Support for woman-owned brands is a direct investment in the success of women everywhere and a vote for equality in the marketplace. Backing woman-owned and female founded companies also supports their employees and communities, encouraging economic growth and sustainability.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) face unique barriers despite the ability to deliver on quality products and original concepts. To support these brands through our individual and collective buying power is to provide statistical proof of concept for them as business owners, and create a demand for innovation in a marketplace that is often occupied by voices stemming from a more singular, and less representative point of view.

While increasingly targeted by corporations at a consumer level, there’s still work to do when it comes to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community as business owners. From creating a more sustainable economy for LGBTQIA+ communities to adding a level of reciprocity to the amount of money that LGBTQIA+ business owners contribute to the American economy, supporting these businesses goes a long way toward creating a more equitable marketplace.

Brands that utilize sustainable materials and practices make a commitment to reducing their impact on the planet and offsetting environmental damage. While the fashion industry has been particularly harmful, there are many brands that promote environmentally sustainable practices, from upcycling to eco-friendly dyes to sourcing textiles made from crops that have a lighter environmental footprint.

Buying USA made products goes hand in hand with buying local, and all of the benefits that represents. As an American, buying goods made in the United States supports our local communities and allows us to have a positive impact on the environment. It decreases imports that cause harmful emissions created by transportation and affect the quality of air and water around the world, while ensuring that what we purchase was made under the guidance of federal environmental regulations.

Creating a culture of giving within a company is more common than it used to be. By donating product, time and/or resources to communities in need, more brands are recognizing the importance of strengthening ties to community through giving and their social responsibility to do good.

Carbon neutral (or climate neutral) certification shows a commitment to offsetting greenhouse gas emissions created during the production process. This is done through the purchase of carbon credits that are invested in environmental projects that seek to neutralize the environmental impact from products being made, shipped and imported.

Certified B-Corps, or Benefit Corporations, are dedicated to reaching the highest possible standards when it comes to both environmental and social performance. B-Corps are evaluated on the following areas: standards affecting workers, community involvement, environmental impact, governance and customer relationships. Promoting positive social and environmental change through business practices makes these companies sustainable forces for good.

Cosmetics and household products labeled cruelty-free uphold that their products have not been manufactured or developed by methods that test on animals. If a product is Leaping Bunny certified, it is guaranteed to be completely free of animal testing.

Handcrafted or handmade goods have been made by hand rather than by a machine. This typically means the process of creating the goods is more labor intensive than methods of mass production and implies that more human care has gone into creating said goods.