Our Story

Around the world, talented artisans carry on the traditional handiwork of the generations that preceded them, but often struggle to make a living from their trade. The Jacaranda Collective is a gateway to the global marketplace for individuals and cooperatives creating high quality lifestyle and decor items in East Africa.  

We also celebrate the work of boutique brands based in developing markets that create stylish and unique products that deserve to be shared with buyers everywhere. 

Our founder, Blythe MacPhee, spent many years working in humanitarian aid and women's economic empowerment across Africa, India, and the Middle East. Many of the most inspiring success stories she heard about were from social enterprises - companies motivated by both earning a profit AND bringing lasting change to the lives of workers through investment. After returning her homebase to Canada, Blythe decided to launch The Jacaranda Collective in 2023 based on this model. 

Each of the items we sell has a story to tell and we share many of them in the product descriptions, but we also want to get the word out about the amazing work being done by each of our artisan partners. Read more about them here.