Succeeding in business is always
impressive. Add law school into the mix and you’re even more outstanding. So
far, that’s what Barley and Birch founder Kyle Smitley has been able to achieve. And if she
doesn’t get your nod of approval for those, she’ll also wow you with the fact
that her business has a heart. Just because you’re a successful business
doesn’t mean that you’re just about the money. In the case of Barley &
Birch, Smitley follows a business model that highlights giving back. After
making sure a business loan and her staff are paid, she donates over half of
the profits of Barley & Birch to organizations she supports. One of these
is CoCoDa, a non-profit organization promoting community development in Central
America.
While she has her heart in the
right place, Smitley actually didn’t know a thing about the apparel industry
when she started Barley & Birch. What drove her to start the business is a
summer internship in Washington, DC. She was an environmental science major and
in 2007 she took part in an internship program where she researched on the side
whether or not companies making organic products where indeed making them. What
her research revealed compelled her to start her own line that was accountable
to both the customer and the environment.
Barley & Birch offers clothes
made only from 100% certified organic cotton. For pigments, only water-based
inks are use so they don’t harm the environment. The company also ships from
Ohio because it’s centrally located and thus reduces travel and the use of
gasoline. For designs, Jodie Milmore worked with Smitley. An eco-friendly boutique
for kids in Chicago, Green Genes, was the first to pick up the line and Barley
& Birch’s first offering was sold out within its first couple of weeks.
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