Causes

Community & economic development Human services International affairs Philanthropy & capacity building

Posted by

Siiri M.

Founding Partner

Our mission

Prosperity Candle L3C is a social enterprise that prioritizes positive impact over all else, ensuring everything we do helps create opportunities for women to thrive. All our candles are hand-poured by women artisans, most by women refugees creating new lives for themselves and their families in the United States. Many of our vessels are handcrafted by women artisans from around the world. We are a B-Corp and follow fair trade principles established by the World Fair Trade Federation.

What we do

Ten years ago, members of the Prosperity Candle team envisioned a simple yet innovative business model we call "shared prosperity". Simply stated, it is an import, marketing and distribution business that prioritizes social benefit to a group that is among the most isolated from global commerce – women entrepreneurs in places of distress – through ongoing support and sustained market access.

Our business started as a self-funded project in Baghdad to offer an income generating opportunity to Iraqi widows by giving them the materials and training to make candles in their own homes, either to sell in the local market or distribute to western markets. We have expanded our vision, and now most of our candles are hand-poured by women refugees creating new lives for themselves and their families in the United States. Many of our vessels are handcrafted by women artisans from around the world.

Our model starts with the operational structure and margins of the founders’ previous successful import companies. We have grown our business model from the original B2C concept and have expanded our market channels to include wholesale, corporate gifts, private label candles and custom event and fundraiser gifts.