Ana Gabriela Lopez is the founder of Chica Mala, an eco-friendly textile and lifestyle shop handcrafted by artisans in her home country of Guatemala. We start off the conversation with some history on Ana’s childhood growing up in Guatemala, the “colorism” that exists in the country, and the inspiration she drew from her two strong, but different, grandmothers. She then talks about her transition from Guatemala to Gilroy, California, some of the struggles she faced fitting in, and how she noticed that more opportunities came her way as she made more friends that were white or white passing. Finally, she tells us how all this led to her starting a social impact business called Chica Mala, which uses a unique business model focused on equity, providing significant financial opportunities to the indigenous Guatemalan women of her home country.

Chica Mala:

https://shopchicamala.com/

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