The Base Project, run by twin brothers Chris and Doug Akin, is an endeavor to create opportunities for new social entrepreneurs within the Kunene region of Namibia. There they have partnered with two artisan cooperatives to produce a collection of beautifully unique upcycled hand-carved bracelets. These bracelets, a fair-trade product, support additional income to these tribes to [...]
Archive: March 2013
By now, you may have the seen the thread: a line of about 50 or so pictures of a woman walking with her hand outstretched backwards as if she is “leading” the photographer to various aesthetic sceneries all over the world. The thread is that of photographer Murad Osmann. As he and his girlfriend Nataly Zakharova [...]
The imagery and narration in the video inspire not just creativity but creation itself. At Holstee, as we continue to dive deeper into the development of physical hard goods, I see the beauty and art in the production process and I think this video does an amazing job capturing that energy. “Giving the power back to makers [...]
If you frequent Whole Foods as much as I do (weekly, and that’s only because I’m holding myself back), then you know you can expect high-quality foods, including a wide variety of healthy staples, organic options and fresh, local produce. While I couldn’t check off my entire shopping list in this foodie-friendly Mecca (unless I [...]
This week’s #passion post is about something very near and dear to my heart: education. It’s what brought me to New York City and to Holstee in the first place. With tuition, student loan debt and drop-out rates all rising, many are considering alternative options to traditional higher education. “Enstitute is a new way to think about post-secondary learning. The two year on-ramp [...]
Growing up in a Persian family, I was appreciating tea at a uniquely young age. Whether in the morning, after a big meal or before bed, it was always readily available. I’ve since opened my palate considerably (to other non-black teas) and one of my favorites to date, is technically not from the tea leaf [...]
I like to dabble in nature whenever I am traveling, but few places offer such a unique opportunity to do so as does Iceland. Last week, I took a little family vacation to Reykjavik and the surrounding area. If you’ve seen all those ads on the NYC subway suggesting Iceland as the ultimate getaway and thought [...]
Three proud Kentuckians took it upon themselves to rebrand the great commonwealth of Kentucky. A pretty big task, considering they had zero money and no one asked them to do it. One of the many things I love about good design is that when used in conjunction with social media, it can attract a lot [...]
The word cafeteria doesn’t necessarily evoke very fond memories of wholesome, homestyle meals with fresh ingredients. Even though we’re a long way from grade school Frozen Pizza Fridays and lots of workplaces can boast some seriously good eats (for example, Clif Bar’s employee cafeteria serves all organic, sustainable foods AND they have their own brick pizza [...]
Barbara Franc has found a way to turn recycled objects into something beautiful: intricate animal sculptures made from pieces of plastics, metals and wire. “I increasingly use recycled and discarded materials as I enjoy the challenge of transforming something with a past history into something new and exciting.” The lifelike nature of Franc’s creations, ranging [...]
