Last week I traveled to Ohio to connect with my friends from Greif, an amazing company that has used their wisdom as world leaders in the industrial packaging and services industry to develop truly innovative solutions for countries like Haiti.

I first connected with Greif at Clinton Global Initiative where they were showcasing their WaterWear™ backpacks – these brilliant water purification backpacks that answer the need for a clean, easy-to-carry means of transporting and storing household water while offering relief to women and children around the world. I have seen, first hand, how extraordinary these backpacks have been for struggling communities in Haiti.

It was out of our shared passion for Haiti that I started talking to the Greif team about the finishes needed by the metal workers in Haiti. Since the beginning of our Haiti Artisan Project, I have been working tirelessly to find the perfect finishes for the metal work, and this is why we traveled to Ohio. The Greif team, who are based in Ohio, wanted to connect us to the scientists they work with at Battelle – the perfect people for us to collaborate with for the metal finishes. I am thrilled to work with Battelle in this capacity – they’re bringing to the table a legacy of experience and a caliber of collaboration that is so crucial in supporting the work of Haiti’s artisan communities.

I absolutely love when dots connect like this! It was like a little Haiti in Ohio – I was with Philippe Dodard, Greg Milne, Marni Lewis, Joel Towers and Isabel Encinias – some of the key players that I work with most in our HHRH mission.

I invite you to visit any of our Urban Zen Retail stores to experience the beauty of our artisan wares. We are committed to the continued development of this project and welcome you to join us on the journey as we Hope, Help & Rebuild Haiti.