About ME to WE
About ME to WE
ME to WE: A social enterprise enabling people to do good through their everyday choices
Founded in 2009 to provide economic opportunity in WE Village communities and a sustainable source of funding for WE Charity, ME to WE has grown into a global force for good.
ME to WE Social Enterprises supports the work of WE Charity through three principle avenues
Annual donations averaging over 90% of its profits to WE Charity (read more). Over the years, ME to WE Social Enterprise has donated in excess of 20-million dollars in cash and cost-offsetting in-kind services.
Creating empowering jobs in underserved rural WE Village regions around the world in eco-travel, artisans products, and Fairtrade consumables to help families lift themselves out of poverty.
Providing services to assist the charity, especially hosting at ME to WE travel locations WE Charity donors who are visiting charity projects and youth service trip scholarship. This has resulted in tens of millions of dollars directly donated by these funders to WE Charity.
ME to WE by the numbers
Total cash and in-kind donations made to WE Charity as of 2017
Social impacts funded and delivered through product purchases
Number of artisans in Kenya and Ecuador empowered with financial literacy
Minga Bracelet
Meet Carmen Chavez
Coffee That Changes Lives
Chocolate That Changes Lives
Our vision, mission and WE Charity partner
Our vision: To empower people to transform local and global communities by shifting from “me” thinking to “we” acting. We measure the bottom line by the people empowered and the lives transformed. Living ME to WE means working together to create sustainable change, and making a difference with everything you do—from choosing travel that leaves a positive footprint on the planet to making purchases that give back.
Our mission: Inspire and enable people to do good through their everyday choices. ME to WE creates options for consumers like you, who want to make informed decisions about what you experience and buy, knowing your actions will help empower people and transform lives, making the world a better place.
WE Charity is our charity partner and our best friend in changing the world. Using a highly effective model, ME to WE is structured to offset expenses and help provide pro bono services to WE Charity’s efforts at home and abroad. ME to WE donates a minimum 50% of its net profits to support WE Charity, while the balance is reinvested to grow the mission of the social enterprise. Learn more about WE Charity.
The women behind our Rafiki Bracelets
It started with one beaded piece and a handful of mamas. We wanted to connect them to women around the world, so we called the bracelet rafiki, meaning friend in Swahili. Now, we work with 1,800 artisans in Kenya and Ecuador, empowering them to earn a sustainable income for their beautiful handiwork and to create brighter futures for their families.
Now, these mamas have begun businesses of their own, leading their communities in showing that women can not only earn an income, but also become leaders and role models for the next generation.
Meet Roxanne Joyal, CEO, Founder
Roxanne Joyal was inspired to create ME to WE Artisans after traveling to Kenya in 2010 and witnessing talented Maasai women selling their beautiful beadwork at a loss. Roxanne reached out to form a partnership with these women, one that would give them access to a wider market for their jewelry and a sustainable income.
Our Leadership Team
B Corp Certified
B Corp (short for Benefit Corporation) certification is to business what Fairtrade is to coffee or Energy Star to appliances. It’s a guarantee, backed by rigorous assessment, that a organization is making a positive impact on its local and global community. ME to WE has been a proud certified B Corp since 2015 and scores among the top 5% of all Canadian organizations that are certified.