When Minnetonka’s Jen Flavin spent a year working in overseas missions, she saw tragedy most people only see on television or read about online. First, she saw women who were sex trafficked in Thailand. Then, she saw impoverished, HIV-positive women in Kenya who had no means to support multiple children. In Uganda, she worked with girls who had been forced to serve in a terrorist organization, the Lord’s Resistance Army.
But in the midst of all this, Flavin also saw the best side of human nature. She saw groups and organizations helping people recover and live normal lives. “[These organizations] would give women counseling, an education and medical support in order for them to fully recover from the circumstances they found themselves in, and live a hope-filled life,” she says. “When I got home, I knew I wanted to do something to continue to support these organizations but wasn’t sure how.”
Flavin decided to start a blog with her sister, profiling companies and organizations that helped people like the ones she met overseas. In her research, she also came across amazing handmade products like scarves, jewelry and soap, that benefited the women she’d encountered. And, she noticed a lack of stores—and a lack of websites—selling the products. “I wanted to change that and give my friends and people all over America a chance to buy products that had a purpose,” says Flavin.
So she took a leap of faith in 2013 and started an online boutique that provides a marketplace and link between sellers and creators. She named the business Paisley + Sparrow. “Paisley” is a nod to the previous blog, “Paisley Print Shoes,” and “sparrow” came from a Bible verse that alludes to God taking care of not just animals, but humans as well. “We wanted everyone to know that they are precious and valuable to God,” says Flavin.
Flavin says she loves partnering with so many different organizations because “our reach is broader and more diverse. Through this model, we are able to support organizations and help our partners employ homeless women in Nashville, survivors of human trafficking in California and India, HIV-positive women in Ethiopia, and marginalized women in Ecuador and Vietnam. The women benefit through purchases at Paisley + Sparrow because we are able to keep our partners in business who employ the women.”
Flavin’s favorite pieces are definitely jewelry. One of the best sellers is called Eye of the Tiger, a necklace with a cats-eye stone fringed by silver, bronze and gunmetal chains, Beneath the description on Flavin’s website is a note about who made it—the Eye of the Tiger necklace is handmade by survivors of human trafficking.
Paisley + Sparrow also carries bags, scarves and stationery. “Our products are constantly changing and include more than just jewelry. We have handmade lamps, soaps, and fun home pieces like aprons and cloth napkins,” she says.
Flavin has also recently branched out from selling through her website. She now offers trunk shows and pop-up shops in the community that support her mission. “It is a fun way to spread the word and I love partnering with local businesses I believe in,” she says. “I’m able to share the stories of the artisans, I’m able to bring awareness to social justice issues and give people a tangible way to make a difference. I’m able to discover amazing products that are changing lives. And at the end of the day, it is most rewarding because it is a dream come true.”
