Episode 81: Pivoting in a Pandemic with Caleigh Hernandez ’15
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Transcript:
HELEN KIM: Welcome to the Northwestern Intersections podcasts where we talk to alumni about how key experiences have propelled them in their life's work. I'm your host, Helen Kim, with the Northwestern Alumni Association. This season, we will feature individuals who are working to make the world the type of place we all deserve, alumni who are using their voices and positions to fight against anti-Black racism and inequality, as well as help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To learn more about the NAA's commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes, represents, and values all Northwestern University alumni, visit our website alumni.northwestern.edu. Now, let's jump into today's episode.
So today on the show, we have Caleigh Hernandez. Caleigh is a founder and CEO of RoHo where they partner with artisan workers in Kenya to create consistent fair paying work, most of whom are women who produce fair trade sandals, accessories, and many more. Caleigh became interested in everything RoHo in 2013 on her first trip to East Africa while living at the host family in rural Uganda and interning for a local community-based organization.
She returned to Uganda the following summer to conduct independent research on small scale entrepreneurs while also developing her idea for the business. In this episode, you'll also hear how she's providing support for her artisan worker groups in Kenya during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caleigh, thank you so much for being on the show today.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Thank you, Helen. I'm so grateful to be here and to reconnect with fellow Wildcats.
HELEN KIM: Absolutely. So I want to hear all about RoHo. So what year did you start RoHo, and tell us all about it?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: So I launched RoHo in 2017. I graduated from Northwestern in 2015, spent a year abroad, and then moved back from East Africa and officially launched the business. Although, I had the idea for RoHo while at Northwestern.
HELEN KIM: So what is the mission of RoHo?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Through RoHo, we aim to empower talented artisans, mostly women across East Africa. So right now, we're focusing exclusively on Kenya. That's just where I have the most background and the largest number of contacts. And through RoHo, what we do is we pay our artisans 50% higher than the industry standard. If our artisan groups are not already fair trade certified. And then we send our artisans' children to quality local schools in the area. So we're really aiming to create a solid middle class out of our Artisan groups.
Most of the groups we're working with have a middle school education or lower. So there aren't few viable alternatives for quality, high paying, safe employment for these groups.
HELEN KIM: Wow. That's amazing. So you mentioned that Kenya is the area that you have the most expertise in. So why is that? How do you know so much about Kenya?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: I originally started in Kenya after I graduated from Northwestern. I received a Princeton in Africa Fellowship and was based in Tanzania and Kenya working for the International Rescue Committee on refugee programming and on child labor programming, working to reduce the prevalence of child labor in rural areas. And then before that, I was in Uganda doing research as well as I participated in the GESI program through what I believe is now called the Buffett Institute.
So that's kind of what gotten my interest in East Africa. But I followed the shoes to Kenya, and then have developed this long relationship with our artisan groups over there. So I say shoes. Through RoHo, we sell beaded leather sandals, cowhide products, bags, and accessories, as well as a line of fair trade jewelry. And so this whole project originally got started, RoHo, when I saw a pair of beautiful beaded leather sandals in a craft market in Uganda.
And so it was through both being in Uganda, following the shoes to Kenya, living in Kenya and I had the opportunity to travel back and forth from where I was working to meet with our sandal artisan group who's based on the coast of Kenya. And that's really how we got started as a shoe company and then expanded into a number of other beautiful products that are all handmade by other talented groups across the country.
HELEN KIM: So where did the name come from?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: RoHo is a Swahili word that means spirit or kindness which is what we say we're all about. It's really central to what we're doing.
HELEN KIM: Definitely sounds like it. I've love the mission. I love that you're supporting not just the artisan workers, but also their family. The well-rounded support.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Exactly. And it's always been our mission to really listen to the needs of the artisan groups that we're working with. And I learned that directly in my work with GESI. I was in Uganda and working for a small community-based organization with some of my peers, and it was incredibly frustrating, fulfilling, intense work. And one of the key takeaways that I learned from my time in rural Uganda was that you really need to listen and make a concerted effort to do right by the people that you're working with.
You have to have a deep understanding of the area where they're working, of the constraints that they have, and we're operating a business out of the US but working in Kenya. There are a lot of cultural differences in ways that people do business, in ways that there are expectations about quality control that we kind of have to both translate. And I as the owner of RoHo, have to ensure that I understand their expectations and I communicate effectively what my expectations are of products and what they look like and colors and sizing and all sorts of things like that.
So it's very much a learning between the two of us. When I initially started RoHo, my idea was to create a vocational school in Malindi, which is on the coast of Kenya, about 100 kilometers north of Mombasa. I wanted to create this vocational school that would send talented youth who were unemployed. They have super high unemployment rates in the area. And we would send them to this vocational school to learn quality beading and leather work, so they then had this marketable skill. And we could then, in turn, hire a number of them into our RoHo workshops.
But when I took this idea to our initial artisans, the original 42 who were making the sandals, they said, we have enough trainings in this area. Unemployment rates are upwards of 40% in this area, higher for women and other marginalized groups. And they said, look, non-profits have come in here and created trainings day in and day out, but what we really need are quality high paying jobs.
And so we sat down with our artisan group and said, OK, so how can I better support you all? And they said, look, here's what we need. We need this in our workshop, this equipment, and we need to ensure that you are looking after our families, as well. I asked, what are the root causes of poverty in this area? And there are some deep infrastructural issues that, right now, we don't really have the ability to tackle.
But when it came down to it, they said, education is the number one opportunity to help our children have more opportunities in the future. Education is the tool to ensure that our children have more than we do.
HELEN KIM: It sounds like because you had that honest conversation of like, what are the expectations and requirements from both parties, that is how you are able to work with artisan workers even across the globe and have that international relationship.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Yeah, definitely. And it's not without its challenges, for sure. There have been really funny situations. Like one of my initial sample shipments that was getting sent to me when I first started RoHo. I think it was late 2016, and I was desperate to get these shoes from Nairobi where we shipped them to a port in LA. And I was already kind of explaining to the people who had already purchased these sandals that things sometimes work differently. There are delays, you never know.
And then, the Pope came to Nairobi. And this is the first time that the Pope has ever come to Kenya ever. And it shut the city down for three days. And so what that meant was the sandal shipment, which is already delayed, got delayed another week. And it's just something that was out of my hands, pretty biblical. And it's just our customers who understand what we're doing and love our products are the type who are understanding that, sometimes, it's out of our hands.
And being the founder of RoHo, definitely keeps me on my toes in terms of what to expect. There was no way you could have prepared for the Pope coming to Nairobi and expecting a shipment of sandals to get to delayed.
HELEN KIM: So who is on your team at RoHo?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: It's myself based in the US who is working on this full time. And then we have a director of operations who's also here who works part time. We have a quality control manager based in Nairobi. I am not always able to be in Kenya when orders are coming through, so she is our key point person who ensures that quality is up to snuff, that our order exactly matches what we have-- shoe sizing and bag colors and things along those lines-- and really works closely with our customs brokers in Kenya.
And then we also have our 400 artisans who are based in Kenya, so that's 95% of those artisans are women. We work with four different artisan groups across Kenya. So I've mentioned, of course, our sandal artisans. It's 36 women, six men who are based on the coast of Kenya. In the south of Kenya, just outside of Amboseli National Park, we have 280 Maasai women, fair trade women's co-operative, who produces our beautiful jewelry.
We have 40 artisans who are based in Nairobi, Kenya's capital. And they are the ones who are producing our cowhide bags and products, so that's about 20 men and 20 women. And last, but certainly not least, we have partnered with a non-profit based in Nairobi, as well, called Amani ya Juu. In Swahili, it means peace from above. And they are a group of all women who are considered survivors of violent conflict. Mostly women who are refugees, primarily from the Congo, from South Sudan, places along those lines.
And this non-profit teaches these women valuable skills, marketable skills. Refugees in Kenya aren't able to work. They are not able to get a work visa, so they have to find alternative ways to earn an income. So we support that group by importing their beautiful tailored goods.
HELEN KIM: It sounds like a very intimate and a very special, intentional mission that RoHo has. So how have you built a strong relationship between you, your team, and the artisan workers across the world?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Well, I'll say this. RoHo started because when I was walking in a craft market in Uganda, I saw a pair of these beautiful beaded leather sandals and became obsessed with them. And they were just such a contrast to what was all around me, and I was struck by their beauty and committed to learning more about them.
So I followed the shoes to Kenya, and found the artisan group that was making them. And it wasn't like immediately RoHo was started, exactly. It took a number of months of tweaking and figuring out what the capabilities were of this workshop, and learning more about the people who are producing these products and their families and their needs, and, and, and. There was a lot to figure out. How logistically we could transport things. What the availability of leather and beads were in this area for larger quantities of orders, all sorts of things like that.
And so it was in this long concerted effort to build these relationships with these artisans and kind of learn the capabilities on the ground that, initially, RoHo was started. And as we expand to new artisan groups, we really try to continue in that vein. We don't just take on an artisan group knowing nothing about them.
I want to ensure that I'm doing right by these artisan groups and have the ability to really both sell their products and meet their needs. Just in the way that I want to ensure that they have the quality of products we're looking for. Products that really are able to withstand the test of time. We're pushing back against fast fashion labels. We are really at a slow fashion entity. We produce products that are works of art and our customers are people who see our products in that light.
HELEN KIM: Yeah, I saw the products online, and they're beautiful. You really can't find that anywhere here.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: That's what I think is so special about them. It's like you see them and there's a story behind them, and they are such a piece that is a great conversation starter. And then, oh, someone says, I love your RoHo bag. You say thank you. Did you know that it's handmade by 40 artisans in Kenya and we're ensuring that our artisans are paid well and that the kids are going to quality schools? It's more than just a bag or a piece of jewelry or a pair of beautiful sandals.
And yes, all of our products are beautiful, but it's about supporting and honoring that incredible craftsmanship that goes into each of our products.
HELEN KIM: The craftsmanship, the time.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: The energy.
HELEN KIM: Yes, I love that.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: I beaded a keychain one time. That would normally be like a small piece of one of our sandals and it took me four hours. And the entire time the women who typically bead these can get one done in 15 minutes, and they're laughing at me. It was a humbling experience to say the least.
HELEN KIM: So let's talk about how COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed your world. While have you been up to, and how has that impacted your business so far?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: It's impacted everything.
HELEN KIM: Right.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: COVID has really turned everything upside down. Typically, we sell doing a number of pop up events. This is a huge time for our boutique clients who would normally order for spring and summer to be ordering, and all of a sudden, these stores are closed and trying to stay afloat. And so they're not placing orders from us at this time. So initially, it was just deeply unsettling because it was like, oh, my gosh. Understandably, consumers aren't necessarily interested in purchasing a purse right now because there's nowhere to take a purse. Right?
HELEN KIM: Right.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: And so what this meant was, initially, looking at projections, we were scheduled to lose about 40% of our profits if this continued through the summer months. And what that meant, too, is for our artisans, that we weren't able to continue to order from our artisans meaning we weren't able to support them. And in Kenya, COVID is about two weeks behind where it is in the US.
And it's kind of hard to get real statistics for how badly Kenya has been hit. But it has been hit badly, and I have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse. Kenya shut down all of its borders, international borders. There's no tourism going in and out. So our artisan groups who normally sell to tourists other products, more crafty products to tourists who they come across, they no longer have that as an alternative source of income.
And so I started to get emails and text messages and Whatsapp messages from our artisan group saying, hey, we are really concerned that we are not going to be able to feed ourselves and our families in a few weeks. And it's incredibly disheartening because we spent years with these artisan groups ensuring that they are better off than they were when we started. And all of a sudden, over the course of a single pandemic, all of the sudden, our artisan groups are incredibly vulnerable.
It left me deeply unsettled and also unable to do a lot about it, initially, because our income sources had started to run dry as a result of being a startup and vulnerable and trying to navigate this uncertain time, as well. So there is a lot of competing priorities.
HELEN KIM: Oh, man. That's so hard.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: It's not all bad. It's not all bad, but it was hard.
HELEN KIM: Yeah, like it's real. It's something that you wish you had the ability to fix everything in a second, but you don't know what's going to happen. And you're also in the US, so it's just hard to kind of keep in communication, I'm sure. And it's just hard for you, as the founder, and like you said, you've worked with them for years. And to see them struggle right now, it must be really difficult for them and you.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Yes. It was incredibly scary and disheartening, and just left me depressed, to be completely honest. There was about a week where it was like I got up, I walked the dog, and that was kind of all I did, and that was fine. But also, my mom eventually came up to me, and was like, you need to snap out of it. You need to figure out what to do. This isn't like you. You are completely solution-oriented. Let's do something about this. Let's not just wallow in this craziness.
I was unable to support these groups. I was unable to travel over there. I was unable to continue investing in new products because everything here was virtually on hold. And on top of it, our artisan groups were very unsettled and feeling really insecure and very vulnerable. And there wasn't a whole lot that I had the ability to do at that time until my mom reminded me that, hey, you are sitting on a lot of fabric that you have been gifted from artisan groups over the years as well as that I purchased in craft bazaars and things like that.
And thought, I'm going to turn these into pillows one day. And of course, never have because I'm 0% crafty. And I kind of was like, yeah, we're sitting on fabrics. So what? And she was like, we need to turn these into masks, and then you need to sell these masks. And with the profits, you need to send that money back and ensure that our artisans are food secure. And she was totally right.
And so we created a sample mask out of this fabric. And on a borrowed sewing machine using elastic we picked up-- like the last batch of elastic we could find at a local sewing store. And I took a picture of myself in the mask and posted it on our website. And then sent it out through our email channels, posted it through social media. And within the first 24 hours, we had sold 60 masks.
HELEN KIM: 60 in 24 hours?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: 60 in 24 hours.
HELEN KIM: Wow.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: And then in the next 48 hours, we told another 50, and, and, and. And it kept going. And it was the most incredible thing in the world, because it meant that people were really rallying behind RoHo and behind the cause. And also, people needed masks this was like April 15th or 16th that we launched this, and that was really at the peak, at least here in California, it was when we really started to recognize that masks were going to be around for quite some time.
And our masks are beautiful. They're double sided. Each side is a different African Kitenge wax cotton print fabric. And so they're unique and beautiful and durable and washable. It had to be something that would last. And people just got that. They need they needed masks here to keep themselves safe, and our consumers knew and continue to know that the profits from this are funding food security for our artisans.
And so to date, we've sold well over 1,200 masks.
HELEN KIM: Oh, my gosh.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: The amazing thing and terrifying thing about it was as soon as this all happened, we had no masks in inventory when I posted it online. It was like we have a sample mask, it's not perfect, we'll figure it out, but let's just see if anyone's even interested in something like this. And lo and behold, it just went absolutely crazy. So from then on, it was 15 to 20 hour days for the first few days just starting to figure out how to make masks in large quantities on my kitchen table, borrowing sewing machines.
We drove hours to get elastic. We ran out of fabric within the first two weeks, and then had to start sourcing it from an African fabric distributor based out of Georgia. And it was just like the best way to find purpose in a time when, otherwise, I wouldn't have had any through RoHo. And we're supporting our artisans in a big way and their families because. So of our 400 artisan groups, 300 were food insecure and their families.
So we're talking upwards, well upwards, but we lowball it, and say about 1,500 people are food insecure that we are in direct contact with. And through our mask sales, we have been able to ensure that our artisans are food secure through July. And that's just from literally making masks on my kitchen table. My house looks like it just had exploded.
And my mom was here. I got my sister involved. My boyfriend would cut fabric on the weekends. And so it just turned into this community effort and a way that we could all rally behind and do something productive and meaningful in a time when it was kind of challenging to find that. And so we are still in the midst of it. Luckily, I have now caught up and have a small inventory, so I'm not putting in 20 hours sewing days.
We have a lot of elastic and fabric now, but that's really been taking up a lot of my time. It was just a really cool reminder that there are unique and very crafty solutions, sometimes, to some large challenges that showed up. Really, this saved our business, RoHo, because you know in addition to buying masks, it also generated a lot of traffic to our website which meant that people were buying other products, as well. And it kept us relevant. And it ensured that we were able to show up in a big way for our artisans, and that has meant the world to them, as well.
They know that we're here to stay, and that we continue to invest in them and believe in them. And we're in partnership. And so it's been a crazy few months, but also, like an encouraging one. And now that things are starting to slowly ease up a little bit in the US and Kenya, although who knows what'll happen in a week or whatever. But we're looking at Consumer Reports and seeing that while people might not necessarily be buying bags immediately, people are investing in their homes.
And so we're looking at-- you know, people are creating home offices or they've been looking at the same mantle and realize that they have always wanted to change it. And so there's a number of projects going on. And so we started to talk to a number of our artisan groups about pivoting from what they're doing now into things that can be turned into home goods. So instead of creating cowhide bags, we're creating cowhide rugs. Instead of creating these purses and journals, we're creating decorative pillows, things like that, just look beautiful in a home and people are going to spend a lot more time looking at more recently.
And so that's looking like the future of RoHo, but this pivot wouldn't have really happened if it wasn't for the mask project and just getting motivated and saying if this little business is going down, we're not going down without a fight. And so that's been really a cool process and fun to see and exhausting.
HELEN KIM: What a story. How amazing is that?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Taking the time to actually slow down and explain what has happened makes me, with hindsight, I'm like, wow, that was really big. During the time, it was more like I kept thinking to myself, oh, my gosh. I'm the least crafty person in the world. How the heck are we going to pull this off? But now, it's like we really created lemonade out of lemons or did our best to do.
HELEN KIM: Yeah. I'm sure back then, it was very difficult, stressful, confusing. That was-- April was only two months ago.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: It feels so much longer.
HELEN KIM: Right? So much could happen in like a couple of weeks.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: And we couldn't have planned for any of it. But I think, that we have emerged from the other side of COVID, although we definitely aren't on the other side of it. But we are emerging, as a result of this pandemic, a lot stronger. I learned really quickly that as an entrepreneur, you have to learn and listen. Just as we have to listen to the needs of our artisans, we have to listen to the needs of our consumers. And our consumers are telling us that we don't need bags right now, but we need masks. Masks are something that everyone needs.
And just as we're learning and shifting a little bit to say, hmm, maybe sandals aren't going to be as popular as they were last year, but you know what is going to be? Home goods. So we're trying to adapt. And that's all we can do at this point.
HELEN KIM: I think the word pivot is really the key to your story right now. Just pivoting and adapting to new situations and new expectations that life is just throwing at us. Right?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Exactly. And I think one of the adaptations is understanding that there aren't necessarily real expectations that can be had for the next six months. Who knows what our Christmas season is going to look like.
HELEN KIM: Yeah, right.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Who knows what people are going to be buying in three months or six months. Who knows what it's going to look like in Kenya and how safe it's going to be for our artisans to continue to operate. Right now, they're working in kind of skeleton crews, the ones who are able to the open. But who knows how long that's going to last. I think a big lesson personally and professionally has been kind of embracing the uncertainty at this point, because there's nothing else that can be done.
HELEN KIM: And talking about how a lot of things can change within a couple of week, days, especially for America. The police brutality and systemic oppression that our Black community has faced has been escalated. And the events leading up to it because of the deaths of many Black folks in America that has really made a lot of people angry. So how have you, as RoHo and as a founder of a company and as entrepreneur, how have you been dealing with that? And how have you been supporting the community, your customers, and et cetera?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: I wish I had all the answers to this, and I want to say preface what I say by saying that I don't. And I continue to learn and listen just as I hope many other people are. But as a founder and leader of this company, it's my job to really step up and support Black lives during this time. So for our customers, we just have worked to be extremely communicative sharing resources and information, ways to support, ways to continue to educate ourselves and show up for BIPOC during this time.
The interesting thing is so we are, obviously, working with the Black community, although they're based in Kenya. So it's an interesting time for me as someone who is American. And our artisans are witnessing what's going on in the US and asking me tough questions about why is this going on. And I don't have the answers, necessarily, but I will say that in Kenya, we talk a lot with some of our artisan groups about the fact that police brutality is strong and continues across Kenya.
And it's a big topic of discussion, especially lately as curfews have been instituted in Kenya. And there's been a lot of violence amongst protesters and people who kind of come into contact with police officers. And so we continue to hold discussions and talk about these issues. And I'm doing my best to listen and show up for those who are saying that they need help and they need support right now.
So I guess I wish I had all the answers, but who can at this time? It's more just I want to continue to be an ally and continue to learn and raise awareness amongst our consumers and amongst our artisan groups about their rights and what's going on in Kenya right now and in the US. And I will say that we are going to come out the other side of these conversations as more compassionate individuals and ones that are stronger allies, I hope. And I aspire to be that.
HELEN KIM: Thank you for sharing that. I really appreciate that and the fact that you're artisan workers are asking you questions about what's going on in America. So now, we don't really know what will happen in couple of weeks or months. What are you looking forward to and what are the next steps for RoHo? I know you mentioned that you all are pivoting to come up with home good, but what are your plans for the next couple of weeks, months?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: The next couple of weeks, we are taking it a day at a time. A number of these products have gotten sent to us, although shipping has gotten delayed extraordinarily. So I am curious to see when a number of these new products will arrive, and I'm excited to begin photographing them and getting them out, sharing them with our customers.
In the longer term, this is kind of broader vision for RoHo. I want us to be a hub of ethical fashion. I want us to be the space where people know that they can buy unique, handmade, beautiful products that are making a difference in the lives of those across the world. I love that I'm working in Kenya. And I'm working in Kenya because there's beautiful quality products coming out of this area. And I have a knowledge and the relationships with the people I'm working with.
But eventually, I would love to find partners in other countries, finding others who have these deep beautiful relationships with these artisan groups, and expanding what we do. There are incredible, beautiful products coming out of all sorts of places across the world. I love the textiles that are coming out of West Africa. I'm fascinated by Mali, especially the indigos and the mud cloths that come out of that region.
I love the textiles that are coming out of Oaxaca. I'm always on the lookout for these beautiful and unique products, and it's why I love the relationships I have with my artisans. And I love that our clients and our customers see the beauty in what we're doing. And so that is what I want to continue to do and push back against narratives that currently exist about how we treat our clothes as disposable and ways in which there's so much excessive waste in the fashion industry and the fact that we wear products two, three times and then get rid of them.
I want people to buy RoHo products and have them be their favorite staple pieces that are beautiful and unique and have a story. And I think in that, it gives us the opportunity to really cross cultural barriers in a really meaningful way which I feel like we could all use a heck of a lot more.
HELEN KIM: Oh, absolutely. And showcase the beautiful work that these talented workers, artists basically, are producing.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Exactly.
HELEN KIM: Yeah.
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: Exactly. It's highlighting and honoring a tradition of skilled craftsmanship.
HELEN KIM: Yes. Well, during this time, what is giving you hope?
CALEIGH HERNANDEZ: I am given hope in the receptiveness of RoHo customers to read some of the books that we recommended about white supremacy and combating systemic racism, and the fact that people have rallied behind the mask project. And that there are huge protests happening right now that are leading to actual lasting change in the US. That statues are coming down. That people are showing up in a big way and starting conversations that they never have had before.
There is a lot to be troubled by right now, but there's also a heck of a lot to be hopeful about. And in that way, I am incredibly motivated and excited for the future. And surprisingly, an optimist about it.
HELEN KIM: Thank you for tuning into today's episode of Northwestern Intersections. For more information about our podcasts, please visit northwestern.edu/intersections. Again. That's northwestern.edu/intersections. Until next time, stay safe and take care of yourself and your family.