Rotary taught me how to be a socially conscious entrepreneur

By Rotary International

Cynthia Salim models her brand of socially responsible professional wear for women in New York City. Photo by Monika Lozinska/Rotary International

By Cynthia Salim

At the age of 21, I was a fervent student activist at Loyola Marymount University, walking picket lines to advocate for a living wage in Los Angeles, California, USA. I never would have imagined that at 28 I’d be starting a fashion label in New York City and doing social change work through a lifestyle brand. That’s the power of the Rotary experience — it widens perspectives and inspires change from every industry.

In my twenties, I went from thinking I would never work in the private sector to becoming an impact entrepreneur, spending my days finding responsible factories to work with and talking to photographers about how to thoughtfully portray women in advertising campaigns for Citizen’s Mark, a line of high-quality blazers I started for a generation of socially conscious and empowered women on the rise.

When I was selected for a Rotary Scholarship in 2009, I was introduced to the concept of vocational service. This is the second object of Rotary: “High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog