Kellie Guthrie has done her fair share of marketing, public relations and sales for big players in the fashion industry, but being involved in and actually starting her own "social enterprise" is proving to be the most life-changing and rewarding experience for the Auburn resident.
In 2007, Guthrie started the, as she describes, "for-benefit" business, "Re-Invention."
The Auburn/Opelika based business aims at creating opportunity for impoverished areas of the world by providing much -needed job opportunities that normally wouldn't be there.
Re-Invention works in areas such as Thailand and India, giving residents the opportunity to work for a business that improves their situation.
"I worked in marketing and sales for many boutiques and stores that specialized in upper-end items, but I slowly started to become more aware of all the injustice and exploitation that was going on in the world," Guthrie said. "I was actually getting angry at all the wrong I was seeing and wanted to create something better for future generations. I knew I just couldn't sit back and do nothing."
Re-Invention is a business, explained Guthrie.
She said starting this social enterprise would create the opportunity she knew was needed.
"If you can create a successful business model, you can make sure you have a viable product and company that can make change happen," Guthrie said.
Guthrie, having the connections that she did in her industry, began developing the idea of creating opportunity by manufacturing the same goods she was already selling in a new way.
Over the past several years, Guthrie has developed lines of clothing, textiles, home decor, jewelry and other accessories that are safely manufactured in Tilonia, India and parts of Thailand.
All products are made from "up-cycled" materials, such as burlap sacks of coffee beans. These items are then transformed into things like pillows or handbags.
The items are then shipped to the United States and sold to merchants domestically.
Although a Florida native, Guthrie has always had strong ties Auburn, with several family members living here.
Re-Invention has also worked with and continues to work closely with Auburn University students Rachel Beers, 2009 alumna and director of media and publicity for Re-Invention, has been working with the company for the past year and said it is definitely something which she has always wanted to be a part.
The individual story is what Beers wants to get across.
"We try to put focus on the individual people because that is what Re-invention is all about," she said, "telling the individual stories of how people's lives are changed by our efforts."
Taylor Gunter, senior in exercise science, has also worked closely with the Re-invention's efforts for about three years.
"Re-Invention has opened my eyes to firsthand accounts of what I can personally do to help others," Gunter said. "It offers products that not only help someone evolve from their dire circumstances, but are beautiful at the same time."
Nowadays, Guthrie continually stays on the road marketing her products and says she has now devoted all of her time to expanding Re-Invention's efforts at home and abroad.
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