EP 20: Jessica Honegger – Noonday Collection
On this episode of the Business with Purpose Podcast, I am sitting down with Jessica Honegger, founder and co-ceo of Noonday Collection, one of the largest ethical fashion and fair trade jewelry brands in the world. Noonday Collection works to empower men and women in vulnerable communities all across the globe by providing sustainable opportunities and income through employment. They also make some of the most beautiful jewelry and accessories!! Noonday is how I first really learned about buying “fair trade” and in my conversation with Jessica, we talk about everything from life to the “tough stuff” when dealing with poverty… You will LOVE her!!
About Jessica:
Most little girls had lemonade stands. Jessica, on the other hand, had jewelry stands. Jessica grew up in San Antonio, Texas as the daughter and granddaughter of women who loved style and fashion. Some of Jessica’s earliest memories are of digging through her grandmother’s treasure trove of jewelry curated from adventures around the world.
At age 16, Jessica traveled to Kenya and witnessed what life was like for children growing up without clean water, safe housing or loving families – and something began stirring in her heart. She knew then she wanted to spend her life creating opportunity for the poor.
She came home from the trip a bit of an activist. The girl who was once interested in jewelry and makeup held rallies at school to raise money for children in Kenya. After college, Jessica volunteered in Bolivia and Guatemala with Food for the Hungry. As she spent her days working with Bolivian Artisans discovering the vibrant markets of Guatemala, she saw what people could do for themselves with just a little bit of opportunity. She realized that entrepreneurship was a sustainable solution to poverty.
Somewhere along the way, Jessica rediscovered her joy in fashion and style. She began to dream of using fashion and design to create economic opportunity for vulnerable communities.
In 2010, Jessica and her husband Joe went on a trip to Uganda to visit friends who were serving at an orphanage. It was then that Jessica and her husband decided to grow their family through adoption. She hosted the first Noonday Collection Trunk Show as a fundraiser for her adoption from Rwanda – and the rest is history.
Today as Co-CEO of Noonday Collection, Jessica spends her days inspiring others to live lives of purpose. She travels across the United States and around the world, training Ambassadors to be stylists and storytellers and visiting Artisans to encourage them in their work. When she’s off-duty, Jessica loves spending time with her husband Joe and their three kids, Amelie, Holden and Jack.
Connect with Jessica and Noonday online:
Website: noondaycollection.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicahonegger/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noondaycollection/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noondaycollection
Twitter: https://twitter.com/noondaystyle
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