Reese Fernandez-Ruiz explains how Rags2Riches survived a near-closure, learned to pair its social mission with real revenue, and set out to build a 100-year Filipino fashion house.
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What led Reese to use business as a vehicle for social change?
Her mother’s community work shaped that view, and R2R was built to create better livelihoods for Filipino artisans.
Reese describes the need to learn finance, strengthen the business model, and build systems that could carry the mission.
The near-closure made the gap impossible to ignore. A social mission could not survive without real revenue and financial discipline.
The goal is a Filipino heritage company that outlives its founders while continuing to create sustainable opportunities for artisans.
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