Me to We

Me to We (stylized as ME to WE) is a for-profit company[2] (functioning as a social enterprise) selling lifestyle products, leadership training and travel experience. Me to We was founded in 2008 by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger. Half of Me to We's profits are donated to We Charity to support its operating costs, while the remainder is reinvested back into the company.[3][4]

Me to We
For-profit B Corporation.[1]
IndustryLifestyle and travel
FoundedToronto
2008
FounderCraig Kielburger 
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Roxanne Joyal
(CEO)
Websitewww.metowe.com

History

Following the founding of We Charity (formerly known as Free the Children) in 1995, Craig and Marc Kielburger launched a program called "Leaders Today", to offer leadership training to young people and volunteer trips to developing communities served by their charity.[5] In 2008, the Kielburgers launched the for-profit company Me to We, which continued the trips program, and added the sale of socially conscious retail items.[4]

In 2015, Me to We received certification as a B Corporation.[6]

From 2014 to 2017, Me to We donated roughly 85 percent of its profits to We Charity. The remainder was reinvested to expand the company and pay fair wages to the farmers and artisans it employs in South America and Africa.[7] Me to We donated $1.1 million to We Charity in 2016 and $1.5 million in 2017.[8]

Trips

Me to We runs volunteer trips to a number of developing countries around the world, such as Ecuador, India and Kenya. Trip participants help construct schools or wells.[9]

Some of the organization’s celebrity ambassadors have taken trips with Me to We, including Olivia Holt,[10] Drew Scott, Kardinal Offishall, and Jordan Fisher.[11]

Artisans

Me to We Artisans was founded in 2009 by CEO Roxanne Joyal.[12]

Women employed by Me to We Artisans are paid more than they normally make for their products, and are also provided with training on financial literacy.[13] As a result, many are able to invest part of their income in small businesses and the education of their children.[14]

YouTube personality Lilly Singh designed and promoted a line of beaded bracelets called “#GirlLove Rafikis,” as part of her campaign to end “girl on girl hate.”[15]

Controversies and criticisms

In 2018 Canadian new site Canadaland reported that Me to We had business connections to several companies known to use child labour.[16] The Canadaland report noted that the Me to We label was present on Hershey's products, and that the chocolate company has been criticized for its child labour practices. Me to We was also criticized for its partnership with Unilever, a major purchaser of palm oil produced with child labour. Me to We denied its products were sourced to child labour, and noted that it vetted its partners.[2]

The company has been criticized for blending corporate promotion with its activist goals.[17][18][19]. Leadership has also been profiled for their "aggressive responses to criticism", with tight control over media presence and a history of lawsuits[20].

References
  1. "ME to WE | Certified B Corporation". bcorporation.net. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  2. "Craig Kielburger Founded WE To Fight Child Labour. Now The WE Brand Promotes Products Made By Children". www.canadalandshow.com. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  3. "Craig and Marc Kielburger believe changing the world is possible". Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  4. "Marc and Craig Kielburger's do-gooding social enterprise". Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  5. Christine Langlois, "The accidental activists: Craig and Marc Kielburger", Canadian Living, September 21, 2009.
  6. "ME to WE | Certified B Corporation". bcorporation.net. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  7. "Social enterprise is the solution we need right now". Washington Examiner. 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  8. "WE Charity". www.charityintelligence.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  9. Koch, Amy Tara (2018-07-04). "5 Summer Programs for Teens That Teach Empathy Through Community Service". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  10. "Olivia Holt on the Week in Kenya That Changed Her Life". InStyle.com. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  11. "Celebrities humbled by African trips". Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  12. Fashion (2013-04-20). "Me to We Artisans inspires style and social responsibility | National Post". Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  13. Nast, Condé. "This New Fossil Collection Helps You Empower Women Around The World". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  14. Davis, Heather Greenwood. "How fair trade jewellery is changing the lives of Kenyan women". Canadian Living. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  15. "The Lilly Singh Empire: #GirlLove, 14 Million Subs, & Toothbrushes". Techvibes. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  16. "WE's links to child labour reverse social progress".
  17. "We Day's blend of activism, corporate messages prompts criticism from teacher | CBC News".
  18. "We Day: The corporate selling of progressive ethics and hope to youth". 28 October 2010.
  19. "A Teacher's Critique of 'We Day'". 30 October 2013.
  20. "How The Kielburgers Handle The Press". www.canadalandshow.com. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
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