The Power Of Purpose: How THR3EFOLD Is Helping Create An Ethical Supply Chain For Fashion

THR3EFOLD is a new platform connecting fashion brands to an ethical sustainable supply chain that also offers consulting to grow their business for people, planet and profit. I caught up with Founder and CEO Jessica Kelly to find out more about her journey, her insights and her favorite factory.

Afdhel Aziz: Jessica, welcome. Tell us how your journey to starting THR3EFOLD started?

Jessica Kelly: My journey started five years ago. I had already been working for a few years in the NY fashion industry in PR, marketing, and sales for some of the top brands in the industry. It was everything I had dreamed of growing up, but after awhile selling more expensive things to rich people hit a wall and I began to crave more meaning in what I was doing with my life. An opportunity presented itself to go on a missions trip to Zimbabwe which I took and my life was changed. I was so overwhelmed by the joy and generosity of the Zimbabwean people and saddened at the little job opportunity available for them to create a life of opportunity for their children. I returned to New York ignited by a passion to start a company that could create sustainable employment around the world.

Aziz: Thank you for sharing that. What is the problem you are trying to solve and who can benefit from it?

Kelly: We are trying to make it easy to navigate an ethical and sustainable supply chain. When I went on a month long research and development trip to India, I encountered both large and small scale factories operating at incredible standards for people and planet but most of them had outdated websites that would never be found on Google and I noticed there wasn't one centralized place to go find manufacturing that also ensured standards. Our platform allows brands to set up a safe supply chain and manage their production easily while also helping great factories find new business and grow so they can keep impacting their communities in a positive way. Everyone wins.

Aziz: It sounds like you’ve hit on something really crucially important to both factories and companies. What are some of the brands you have been working with?

Kelly: We have been working with many brands that are pre-launch to get them set up with their first factory and put good strategies in place to grow, as well as growing brands like Rep Your Water, an outdoor brand based in Colorado, who was in need of a new factory after their existing facility closed but didn't have the time for the arduous process of sifting through search results and sampling with factories that came up short in their standards and quality, so they came to us to find a good fit fast.

Aziz: And what is your favorite factory and why?

Kelly: My favorite THR3EFOLD factory partner is in Agra, India. They not only meet the requirements for their ethical and sustainable certifications, but they also go above and beyond with things like solar panels for energy and collecting rain water to reduce water usage where possible. They also form key partnerships so they can recycle their fabrics scraps, employ disabled adults in their community, and provide opportunity for women in rural areas nearby. The personal impact just this one factory has on this small town is tremendous and a great example of what is possible when people, planet, and profit are considered in your business model.

Aziz: That’s very cool. How do you see the long term potential of THR3EFOLD given the trade tensions with China and how so much of American manufacturing is based there?

Kelly: There is so much potential! Many other areas of Southeast Asia have grown in skilled garment manufacturing over the last 10 years, like India, where the craft level is high and the cost of living is low compared to western countries. Additionally, thanks to technology, we are experiencing growth in brand new economies like many African nations that are able to skip over some outdated technology and machinery that is keeping establish areas behind, and go straight into a streamlined, modern workforce.

Aziz: Finally, what are your plans for the future?

Kelly: At THR3EFOLD, we are working to see a day when the industry is 100% ethically made. We are starting with cut and sew garment factories, but eventually want to expand into textiles, as well as a factory improvement plan to uplift the entire sector. We also are in the early stages of facilitating sourcing for deadstock fabric, which is the pre-consumer textile waste that is lying dormant in factories and brand offices around the world with nowhere to go. If we are able to get this fabric back into the supply chain, we can reduce the amount of virgin textiles that have to be created and therefore strain the resources on our planet. There is a lot of work to be done and we are passionately running after this goal everyday. We love what we do and are so privileged to be apart of the solution.


I am the Founder and Chief Purpose Officer of Conspiracy of Love a purpose-driven brand consultancy that advises Fortune 500 companies on how to ‘do well by...