Levi Strauss & Co. announced the election of ten entrepreneurs to the LS&Co. Collaboratory, an annual fellowship program aimed at creating a more sustainable apparel industry.
The chosen companies range from Outerknown, a menswear brand, focused on sustainability in the supply chain; to the Colours of Nature, a natural dye company that specializes in indigo; to Cherenhani Africa, a social enterprise that focuses on women’s empowerment and financial inclusion through sustainable fashion.
The fellows will participate in a workshop, designed in partnership with the Aspen Institute, to create solutions to reduce their water impact in the apparel industry. The workshop will be held in the fall at Levi’s Eureka Innovation Lab in San Francisco, where the fellows will work alongside LS&Co. leaders and experts in the field.
Chip Bergh, president and CEO of LS&Co, said, “Our goal with the Collaboratory is to fuel the next generation of apparel makers and accelerate sustainability innovation, and we’re excited about what this group of fellows will accomplish.”
In addition to the Collaboratory workshop, fellows may receive up to $50,000 in funding to implement their water sustainability solutions.
