Tameka Peoples Discusses Her Company, Seed2Shirt

Tameka Peoples, a native of Sacramento, CA is the founder, CEO, and managing director of Seed2Shirt has sincerely done the work of leading her company to great levels of success. Taking her company from a small-scale independent consulting firm, all the way to supporting Omni-bus multiyear multi-million-
dollar federal contracts with global giants such as AT&T.

She didn’t just stop at “solo” accomplishments and profits, it was always more than just about “profits, it was about purpose and people. She is also, the visionary Founder-Board of Director and President of the Peoples Foundation, and practice’s what she preaches and believes when saying, “We have to be the change”.

Tameka’s goal for 2022 is Professional development in the southeast region which will include her attending a textile production certification course and pursuing her master’s in Regenerative Agriculture at HBCU — NCA&T while learning a second language — French.

All these things professional development endeavors will help her lead and grow Seed2Shirt and become and remain an advocate for African- Americans to be global citizens by leading and actively being involved in Global trade with Africa.

We are so thrilled to learn all about Seed2Shirt. How did you come up with the name?

Tameka: The name …Seed2Shirt is synonymous with the entirety of what our company is and represents. We started this because of the sheer fact that it didn’t exist. We couldn’t find an ethically black-made t-shirt company that used cotton from African/African American farmers, offered branding options, and had an impactful “give back” focused mission. Further, the current ecosystem eliminates Black production, minimizes Black cotton farmers, and relegates Blacks to a “spending/consumer” class. So, if we were going to bring a line to market, we were going to do it in a way that restore the African Diaspora community in all areas: agriculture cultivation restoration and representation fair market options, production, and equitable representation PERIOD or weren’t going to do it. We are more than a shirt we are a movement Seed2Shirt… as a company, we exist to make sure that we as a people remember and rebuild what was lost and restore our place within the apparel production value chain in a way that values land, people and empowers brands.

We’re on a mission to change the face/approach of apparel — equitable, ethical apparel production. We are a black woman-owned vertically integrated ethically sourced and made eco-friendly “blank T-shirt” apparel manufacturer who also offers print-on-demand promotional service options for brands and corporations. We as a company embody and live the “3-P” values of our company: empower People who’ve been traditionally marginalized, create Planet beneficial products and services, use the Profit for good by supporting programs that change the world. Every step of the way we focus on equity and ethical restoration of African people and land through our products, and programs.

From Seed2Shirt, we do these things, we source African…soon African American organic cotton for our line. At present we are one of the only small percentages of companies who produce our entire value chain (cotton to T-shirts) in Africa. We give back and look to have a positive impact in all we do as a company through 3 pillars: empower People who’ve been traditionally marginalized, create Planet beneficial products and services, use the Profit for good by supporting programs that change the world.
Every step of the way we focus on equity and ethical restoration of African people and land through our products, and programs.

What impact do you want to make on the world through your business?

Tameka: When we think of impact, we think of the work we do within one of our 3-P’s company pillars, and that’s our Profit for good by supporting programs that change the world. You see we went a step further in our work, we started our Seed2Shirt-Farmer Enrichment program that gives back to the very farmers we source from.

In this program, we partnered with the cotton/organic cotton farmers in West Africa- Burkina Faso. It’s fueled by the sales of our product (or donations) we provide much-needed tools, soil health improvement training, and other resources. A percentage of every Seed2Shirt sale goes to support
our Farmer Enrichment program. This goes to support over 350,000 cotton farmers made up of over 12,000 organic cotton farmers ad 58% of which are women small hold cotton farmers.

This work supports empowering farmers’ livelihoods, and millions of acres of land to environmentally restorative practices built off indigenous agroecology knowledge. The Seed2Shirt Farmer Enrichment Program, along with our work to support expanding markets for our farmers, by expanding the use this very fine organic cotton they produce.

We as a team intend to support the people and land who provide this amazing plant, and all its various uses, to the world. We are committed to our work with African and African American cotton farmers to enable equitable market access. It’s this commitment that has led our firm to become one of the only black-owned global organic textile standards (GOTS) certified organic
cotton brokers, importing over 100,000 pounds of organic African cotton to the US in suport of US manufacturing sector.

So, this work, drive and commitment we have as a team working alongside our community to restore us as a people to an equitable place of ownership as connected to cotton — apparel production is what we are all about and is the type of impact we want to make in this world with our business, in fact, business is just the tool we use to do this work. Like I shared this is more than shirt it’s a movement.

Who is your target market and are you currently seeking new clients?

Tameka: Our ideal client is business to business. Small, medium, and large companies or brands looking for blank and brandable apparel and apparel accessories. Who wants an ecofriendly, ethically made line with branding options — they may also want to know that they are making an impact with the purchase and that’s certainly what they will find with Seed2Sqhirt, quality ethical, and ecofriendly made line with perfectly suited promotional services to meet their all-in-one merchandise branding needs?

We are always looking for new customers who looking for and quality apparel line that will help them and us change the world. If that’s you, please head on over to Seed2Shirt (www.seed2shirt.com ) and see how we can support your merchandise/branding needs.

How has business been during the pandemic?

Tameka: During the pandemic, we really were impacted in sales. But I think that was for many small and startup businesses. We kept working and our farmer program work has really expanded we’ve developed our international and national connections and really taken our approaches and partnerships to the next level. We look forward to what 2022 will bring. This time has allowed us to enhance our organic cotton collaboration, sourcing partners, and much more.

What do you enjoy most about the work that you do?

Tameka: Connecting as a people, we are one people and planet, and doing this work has opened my eyes to the similarities of struggles. I just love working in the community with people and bringing real solutions to the table the part I enjoy most about our work ..is working with and helping people. It really does sound so strange for me to say that or correlate our work in our apparel company with impacting people, but it’s true it’s how we built what we do and how we do it at Seed2Shirt that allows us to really have an impact– one T-shirt at a time, one farmer at a time.

Is there any breaking news you would like to share with us at this time?

Tameka: Stay tuned to our work we are starting to allow people to support and join us on this journey we’ll reveal a number of opportunities to support. We want our crowd with us, and we’ll be dropping the information soon about that ability to support. We’ll also be launching a Shopify App, on the storefront
soon, so that others with a current merchandise line, can use our app and T-shirt products. For folks wanting to stay in touch with our work and App launch etc. Please head over to our site www.seed2shirt.com and sign up for our newsletter.

What else would you like for us to know about you and the work that you do?

Tameka: Well, I find it hard to talk about myself, but I want people to know no matter your age or background, let no one tell you, you don’t have the experience or what it takes or that it can’t be done. I mean I’m 46 years young Black woman, not blessed to have children but know that God has a purpose for me and my life. I have I’m a 3x degreed woman (a BA in criminal justice, 2 AA in IT systems and infrastructure) and not in the “fields” I’m operating, yet a woman with a career full of training to do this work, the way we’re doing int with intention and commitment.

I was born and raised in of Sacramento, CA my entire makeup is about services and community, I served 10 years in the Air Force got out and committed to the work and efforts to build up my community — founded a veteran nonprofit organization where we’ve served over 1500 students in STEM career events a serviced hundreds of veterans through our adaptive sports programs. services. I want people to know I do this work with intention, God given purpose and passion. I know with love and commitment, work ethic, and a team there’s nothing you cannot accomplish, everyday walk live and take action in the purpose that God created you for and there’s nothing you can’t do.

How can we connect with you online?

Tameka: People can reach me on the on all social media (SM) platforms @seed2shirt on our website at https://seed2shirt.com/ or of course connect with me on LinkedIn Tameka Peoples | LinkedIn

About Seed2Shirt

Seed2Shirt -ALL Africa Made Supply Chain.
HQ NV — Admin Site CA — Fulfilment Center GA | Cotton — Burkina Faso / Refined — Uganda — our
Brand of Shirts Produced in Kenya.

Seed2Shirt vision was born out of a need for production to exist in communities of color, the vision was
clear to be a company that empowers people who’ve been traditionally marginalized, creates planet
beneficial products and services, and uses their profits for good supporting programs that change the
world. They have done just that. The 2022 goal is to be the leading ethical/eco-friendly “blank” apparel
manufacturer and fulfillment service provider for businesses brands big and small. While positively
impacting African American and small hold African cotton farmers – through the Seed2Shirt Farmer
Enrichment Program. The Seed2Shirt products and services empower the African Diaspora people.
Seed 2 Shirt is the only Black woman-owned apparel line produced ethically using an all-black supply
chain from Seed2Shirt. They are also the only black woman-owned company that’s a “Global Organic
Textile Standard” certified “organic cotton broker” importing offer 100,000 pounds of West African
Organic cotton. Supporting market expansion for farmers within the US manufacturing sector.

It’s more than a shirt it’s a movement.

Seed2Shirt provides tools, resources, market expansion opportunities, and ways to enrich and improve
livelihoods now and in the future. Building a Legacy of empowerment for black people, farmers, and
makers for centuries to come. Aiming to positively impact over 350,000 organic cotton farmers in W.
Africa: Burkina Faso with our program and services and have already positively impacted over 3,000 US
African American farmers.