Safia Minney
Entrepreneur and Social Campaigner
An award winning, international social entrepreneur, speaker and advisor, Safia has 20 years+ experience as a Global CEO of the company she founded, People Tree, developing the first sustainable and Fair Trade supply chains and standards with advisory roles with industry bodies. Safia is seen as a thought leader in sustainable fashion and influencer in Sustainability and Modern Slavery. Extensive experience in Japan, Asia and Europe. Speaks Japanese and has authored many books and documentaries and films on Fair Trade and sustainability in English and Japanese. Safia received an MBE for services to Fair Trade and Fashion industries.
Deep understanding of Fashion Retail:- planning, operational and innovation for sustainability to increase social impact and decrease environmental impact. Understanding of risk, critical path, sourcing, merchandising, marketing strategy and finance. Experience leading international, multi-stakeholder teams to deliver change and innovation.
Safia has an extensive international network in Sustainability and the Creative industries and is recognised by the World Economic Forum as an outstanding Social Entrepreneur. Safia combines purpose, commercial, digital communications to support companies’ sustainability transformation. With her experience in advertising and communications and social enterprise, Safia has a rare ability to translate better business practice through environmental, social and governance into stakeholder engagement and through internal and external communications to deliver cutting edge action for sustainability and brand loyalty.
BIOGRAPHY
Safia founded Global Village and People Tree in Tokyo, Japan. in 1991. In 1995, she started design and product development of Fair Trade and sustainable clothing, food and gift product ranges for the Japanese market and set up retail, wholesale and later Ecommerce. She developed a process of capacity building for Fair Trade and social enterprises in Asia, Africa and Latin America and started the “Market Exposure Program’. We pioneered the ‘Sustainable Fair Trade Management System’ for the World Fair Trade Organisation and were the first company to achieve Fair Trade certification label for our operations internationally. In 2010, she launched People Tree Europe in London.
Today Safia coaches senior leaders in sustainability, founders and senior management teams over the last three years and is certified to ILM7 in Executive Coaching and Mentoring. She consults on sustainable business, supply chains and marketing, clients include fashion companies, and pioneer brands in sustainability ranging from beauty to construction. International speaking engagements for key notes on Sustainability, Modern Slavery, and motivational Leadership and panel discussions at industry events. She founded REAL Sustainability, a CIC to promote sustainable living and leading .
She is the author of many books in English and Japanese.
Safia recently launched Real Sustainability to promote sustainable living and leadership. In early 2022 she led the launch of Fashion Declares, a bottom up, industry wide movement to promote radical action in the climate, ecological and social emergency. Safia’s book, Regenerative Fashion, published by Laurence King/Hachette was released in November 2022.
SOCIAL CAMPAIGNING AND MARKETING
Safia Minney is a proven and effective thought leader and campaigner for social justice and environmental impact. She initiated World Fair Trade Day, Rag Rage and is a Founder member of Ethical Fashion Forum, Fashion Revolution and Strawberry Earth Academy promoting Eco Design.
Safia’s unique practical experience and passion for social change together with her background in marketing and design has helped create a business that blends social change with great product and retail. People Tree is an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of customers and suppliers and sets a new bar for end to end Fair Trade and Organic fashion production.
Safia and her team have been responsible for the first Fair Trade designer collaboration with Vogue magazine, which featured high profile international designers and celebrities in 2007. She and People Tree have also worked closely with Emma Watson to design the first ever Fair Trade fashion range for young people as well as other collaborations with internationally acclaimed designers such as Orla Keily, Zandra Rhodes, Bora Aksu, have brought Fair Trade into luxury fashion.
People Tree was the first international fashion company to be certified 100% Fair Trade by the WFTO. Through her work she has brought sustainable livelihoods and social welfare to over 5000 economically marginalised farmers, artisans and tailors.
Safia is the author of 4 books about Fair Trade, sustainable design and lifestyle, By Hand, Naked Fashion and Slow Fashion. She is currently working on her forth to be entitled, Slave to Fashion. Safia is also featured in the movie ‘True Cost’ as a leading spokesperson on the fashion industry and allowing cameras to follow her for a year as she continues her pioneering work in delivering social change.
KEYNOTE SPEAKING TOPICS
Supply Chain Management & Transparency:
Partnering, innovating and capacity building with suppliers to create social impact and environmental best practice to comply with ethical standards. How to communicate to your customers and stakeholders to build sales and brand loyalty.
Creating Sustainable Business Models:
Building an operational plan and design to incorporate social and environmental best practice into conventional business models, products, services and marketing communications.
Social Marketing, Media and Brand Building:
Communicating best practice to customers and stakeholders to promote engagement and new environmental and social initiatives. How to create initiatives to deliver and show commitment to social value with examples of successful initiatives in Europe, Japan and Asia.
Creating Fair Trade and Social Impact:
Using design and business as an agent for change; what social impact can be expected and how do you measure purpose beyond profit.
Women in Business:
Building a pioneering social business and brand in Japan and Europe whilst juggling a family. Overcoming challenges through partnerships and collaborations and making bringing leadership and income opportunities to women around the world to create social change.
Slow Fashion. Aesthetics meets Ethics:
A look at the global ‘ethical consumer’ movement, the rise of the eco lifestyle store, social enterprise and sustainable design and campaigning for social change.
VIDEO