Our Founders

Sandra was born and raised in Guatemala. She moved to the U.S. when she was 18 but has never forgotten the beauty of the land she calls home.  She met Kyle while studying at LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, UT. Since meeting they have lived in LA, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Laie Hawaii, Washington D.C. and are now in Salt Lake City again, hoping that the next move takes them back to Guatemala ;).  She is by far the hardest worker in the family; taking care of three kids and running the business.  She is excited to be able to connect to her roots and share some of the beauties of Guatemala, its vibrant colors and rich culture, with all of you, all while giving back and making her homeland a better place.

Kyle was born and raised in Southern California. After living for a few years in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic he fell in love with the language and cultures of Latin America but more importantly he gained an appreciation for the privileged life he had lead and a recognition that, for the vast majority of people living in poverty, it is not due to a lack of ingenuity and work ethic but opportunity that keeps them trapped.  He was impressed that, despite what they lacked, so many people that he met and spent time with were so willing to give.  He later studied Political Science and International Relations at Brigham Young University-Hawaii with minors in Economics and Public Management and a certificate in Intercultural Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution.  He graduated with a passion for economic development and views extreme poverty as just a different form of conflict; one that must, and can, be resolved, even if it is only for one individual or family.

Alejandra and Juan Pablo have been our salvation on the ground in Guatemala as we have gotten started. Alejandra is Sandra's sister and Juan Pablo is her husband.  They live just outside of Guatemala City with their two kids Nicole and Fabian. It was their Christmas package to us that included our first pairs of sandals for our little girls and got everyone asking where we got them. They have been invaluable assets in finding, purchasing, and shipping the shoes up here while we get ready for our first trip down there (since starting the business). We could not have done any of this from here without someone there in Guate. We are grateful for their time and efforts and excited to have them in our team.