Thread International
About Thread International
We took out the things you don’t want and thought of the things you didn’t know you needed, so you can navigate adulting like a boss. Each bag is handmade from the most responsible fabric on the planet, putting people in Haiti back to work and cleaning up plastic waste.
Our transparent and traceable supply chain leads to Thread’s workshop in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA, where we’re finding new ways to support jobs for people in the local community. For the past several years, Thread sold its fabric made from plastic bottles in Haiti to other clothing companies.
(Timberland, Reebok, Marmot, etc…) We just launched our own product–the better backpack on Kickstarter. Each backpack is made from 25 plastic bottles, looks great, and comes to you at a reasonable price.
Now on Kickstarter, a bag designed with one philosophy: Better work. Better life. We took out the things you don’t want and thought of the things you didn’t know you needed, so you can navigate adulting like a boss.
Each bag is handmade from the most responsible fabric on the planet, putting people in Haiti back to work and cleaning up plastic waste. Our transparent and traceable supply chain leads to Thread’s workshop in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA, where we’re finding new ways to support jobs for people in the local community.
A better backpack: Take on every moment of your day from work, to work out, to going out designed with thoughtful details and recycled canvas, so you can look good and feel good. Starting with our 100% recycled canvas made entirely from discarded bottles, we engineered a bag that could actually keep up all day, every day.
Two sizes, 17L and 20L so you can carry everything (and a little more). With a top pocket, for your go-to items on the fly, a front pocket for a notebook and more without adding bulk, the chimney, for a water bottle or umbrella, and many more features, this bag finally got it right.
We designed three colors that fit into a day-to-night wardrobe, each with its own distinct lining and leather accents. We have Grey, Black, and Brown waxed canvas, with hiking-inspired comfort. This bag even has a slip to latch onto a rolling suitcase.
At Thread, we believe dignified jobs cure poverty, and that business is the primary engine for job creation. As a certified B-Corporation, our value in social and environmental impact adds responsibility to our bottom line.
People in the first mile of our supply chain save bottles at home and collect them from their neighbors, the streets, and even the landfill to trade for cash at a local plastic collection center.
Once bundled, those bottles are transported to a recycling facility for processing. We’ve put programs in place to teach safety and business best practices to formalize what is typically informal work.
After the plastic is grinder into flakes, the fibers are spun to create a substantial strand of yarn, which is then woven into our unique fabric.
What problems does Thread International solve?
Thread has saved over 41 million plastic bottles from entering the ocean. Port-au-Prince, Haiti has a large trash problem, and Thread makes an effort to clean up the city along with employing people in Menelas–a community near the landfill.
For whom your Product/ Service is for?
Anyone and Everyone who needs a better everyday backpack.
What makes you stand out from the crowd?
Not only do we use fabric made out of recycled bottles from a landfill in Haiti, but we also create dignified jobs for our Haitian employees along with our seamstresses hired right in our own community. We also take pride in our traceable and responsible supply chain.
Any Achievements or Milestones accomplished?
- Certified B Corporation
- Collaboration with Timberland 2015
- CGI Commitment
- Clinton Global Initiative
- Sustainable Apparel Coalition
- Cradle to Cradle
What are your future plans?
Not able to disclose this information until our Kickstarter Campaign is finished.
About The Founders
Ian Rosenberger founded both Team Tassy & Thread in 2010 in the wake of the Haiti earthquake. Team Tassy unlocks the inherent power in every person to end global poverty. Thread takes trash from poor neighborhoods & turns it into jobs & useful stuff people love.
They work together under the same core philosophy: the biggest problem we face as a species is multidimensional poverty; ending it is entirely possible in our lifetime; & to do it, we need to invest in the poor to create as many dignified, sustainable jobs as possible.
To date, Team Tassy has engaged almost 50 Haitians, preparing them and their families for employment. Thread has shipped nearly 200,000 lbs of recycled plastic out of Haiti to eventually be processed into fabric & turned into finished goods and jobs for Team Tassy families.
Ian’s passion is built upon 10 years of experience studying economic redevelopment in Western and South-Central Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. Prior to his professional career, Ian attended Penn State University, where he was elected as the university’s Undergraduate Student Government President in 2003.
He is a member of both the Lion’s Paw and Parmi Nous Senior Honor Societies and is an Eagle Scout. In 2005, Ian placed 3rd on CBS: Survivor Palau and has since spoken to tens of thousands of people all over the country about his experiences on the show and in the developing world. Ian was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA.
Founding Date: 2018-08-08
Industry: Apparel/Textile
Number Of Employees: 11-50
Headquarters: Pittsburgh
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thread-llc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threadintl/
Thread International Twitter Feed
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Pittsburgh Office
7800 Susquehanna St