Leading Change Through Commerce: Bena' Burda and Maggie's Organics

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GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (February 13, 2009) – An expert on the organic clothing industry will speak at Aquinas College in February at a lecture sponsored by the Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center (JHIWSC).

Bena' Burda, organic authority, sustainable business leader and CEO of Maggie's Organics/Clean Clothes, Inc., will present Leading Change Through Commerce: Bena' Burda and Maggie's Organics on Tuesday, February 24 at 7 p.m. at the Aquinas College Donnelly Conference Center, 157 Woodward Lane SE, Grand Rapids. The event is free and open to the public.

Burda's career in organics began in 1978. As a sales manager for Eden Foods, she helped launch the first certified organic soymilk in the United States. Later, while working for Bearito's Brand Organic Tortilla Chips, she began experimenting with cotton, and in 1992 started Maggie's Organics. The organic apparel produced by Maggie's Organics, including baby wear, tees, socks and fashionable tops, is environmentally sound and socially responsible. Most of Maggie's clothing is manufactured in countries with strict labor laws. However, when producing clothing in countries with poor labor laws, Maggie's Organics either finds or creates worker-owned cooperatives to ensure worker independence and control.

The JHIWSC, established in 1986, serves as a community resource for women's and gender issues; promoting awareness of these issues through its programs and curriculum, and empowering students and community members to become advocates for gender equality and social justice. The JHIWS Center is a part of the West Michigan Women's Studies Council.

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