Convocation: Stewart Ramsey

Social entrepreneur Stewart Ramsey is on a mission to revolutionize what it means to do business and to do good. As a college student in 2007, Ramsey and three close friends founded Krochet Kids intl. (KKi), a non-profit lifestyle brand focused on empowering communities and engaging customers to make a sustainable impact on global poverty. As high schools students, Ramsey and friends began selling hats they crocheted for a little spending money and were dubbed the “Krochet Kids” by their hometown newspaper. But they never imagined the hobby would blossom into a global movement. Ramsey discovered his passion while he was traveling around the world learning to volunteer. During one trip to northern Uganda on his summer break from college, he encountered a population of people who had become isolated and dependent upon others due to the impact of a rebel army. Yet, he also saw the desire and capability they had to change their circumstances, if given the opportunity. His experiences became the foundation for the work of KKi. Featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Krochet Kids employs more than 100 people in Northern Uganda through the production of their handmade headwear and fashion accessories and have recently started a new program in Peru. Now spanning three continents, their work connects the producer with the customer through a hand-signed label that accompanies every product. The title of his presentation is “Sustainable Social Entrepreneurship: Creating a Cycle of Success.”