Made By Women Preview: Jane Mosbacher Morris

Today we’re thrilled to share a preview of the second episode of our new series: Made By Women. We're showcasing Jane Mosbacher Morris and To The Market. Jane proves it is possible, and profitable, for companies to manufacture products that are ethically made, that protect the environment and lift up workers. And hear how we can each make a difference through our purchases. Enjoy this preview of Made By Women.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
need to look for and share it. Here's Something Good

(00:27):
for Today. I think we can all agree that difficult
times call for a new way of thinking. That's why
we've added a new weekly podcast to the Seneca Women
Podcast Network that's focused on the incredible stories of women
entrepreneurs and their businesses. Today, we're thrilled to share with
you a preview of the second episode of our new series,

(00:48):
Made by Women. In a minute, you'll hear from an
entrepreneur who is getting the world to think differently about
the way we purchase products and the way they're manufactured. Today,
we'll hear from Jane Moss Backer Morris, the entrepreneur behind
to the Market, a company that connects Fortune five brands
and retailers like Target and Bloomingdale's with sources for sustainable

(01:09):
and environmentally responsible goods from diverse and often overlooked suppliers
around the world. But first, some backstory, well not a
trip for the US State Department, Jane got the idea
that retail manufacturing could be changed to create better outcomes
for workers, the planet, and ultimately businesses. She visited a
cooperative in India that was employing survivors of human trafficking

(01:32):
and a light bulb went off. She saw that a
company could produce high quality and beautiful products while addressing
a social justice issue and giving vulnerable women dignified employment.
Jane wanted to tap into how businesses and consumers can
create positive change through their purchases. Many people asked Jane
if she was starting a nonprofit, but she wasn't. Her

(01:53):
vision was to create a social business to change the
workings of the second largest industry in the developing world,
retail production. Here's a brief preview on what she had
to say. Well, one of the initial challenges we had
was a people asked me, well, why are you not
a nonprofit? And my response to them was, this is

(02:15):
about creating and sustaining dignified work, and this is about
changing the way that consumers and businesses are sourcing their products.
This isn't about pity purchases and how really having like
helping people reframe the way they thought about these suppliers,

(02:36):
because there was also these biases that somehow these suppliers
because they weren't operating in the massive traditional factories that
we as Americans tend to think of now as it
relates to me manufacturing, there were these biases that, oh, well,
the product surely can't be as well made or you

(02:57):
must have really low production capacity. And so I had,
you know, this uphill battle of having to prove them
wrong because they were looking for, you know, quality issues
or expecting us not to be able to hit certain
delivery by dates. And so just changing the way people
think about how products are made and who they're made

(03:19):
by so that they feel comfortable with the idea that,
of course you can source ethically and sustainably and have
just as good, if not better, of a product than
these traditional, massive, massive factories that we have sadly become
so reliant on. And so helping folks understand that the
scale of the opportunity was important, but then just as important,

(03:45):
if not more important, was then showing them through delivery
of the goods, how great it looked, and how great
the service and the experience was, and how much more
impactful their dollar was by making purchases that were better
aligned with all of the you know, value commitments that

(04:07):
they make publicly. When you're actually aligning your dollar with
your values, there is so much more to learn from
Jane Moss Backer Morris in tomorrow's episode of Made by Women.
To the Market is a world changing company. They partner
with Fortune five companies to create better work for vulnerable
populations and give more meeting to consumer purchases. Don't miss

(04:32):
our conversation about a business that is doing well and
doing good. So here's something good for today. There is
no better time for women entrepreneurs to shift their thinking
and propel something good into the changing economy. Companies with
a clear mission to do good will always succeed because
they have a clear purpose and a deeper passion. So

(04:52):
make sure to subscribe to are Made by Women podcast
for inspiring stories, insights from successful entrepreneurs, and business lessons
you won't get anywhere else. Listen to tomorrow's episode of
Made by Women with Jane Moss Backer Morris and listen
to Made by Women every week on iHeart Radio or
wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening, and

(05:24):
please share today's something good with others in your life.
This is Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and
co founder of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women,
go to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca
Women app free in the app Store. Here's Something Good
is a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and
I Heart Radio Have a Great Day. For more podcasts

(05:51):
from I heeart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.