Mindful Businesses Vidhya Iyer - Host

Gabriel Silva's dream of becoming a pilot was lost when he was diagnosed with type II diabetes, he decided to change his lifestyle and diet. Introspection led him to his spiritual roots which are based on one simple principle - "do no harm". He apprenticed in his father's shoe factory to learn the trade. He launched Ahimsa in 2013. In 2014, only 6 months they took a very big step. They opened the doors to their own factory. He felt uncomfortable that his products were being made by a third party who did not fully share his beliefs. To this day, it remains the only 100% vegan shoe factory in the world.

Woven Air - as muslin was known in the 1600s...the Portuguese legend said it was the fabric woven by mermaids. What makes a fabric muslin? The original muslin was produced solely from a cotton plant called, Phuti Karpas, which grew exclusively along the banks of a certain stretch of the Brahmaputra river. The extracted cotton was then hand-spun into an extraordinarily delicate yarn in villages near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Six yards of muslin cloth could be fitted into a matchbox, sixty yards would fit inside the shell of a coconut, a pound of this yarn could be stretched for 250 miles.

The finished cloth woven on looms that have barely changed over the centuries was sought after by royalty and traded globally across the Middle East and Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, earning enormous revenue for those involved in its trade. Tragically, the industry was deliberately and cruelly erased by past colonial rulers, especially the East India Company and replaced with their machine-made fabrics in the 19th century.

As a result the plant, along with muslin’s spinners and weavers, receded into the pages of history. Today, the best examples of the finished product are in the custody of Western museums and viewed mostly by Western audiences.

We talk to Saiful Islam, Managing Director of Bengal Muslin, that has identified the DNA from the fossilized plants to revive and grow the plant again. He talks to us about the challenges that Bengal Muslin faced to find, train and motivate the traditional generational spinners - who still had the collective memory of the fabric to weave 400 count Dhaka muslin. Listen to this passionate Saiful Islam only on Mindful Businesses. Saiful's picture was taken through muslin for the cover for this episode.

PC: @Drik @Saiful Islam @Bengal Muslin

Africa with its rich arts and crafts have so much to offer to the world. We are excited to find online or in a nearby store a unique, one of a kind piece from a land far away. But we should pause to think as to how much of what we pay actually goes back to the artisans and their communities. Today we talk with Jenny Nuccio, Founder and CEO of Imani Collective - Global Social Enterprise Empowering Artisans, who wanted to not only promote the art from Kenya, but make sure that the artisans are paid two to three times the average wage and gain access for their art. She joins us from Mombasa, Kenya sharing her life's mission to provide a fair and living wage to the folks who work alongside her. Learn more in the latest episode of Mindful Businesses.

What does it take to start a business several thousands of miles away, and that too when you were just 19. Kate Holby co-founded Ajiri tea with her sister Sara Kolby, to create a full cycle of sustainable aid. Because education is a sustainable investment, 100% of the net profits go back to Kenya to pay school fees for orphans. Ajiri Tea Company is now sponsoring 29 orphans in school and is employing four different women’s groups. Learn more about these amazing young ladies.

Bradford and Bryan Manning are two blind brothers on a mission to cure blindness. At a young age, they were diagnosed with an eye disease that causes blindness over time. To fight back, they left their former careers to start Two Blind Brothers, a small charitable clothing company that donates 100% of the profits to drive life-changing research for a cure for blindness. Their condition inspired a special attention for details, a passion that carries over into the construction of their clothing line. Two Blind Brothers focuses on quality, comfort, and "sense of touch."

Swahili Coast partners with artisans in East Africa to craft ethically handmade, fair trade, adventure-ready accessories.It connect them to global markets using principles of fairness, dignity, and respect. Swahili Coast strives to support the creation of worker-owned cooperatives and provide continuing support through fair exchange and promotion of workers rights in the East Africa region.