Though Rev. Georgiette Morgan-Thomas was set to retire after 20 years of social work, she was far from ready to hang up her hat. In 2016, the pastor from Harlem used her life savings to purchase a historic hat factory in Philadelphia that was on the cusp of closure. Throwing herself into the manufacturing and design process, the reverend has established a new modern space for American Hats in the market while retaining the factory's heritage manufacturing techniques.

Photo courtesy of American Hats LLC.