Charity Has An Echoing Effect: A Conversation With Philanthropist Eve Echo
In New York last month, I sat down with a woman introduced to me by my friend, Ruth Staiman. Her name was Eve Echo. We met at Dean and Deluca to discuss her company’s inspiring mission: to eliminate gender inequality and free women from oppression.
MW: Why Did You Start A Social Conscious Beauty Line?
EE: I wanted to make a difference in the lives of women less fortunate. It’s hard to to get charitable donations from people today; with the openness of the net, it seemed natural to use the line to perpetuate cause support through the almost unconscious act of online purchases.
MW: The term “the Echo effect,” has several connotations. The act of washing our hands with products aimed for good not only give us “clean hands,” so to speak, “but a clean conscious.” Was that intentional?
EE: Absolutely. I wanted to start a line that allowed women to help one another. Helping others is good for our souls, helps us understand that things are worth standing for and believing in and that good Karma. So, every time you clean your hands with their wonderful products, you’re helping women around the world. That’s the very definition of good karma!
MW: How does your process work?
EE: Through our product sales, we lend 100% of our profits to FINCA, an organization that offers low-interest loans to women in impoverished areas to help them start or develop their own businesses. After one year, the original loan, plus interest, is returned to Eve Echo. Then the cycle repeats, allowing us to lend larger amounts of capital to organizations.
To learn more about the products, visit them online. Hand soap, $14, and hand sanitizer, $8-$10, at Eve Echo