A sad but important announcement: We are going out of business.

I have a difficult announcement to make about Elevat’s future. We have sadly made the hard decision to close at the end of this year. 

After moving to Belgium 5 years ago, it became more difficult to manage operations and although Elevat’s volunteers are some of the most dedicated and compassionate people on the planet, it has just gotten harder and harder to keep going, with me so far away.  The complications and financial implications of new tariffs that have been added to international goods has also increased the difficulty of running a business of importing goods from impoverished countries.

It has been an extreme privilege to be able to represent global women artisans and be a part of bringing their handmade goods to the US marketplace for 14 years now. In the process we were able to provide work in safe and ethical ways for 1,000’s of women in some of the most under-resourced corners of the globe. So, while closing is sad and hard, we also want to take a moment and celebrate all the good and beautiful that was accomplished over these 14 years. 

We want to invite you to our “Last Chapter” event on Oct 24th that will be part “going out of business sale” and part celebration of these incredible 14 years where together, we were able to make a positive impact on people’s lives.  We’ll be set up at Corner Coffee Northeast on Central Ave in Minneapolis from 9-4 and we’d LOVE to see you stop by.  Elevat has only been possible because so many of you believed in our mission and participated by purchasing these handmade items and helping women feel seen and supported. That’s something to celebrate.  So, please save the date of Oct 24, I’d love to see you there!