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On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, our lunch speaker will be Shannon Keith, Founder of Sudara.
Shannon took a trip to India in 2005 that changed her life. After witnessing women being forced to sell their bodies in order to feed their families and hearing stories of sex trafficking, she was compelled to found an organization that would create a lasting impact for women and their families. |
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More than 15 years later, her company — Sudara — is a thriving certified B-Corp with a mission that is still rooted in job creation for women in India who are at the highest risk of or survivors of sex trafficking, while empowering them to create a lasting, generational impact for their families.
Purchases through Sudara support training and jobs for the women who make the products, and fund investments in a non-profit arm of Sudara that provides for those same women across their entire ecosystem and supports sustainable pathways to freedom.
Shannon has developed an organization that is creating systemic change, and can also be felt on a personal level. Each of the prints that Sudara sells is inspired by and named after a woman her organization has helped. Each woman has a unique story to tell through Shannon’s thoughtful, outcome-driven design and partnerships for Sudara.
Shannon is part of the BIPOC community and has built an equitable team in both Bend, OR and India that is committed to Sudara’s freedom-filled mission. At the core of her work is to create change that is deep and sustainable. More than a give-back model, her organization enables women to have choices for themselves and for their families. Shannon is breaking ground in this space by asking questions, pushing for answers, and sharing what she has learned. It is her belief that by helping other entrepreneurs and business leaders working for the same cause we can maximize the collective good.
Shannon believes in creating a sustainable business culture where women can thrive without sacrificing themselves and their families. She is a wife and a mother. She constantly works to integrate her roles as well as model her personal values for her team. it is her vision to keep growing an organization that enables her team to work smart, live in balance, and keep positive impact in the forefront.
Shannon was the 2017 Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur of the Year. She participates in many local, caused-based organizations like the Guardian Group. She also founded and is a key member of the nonprofit Sudara Freedom Fund. She has spoken at, and been an active member of, the Rotary Club, Deschutes County Library’s Author! Author!, and Soroptimist. She is a 2016 Bend Venture Conference (BVC) Social Impact Winner, Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) and Bend Chamber, and member of Opportunity Knocks (OK), and TedX Bend Speaker. She works for gender equality rights both across the world and in her own community by spearheading women’s equality initiatives, working with MUSE, and consistently meeting with a local women’s CEO group. She has promoted and given time to The Kid’s Center and Living Option for Teens (LOFT).
Shannon cherishes and prioritizes time with her family. Her personal interests include snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, camping, travel, enjoying great food and wine, and reading. Thinking about systemic issues, analyzing root causes, and considering how she can be a leader in the social innovation and racial justice space are some of her true passions.
This meeting will be all-virtual. Join the Zoom Meeting here: https://zoom.us/j/94947782364
You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 949 4778 2364.
We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.