Premium leather goods brand Parker Clay is empowering consumers to help shape the future of fashion by becoming the first B Corp to raise capital in their community through a Regulation A+, which allows the public to invest in private companies. For many years, brands have prioritized fast and cheap goods at the expense of our planet and workers, but Parker Clay wants to pave the way for a better model of making and shopping.

The 12-month campaign will go until November 2023. The community fundraising round will enable Parker Clay to expand their production capacity, hire and create impact for more employees, and scale up their retail capacity and market share both in the U.S. and internationally. New individual co-owners will further the brand’s values of transparency, community responsibility, and public accountability.

Sustainable Spotlight: Satori Concept Creates Sustainably-Sourced Cork Yoga Mats

Founded by Ian and Brittany Bentley, Parker Clay is known for its premium leather bags and other goods that provide dignified employment and help uplift women out of exploitation. In just over eight years, they have become the single largest exporter of leather goods in Ethiopia, while funding career training, financial literacy, and healthy lunch programs for its employees.

We chatted with Ian to learn more about the inspiration for the community fundraising campaign, the benefits of being involved, and more.

What inspired the idea for this community fundraising campaign?

Ultimately, what inspired the fundraising campaign was the idea of building the community. Parker Clay is the first B Corp to start a crowdfunding campaign and through our vertically integrated supply chain, we are changing the fashion game entirely. This exciting new chapter for Parker Clay is something we want our customers to be a part of. Since the beginning, we built our company on the foundational proverb that says, “if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” The crowdfunding felt in line with this principle.

What are the benefits of being involved?

We have built a community of customers who have helped scale our impact by purchasing products. Through the crowdfunding campaign, we want to offer not just a product but the opportunity for a financial return. By democratizing the investment process customers can truly invest where their values are. There is also a list of investment perks included below:

• $500 (Own a piece of Parker Clay, $50 Gift Code (Minimum Investment))

• $5,000 - $50,000 (Own a piece of Parker Clay, 5% Bonus Shares)

• $50,000 - $100,000 (Own a piece of Parker Clay, 10% Bonus Shares)

• $100,000 - $500,000 (Own a piece of Parker Clay, 15% Bonus Shares, Limited-Edition Product)

Future plans for Parker Clay?

We plan to build new retail stores in some of our key markets in 2023 and 2024! We’re super proud of the growth we’ve had to date. We now have retail locations in Playa Vista, San Luis Obispo, Denver, and of course our flagship in Santa Barbara! We also have plans for more wholesale accounts, as well as collaborations with like-minded brands. We just moved into a new factory in Ethiopia with room to expand and we plan on hiring more women.

Please share anything else you’d like us to know.

Parker Clay celebrated their ninth anniversary on Easter Weekend. As we reflect on these past nine years, we believe that you do not have to compromise your values to buy a beautiful product. For Mother’s Day, we launched the Miramar Mini and our new Rose Collection! Additionally, Parker Clay has created over 1.6 million hours of empowerment for vulnerable women in Ethiopia since 2014. Female empowerment has always been a foundational pillar of our brand and we cannot wait to see what the future holds.

For more information about Parker Clay, visit their website. To learn more and invest in the community fundraising campaign, click here. Follow them on Instagram: @parkerclay

[Photos courtesy of Parker Clay]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk