Our Founders' Story

It started with a seedling of an idea, and a dream. Ten years ago, Lesley Pennington was running Bemz, a successful e-commerce company she founded, that was selling textile products to a worldwide market.  

During her time at Bemz she learned so much about textiles and the textile industry. She became passionate about ethical and sustainable business. And the women that were making the textiles. And, the amazing historical, culturally important world of textiles and textile design.

Lesley discovered that women in vulnerable communities were responsible for the production of the majority of the worlds’ textiles, and that most of them were working in unfair, underpaid conditions. That generations of local textile expertise and tradition were being lost as women worked in factories producing fast fashion-  mass market, consumer products for us.

 Lesley decided that the next company that she founded would be focused on Social Impact- changing the status quo, and making a difference for women and our planet. 

Kinship Collective is the culmination of that dream.

In Lesley's words- "We believe that by empowering women, we can lift women and humanity and take a step forward towards changing the world.

We are offering the opportunity to those of us who have rights and power and prosperity to make a difference in the lives of the women who have not. 

Together we can lift women, and humanity, protect cultural heritages - and make a difference in our lives- and theirs."