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Amber Chand
Amber Chand is the Founder and President of The Amber Chand Collection: Global Gifts for Peace and Understanding, a mission-based social enterprise that supports craftswomen in regions of conflict and post-conflict by helping to generate income, dialogue, reconciliation, and understanding. The company offers a unique Internet marketing and distribution channel for high-quality products created by talented craftswomen in vulnerable regions of the world. A major focus of Chand's work is to support peace-building initiatives by offering craft as a symbolic expression for reconciliation. She is one of the original architects and designers of the Jerusalem Candle of Hope, a remarkable collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli craftswomen. Today, the company is working in Guatemala, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Darfur/Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Lebanon.
Previously, Amber was one of the visionary cofounders behind Eziba, a multi channel retailer of handcrafted objects from around the world founded in 1999. During the company's five-year history, she was instrumental in creating and dramatically growing this socially responsible enterprise that directly contributed to the economic and cultural viability of artisan communities worldwide. The company was sold in 2005.
As Eziba's cofounder and its Vice-President of Vision, Chand helped to develop the company's distinctive brand and identity; launched the highly successful Gift That Gives Back Program in collaboration with leading non profit partner organizations; created a signature collection of peace building products that ranked in the company's top five best selling products; and traveled globally to identify talented artisan groups with whom she worked on product development, design, and market accessibility. She became the spokesperson and the recognizable face of Eziba both through her regular interviews in the media; her "Letter from Amber" column prominently featured in Eziba catalogs and read by over 2 million American households; and her public speaking engagements.
Born in East Africa of Indian parentage and expelled from her country during a time of political turmoil in her youth, Chand has developed a profound interest in issues affecting global exchange, artisan enterprise, and peace building strategies. Most recently, she was invited to be a founding member of the Business Council for Peace, an entity that grew out of the Global Peace Initiative for Women Spiritual and Religious Leaders and a partner of UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women). Amber is also a member of the Business Advisory Council for Women for Women International, a global organization supporting women in regions of conflict. She sits on the board of the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, a philanthropic organization that grew out of the Beijing 1995 Conference, and was recently invited to join the Western Massachusetts Women's House of Peace, an interfaith organization dedicated to peace building activities in the community. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Sustain Sumatra, a broad-based industry wide initiative to support reconstruction efforts in Sumatra in the aftermath of the tsunami of 2004. She has recently been invited to join the Wise Women Circle at the World Bank/IFC, an advisory group that offers support on a variety of initiatives at the organization, including the launching of their flagship store that will open in June 2006. |
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