SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (GOOD THINGS UTAH)-  How do you accidentally start a business? For one woman it was her concern with the economic challenges women in developing economies face that brought her into her entrepreneurial capabilities. Melissa Sevy founder and CEO of ETHIK, a company with an online marketplace for handmade goods with a global impact. Sevy spent several years living in Uganda, India and Nepal. Through her time there, she saw the bright capabilities of the local women but also how generational poverty impacted all potential jobs and growth.

Even though there was a lack of jobs, homemade handcrafted goods were the main source of survival for these women. Handcraft is the second largest industry in the developing world but many find it nearly impossible to reach a global market to sell their goods. ETHIK was founded on aiming to fix this problem and give all women the opportunity to have their products sold to the global audience. Some products include necklaces made by survivors of sex trafficking in East Asia, cork toiletry bag sewn by Afghan refugees here in Salt Lake City and cashmere blankets made by women with barriers to employment in Nepal. 

As of last week, ETHIK is available everywhere and you have the opportunity to support women all over the world. Visit their online marketplace where you can buy beautiful home goods and accessories for yourself, or as gifts.