s first cohort of Social Entrepreneurship Fellows. One of her core focuses outside of her studies was advocating for the College’s divestment from fossil fuels. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in Conservation Biology, she moved to nearby Burlington to work with dairy farmers on creating clean water and carbon-rich soils.
Sword and Plough
Emily Nunez, founder of Sword and Plough: “After listening to an inspiring speech by Jacqueline Novagratz during Middlebury’s first social entrepreneurship symposium, a light bulb clicked on – Emily began to think ‘What in my life is often discarded and could be turned into something beautiful with a purposeful mission?” How incredible would it be to repurpose military surplus material into durable and fashionable bags that people could use every day? By incorporating veterans into every stage of the business (from design, to sewing, management, fulfillment, sales, even modeling), we could empower veteran employment. Through its branding and outreach, Sword & Plough could help bridge the civil-military divide. The repurposed bags could be used as conversation pieces and the company could become a platform to strengthen understanding between civilians and the veteran community. Inspired to give back to the veteran community through sustainable fashion, Sword & Plough was born!”
Malikah
Rana Abdelhamid ‘15 founded Malikah, a grassroots movement that facilitates opportunities for women to come together in sisterhood, to engage in critical reflection and education, to build habits of self-love, and to cultivate action-oriented communities prepared with the tools and skills to clap-back. In 2019, she worked with Middlebury’s Feminist Resource Center at Chellis House and hosted the inaugural Malikah Organizing Institute: Gender Justice for Women of Color.
She Fly
Charlotte Massey ‘19 co-founder of SheFly: “We’re designing the future of pants and making active clothing for women with a purpose. Our team uses our patent-pending SheFly Zipper Technology™, with an emphasis on a comfortable fit, to make outdoor pants that work with women’s anatomies and help us pee with privacy and comfort.”
Sal Nakhlawi ‘19 is the founder and CEO of StrongHER Girls™ and the founder of The StrongHER Girls™: The Movement . The Movement is dedicated to teaching girls, womxn, and folx of marginalized identities how to empower themselves to be strong, from the inside-out.