MANA'S MESSAGE
When I had my daughter Freyja in 2018, I couldn't find any toys that were sustainable, beautiful and contributed to a meaningful cause amongst the abundance of plastic on offer.
Gender equality - especially in developing countries like Iran where I was born - was always something I wanted to play a part in improving. These two desires are how the concept of Foxy Beginnings came to life. A business where dolls are made by women artisans from their homes in the developing world, providing them with sustained employment and financial independence.
I hope to welcome you into the Foxy Family soon.
-M xx
ABOUT US
FOXY BEGINNINGS keepsakes are the epitome of bespoke children’s products and every beautiful creation is lovingly handcrafted by our talented women artisans.
This WA-based business was founded in 2019 by Mana Simpson, as a passion project after the birth of her daughter. An aerospace engineer with an MBA, who worked full-time whilst being a new mum - Mana decided to combine her passion for sustainable and eco-friendly children's toys with her drive for gender equity and a desire to empower women in marginalised communities. Focused on style, sustainability and philanthropy, she conceptualised a brand which combined ethical employment practices, unique designs, earth friendly materials and high-quality craftswomenship in a philanthropic business model.
Mana’s strong belief in the value of philanthropic efforts and an ideal to see a long-term and lifelong positive impact saw her build a business where she could hire and train women (our artisans) in developing countries to ethically handcraft beautiful, eco-friendly and sustainable children's toys. By hiring and up-skilling these ladies, there is not only a positive impact on their current situation, but also the building of a foundation for their future and the future of their children and families.
Foxy Beginnings has since employed over 17 women across the globe and recently engaged a volunteer-run charity organisation in Indonesia to help develop the necessary infrastructure for the women in the village of Amed - where they have been severely impacted by the global pandemic; losing incomes, livelihoods and even the most basic of resources to survive - to become part of the Foxy Beginnings team. Philanthropic efforts through this collaboration will allow us to provide the necessary tools and equipment for the women of Amed to be trained and, subsequently, begin crafting high-quality, handmade products, using natural and environmentally-friendly materials - which will be marketed and sold internationally.
Mana says about the business and her vision: “I strongly believe in philanthropic efforts to make a life long impact on marginalised communities and the next generations. I am passionate about education and training women to become independent financially and to provide support for their families and their children. This is how I can ensure I am breaking the vicious cycle of poverty for these marginalised communities.”
Owning a small business in the current environment is more challenging than ever. The proof is in the number of small businesses which have closed their doors due to the impact of COVID, as the expense of logistics and materials have tripled in some countries - which impacts the cost of products and lowers the margin to remain profitable. However, there are new business models emerging. Businesses that are focused on giving back to impacted communities, whilst still creating quality products for their market and establishing a strong foundation for expansion and up-scaling. Foxy Beginnings is built on this strong ethos and our business model is focused on our belief that education and up-skilling is the key to having a lifelong, positive impact.
We separate ourselves from other brands by ensuring that our heirloom quality children's toys are not only eco-friendly, but they are also made to last and designed to be passed down from generation to generation. Through tireless design development alongside our gifted artisans, we are able to ensure that every single product meets the high standards that we set for our brand. We strive to remain transparent in our business practices and are passionate about compensating our artisans fairly.
We hope that the future of Foxy Beginnings will see our stylish and sustainable creations become a household name and that our philanthropic business model will bring more and more sustained employment and financial independence to our highly-skilled women artisans in marginalised and disadvantaged communities around the world.
