YYC Feature: HARPER RIDLEY
Whitney Dawson’s products signal positive change, for both ‘humanity and nature’
She’s a mom on a mission, a dedicated school teacher, and a successful businesswoman helping the planet! Whitney Dawson created her company Harper Ridley to help consumers to make small changes that are good for our earth! Her passion is pervasive, and her impact is laudable. Products like her gorgeous reusable snack bags replace traditional plastic or ziplock bags, so that households can reduce their footprint. In addition to making a positive environmental impact, Whitney is also committed to making a social impact. For every sale of her adorable zero waste bows, she donates $1 towards supporting healthy lunches for students who would otherwise go hungry through Brown Bagging 4 Calgary Kids— as a teacher, this cause is near and dear to her heart! Her products’ aesthetic is light & pretty, like a spring day! Helping the planet never looked so good. It was lovely to talk to Whitney about Harpey Ridley: a company clearly built on kindness and compassion!
It’s awesome that you founded Harper Ridley with a focus on making a positive environmental and societal impact! What past experiences and/or current values of yours guided this decision?
The biggest reason for this decision was that since becoming a parent, I saw so much waste and excess. When creating Harper Ridley, I wanted to make sure I was supporting families and individuals to reduce their environmental footprint, not adding to it! One of my favourite products is our reusable snack bags. Every member of our family uses the bags daily and I am so proud at the amount of ziplock bags we have kept out of the landfill! From ensuring our products are eco friendly, to using compostable mailers, I am committed to reducing environmental impacts.
Why is it important for you to use fabric that is GOTS Organic certified? Why should consumers care whether or not fabric is organic?
Sourcing Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has proven to be a bit challenging. I have been able to find some beautiful fabrics that are both organic and fit my aesthetic. However, I did have to shift to include natural fibres such as linen. The biggest reason I wanted to include organics into my company is to further decrease the environmental impacts. Not to mention they are buttery soft and so lovely to the touch!
Do you source any of your materials locally?
Yes, I am able to purchase some of our fabric right from Rick Rack Textiles in Inglewood. It is always preferable to shop local! Although not local, I do source material from Sara at Daily Like Canada in Vancouver. She has a wonderful selection of organics and her linen fabrics are extremely high quality. I am so lucky to have found her shop!
We love your zero-waste bows! Where did you get the idea to start creating these?
I started creating the bows when I realized that I had quite a bit of scraps, but they were too small to repurpose into much. I only make the bows of the materials I have on hand and rather than composting the material, I am able to create bows and donate to a local charity, which is one of my proudest points of my company.
Without hesitation, I knew I wanted to contribute since one of the biggest hopes I have for Harper Ridley is that we always find ways to give back, both locally and abroad.
It’s awesome to see that Harper Ridley Homemade Goods donates $1 from the sale of every bow to “Brown Bagging 4 Calgary Kids”. What made you passionate about supporting this particular organization?
When I started Harper Ridley, it was always my intention to create products that gave back to the community. I am a teacher (currently on leave) and have worked in some challenging areas of the city. My students would rely heavily on school programs that provided healthy snacks and food. When I was deciding which organization to support, it seemed like a natural fit. Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown Bagging 4 Calgary Kids has created a response fund to ensure kids are still receiving support, despite the circumstances. Recently, I began to make non-medical masks and was able to donate $150 from the sale of these masks to BB4CK!
Harper Ridley also raised money for the countless wildlife affected by the Australian wildfires—why did you make the decision to help with this cause?
This collaboration came to be because of the director and teacher, Shauna Gross from Painted Wombat Fine Arts Preschool. Shauna spent the holidays in Australia with her family and brought back a variety of fabrics. During her vacation, the wild fires had escalated rapidly and she experienced firsthand the need, developing both from a social perspective and an environmental. Shauna had the wonderful idea to raise money for the countless wildlife affected. She approached me to see if we could make and sell our snack bags with the Australian sourced fabric. Without hesitation, I knew I wanted to contribute since one of the biggest hopes I have for Harper Ridley is that we always find ways to give back, both locally and abroad. Shauna and Painted Wombat Fine Arts Preschool donated all the materials (fabric, zippers, etc) and we were able to make $454.00 to send to WIRES.
I have a blog post about this collaboration with Painted Wombat Preschool, which can be found at https://harperridley.com/blogs/on-the-blog/painted-wombat-harper-ridley-collaboration.
What is your dream for Harper Ridley over the next five years (ie: in what ways do you see your business improving or expanding?)
Currently, I am taking it day by day, especially considering the circumstances caused by the global pandemic. However, my biggest dream is that more consumers find value in locally owned, ethically sourced businesses. I think we have been given an opportunity to rethink our values and I believe consumers are making the shift to local and ethical practices.
What is your favourite quote or piece of advice?
A quote that I read recently that really has stuck with me is from Sonya Renee Taylor, “ We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed, inequality, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate and lack. We should not long to return, my friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of humanity and nature.”
Find her:
@harperridley
https://harperridley.com/