176: Parker Clay Luxury Goods + Empowering Women in Ethiopia - Brittany Bentley

Brittany Bentley, co-founder of Parker Clay, joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her inspiring life story, how adoption led her and her husband to move to Ethiopia, and how they decided to start a luxury brand dedicated to helping women escape human trafficking and empowering them to live their lives - in freedom. Brittany and her husband had two children, Parker and Clay, and they decided to pursue adoption - which was what first led them to Ethiopia to adopt their first daughter. Their time in Ethiopia was transformative and opened their eyes to the crisis facing women in Ethiopia. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 150,000 women are currently trapped in prostitution and 26% of women are unemployed; and in Ethiopia as a whole, over 4,6 million children are orphaned. Women and children in Ethiopia often feel like they have no other choice except to sell themselves and their bodies for money, but Parker Clay is changing that by offering women and girls freedom, a great salary and benefits, and the opportunity to pursue their hopes and dreams.  Parker Clay is a B-corp that makes premium leather and handwoven goods in Ethiopia and hires survivors of human trafficking, empowering them through commerce and art to freely live their lives. A B-corporation is a for-profit business that uses the power of commerce to solve social and environmental problems. Parker Clay partners with Ellilta International, a non-profit organization that provides holistic alternatives for exploited individuals through recovery that leads to freedom and restoration in all areas of life, to offer the women Ellilta works with - freedom and employment.  Brittany is an incredible woman with an inspiring story to share. You don’t want to miss this incredible episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: Brittany’s life story; How Brittany and her husband, Ian, decided to adopt and how that led them to Ethiopia for the first time;  How Brittany and Ian and their family ended up living in Ethiopia for a while, embedded themselves in the community, and how their experiences and conversations led them to starting Parker Clay; The story of how Parker Clay came to be and all about the incredible work they do; About the crisis facing women and children in Ethiopia and how Parker Clay is playing a role in leading them to freedom; And so much more.  The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.  For more information about Brittany and Parker Clay, please visit: }www.1GirlRevolution.com/parkerclay