Money talks. Whether you are running a multi-billion-dollar empire or a small non-profit, money is at the root of everything you do. Business executives spend hours studying their bottom line and thinking about how they can increase their profit-margin, while charities simply can’t function without donations. Whether we like it or not, we need money to make a difference in today’s society.

The aim of TheOne08 was to be different, in order to make a difference, we needed to place purpose and planet above profit, and that is at the heart of our vision and mission.

Bags of Money

There was never any question that our collection would center around womens handbags.  We knew that our team was blessed with a wealth of experience and success in the field and that the potential to base the manufacturing in Africa was very doable. So we set forth to make sure that our company lived up to its purpose.  A portion of the profits from our collection will be split in the following four ways:

• We will pay our employees a thriving wage.
• We will invest in infrastructure and training in Africa, helping to improve the lives of the locals.
• We will donate a portion of our profit to our partner conservancy, helping them in their work in Kenya.
• We will make expand our collection and research the use of new cruelty-free materials.

Our collection will initially be manufactured in Southeast Asia, but once we have the infrastructure in place, our workshop will move to Africa. TheOne08 team will hire local people to develop and deliver the bags, providing training, education and empowerment to one of the poorest areas of the world.  And in turn, providing these alternative and meaningful livelihoods to our partner communities will ultimately reduce the ever-expanding pressure on the land.

Our work won’t stop there. We intend to work with our partner communities in providing education regarding their land and the importance of conserving it and its wild inhabitants.

Our End Goal

We believe that long-term conservation outcomes depend on vastly improving the opportunities and livelihoods of the people who share the land.  We believe that doing the right thing is good business. A good business enhances the lives of all who work within it and enriches the lives of all those whom it comes in contact. We honor that our customers want products that help the people who make them.  By purchasing TheOne08 products you become part of the solution and play an integral role in our efforts to make a lasting change in our partner communities, so thank you!

The Tale of TheOne08

The tale of TheOne08 is a story grounded in love: my love for my children; my love for wildlife; my love for nature; my love for people; my love for travel; and my love for photography. But most of all, it comes from my love of and commitment to making a difference in the world.

Big Beginnings

Like many, I spent a lion’s share of my adult life working within large corporations.  These experiences forged skills that propelled me to much success, and they were pivotal in shaping the person I am today.  I feel a huge amount of gratitude to the people I met along the way who helped me grow and develop as a person and I thank them. However, I never truly felt fulfilled during my corporate career, and it left me seeking a path to doing MORE. 

Ultimately, I turned to non-profit work centered around children, education and conservation and with this, I knew I had found my life’s work. 

Life-Changing Events

During this time I was also lucky enough to travel to Africa several times, each time immersing myself in the land, culture and people of this magnificent continent.   I believe deeply that it is impossible to leave Africa unchanged.  It changed me.

It felt as though everything in my life up to that moment had led to my visit to Cambodia in July 2018. I spent countless hours exploring the ancient temples around Angkor Wat, walked the same steps of those taken from millennia ago and was left inspired by the boundlessness of the human spirit.  I believe in the collective power of humanity to achieve great things and change the trajectory of our planet.

Making a Team

Determined, I returned to the United States and immediately began work on what is now, TheOne08.  Our journey is still unfolding, but we are resolute in our shared commitment to be the good.

Introducing TheOne08.

Amir Hoda