Fostering Social Innovation
Melissa Sevy, CEO of Ethik Collective and former student with the Ballard Center for Social Impact, underwent a transformative journey leveraging her education and experiences to effect positive change in the world. The Ballard Center for Social Impact motivates individuals like Melissa, by providing a nurturing environment where faith, skills, and vision converge to address pressing social issues.
Melissa’s interest in social impact began in 2009 when she took Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship through the Ballard Center while earning a master’s in public health at BYU. While at the Ballard Center, Melissa learned the skills and knowledge to navigate how to make social change and affect positive change with individuals, which led her to find Ethik Collective.
Ethik Collective, is a social enterprise that supports and connects thousands of talented handcraft artisans to an international market. At the heart of Ethik Collective’s mission is a dedication to providing fair-paying job opportunities that uphold the dignity and worth of each artisan. The business prioritizes ethical practices and equitable compensation, ensuring artisans are recognized for their skills and rewarded fairly for their labor.
Monica, a jewelry maker from Uganda, is an example of how lives change through Ethik Collective's efforts. Before Monica worked as a jeweler, she cleaned laundry and sold locally brewed drinks. She worked long hours but still struggled to provide for her children’s education and health care. Since working with Ethik Collective, Monica has been able to engage in a craft she loves while better providing for her family as a single mother.
Ethik Collective has employed 3,550 artisans like Monica, each with an inspiring story. The company has also supported 15,495 dependents and provided over a million fair-pay work hours.
Melissa’s journey from BYU student to CEO of Ethik Collective is a testament to the transformative power of a social impact education through the Ballard Center. Her journey is just one example of how the Ballard Center cultivates a community of changemakers driven by a shared commitment to creating a more just and equitable world.
