Mom-Led Brands Giving Back And Cultivating Change Around The World

Forbes

10-05-2025

Tatyana Ali seated in front of newest baby quilt patterns, Peace and Joy.
As mothers, women are often acknowledged for their abilities to nurture and foster community, exhibit high levels of empathy and embrace collaboration—all skills essential for building impactful, purpose-driven brands.
Mothers and those in maternal roles are natural multitaskers, adept at planning, problem-solving and adapting under pressure. The daily demands of molding the next generation enable them to juggle business responsibilities alongside family life efficiently.
Businesses led by these women often exhibit that success and social responsibility coexist in a capitalist society.
These brands intentionally create products and provide services that promote diversity and inclusion, support communities, and fill social and ecological responsibility voids.
In a 2024 study completed by Ernst and Young (E&Y), 74% of women CEOs felt the need to prioritize giving back and providing for their communities through their businesses.
Fashion, beauty, maternal care, housewares and education are among the many mom-led ventures within multiple industries that serve as powerful catalysts for change. Profits usually create jobs, reduce poverty, increase access and ignite ingenuity.
While environmental responsibility and sustainability practices are not exclusive to any gender, women-led businesses also lead the way in being ethically sound.
Their efforts are evident in the increased utilization of recycled materials, reduction of environmental impact and preservation of Indigenous knowledge and practices.
As we celebrate Mother's Day, let's recognize and support the tremendous impact of mom-led businesses around the world. These entrepreneurs are nurturing their families and fostering positive change in our communities.
Tatyana Ali seated in front of newest baby quilt patterns, Peace and Joy.
Founded by actress and mother Tatyana Ali, Baby Yams is a maternal health brand that creates limited-edition heirloom-quality baby quilts. Its powerful mission is to support and uplift women, especially Black and Indigenous mothers around the world.
Ali was inspired to launch the brand after receiving transformative care from a Black midwife after experiencing a challenging birth.
She launched Baby Yams to address the Black maternal health crisis and to empower birth workers who provide culturally competent, compassionate care.
The brand donates proceeds from quilt sales to fund grants and scholarships for Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas, partnering with organizations like the Birth Future Foundation and the National College of Midwifery.
Baby Yam's fundraising initiative, The Quilt Project, collaborates with grassroots organizations to shift the narrative from generational trauma to healing. By blending creativity, advocacy and direct financial support, Baby Yams gives back to women globally, fostering safer, more nurturing birth experiences and empowering the next generation of maternal health leaders.
The Goldn Company, owned by mother and entrepreneur Hannah Marbury, offers a variety of ... More sustainability-designed 14k yellow, white, and rose gold pieces.
As a busy mother of 3, Hannah Marbury's vision for The Goldn Company was to provide women in her small town in Tennessee with luxury yet affordable jewelry.
The Goldn Company offers jewelry that women can wear daily and never have to take off—jewelry they can sleep, sweat and shower in. Always made from 14k gold, the variety of yellow, white and rose gold pieces accented with natural and lab-grown diamonds is perfect for passing down from generation to generation.
As a small business owner, Marbury depends on her family and friends for support and help.
When two of her close friends' children were diagnosed with leukemia, she jumped into action. She launched a specialty jewelry and clothing campaign and fundraising efforts, with 100% of proceeds going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to provide funding and raise awareness of childhood leukemia.
The Goldn Company continues to focus on creating moments of beauty through carefully crafted pieces that remind you that the small things in life matter most.
The Fourth Phase Box's 'Every Birth Box' is the ideal afterbirth care box to give or receive when a ... More delivery method has not been determined. Filled with all of the products to support an expectant mother's health, recovery, and well-being whether she has a vaginal or surgical birth.
Fourth Phase, founded by Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo and Marcia Cole, is one of the first product boxes to support maternal health and postpartum care for women worldwide. The company provides essential postpartum care kits and educational resources to new mothers, particularly in underserved communities, to help them navigate the critical "fourth trimester" after childbirth.
After her own horrific and challenging post-labor experience, Eyeson-Akiwowo saw firsthand the widespread ignorance surrounding the fourth trimester.
After connecting with Cole through their other philanthropic efforts in menstrual and maternal care, the two women continuously discussed the void in post-labor support.
With the launch of Fourth Phase, the duo committed to offering certified organic, phthalate-free, cruelty-free, non-toxic and sustainably sourced products. By addressing gaps in postpartum support, Fourth Phase empowers women with the tools and knowledge they need for recovery and wellbeing.
Their Mom-2-Mom social impact initiatives empower and uplift new mothers, allowing them to prioritize their mental and physical health. Every Fourth Phase purchase benefits mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa. For every AfterBirth box sold in the United States, one is given to a woman in Africa and women in the U.S. experiencing homelessness.
MALIBU, CALIFORNIA - MAY 07: Little Words Project bracelets are seen during the 5th Annual Best ... More Buddies' Celebration of Mothers at La Villa Contenta on May 07, 2022 in Malibu, California. (Photo byfor Best Buddies)
Motivated by her own experience with bullying, Adriana Carrig founded Little Words Project to spread kindness, positivity and self-worth.
Through handcrafted bracelets featuring inspirational words, Carrig encourages customers to wear them as daily affirmations and then pass them on to others who need encouragement, creating a pipeline of positivity.
When someone purchases or receives a bracelet, they can enter its code on the Little Words Project website or app, creating a digital profile for the bracelet. As the wearer passes the bracelet on to someone else, the brand continues its mission to create a digital ripple effect of kindness worldwide. The community can follow the bracelet's journey as it passes to a new person, creating a tangible and traceable impact.
Along with the digital community, the Little Words Project's nonprofit arm, Little Words Big Impact, donates 25% of net profits from specialty designs to different nonprofits such as The Hidden Opponent, an organization focusing on the mental health of student-athletes and The Endometriosis Coalition, a patient-founded and focused organization on a mission to raise awareness and increase research funding for endometriosis.
While Little Words Project offers several designs and the option to create custom orders online, the in-store experience makes the bracelets much more special. Their Bead Bar Experience is in 16 locations across America, including Philadelphia's King of Prussia Mall, the Mall of America in Minneapolis and Disney Springs Marketplace at Disney World.
The Mayan Collective offers a variety of hand-poured, non-toxic candles, room sprays and diffusers.
A personal passion for making handcrafted candles turned into a mission-driven enterprise for Karla Wenger.
After a trip to her native Guatemala, Wenger saw an opportunity where the proceeds from her small business could give back to the community, thus birthing The Mayan Collective.
Since its launch in 2019, the brand has expanded to two brick-and-mortar locations, including a storefront in the SLO Ranch Market in San Luis Obispo, California.
The brand now boasts various collections of sustainable oils, hand-poured candles, diffusers, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, room sprays and more.
Twenty percent of the proceeds are donated to help children and families in San Francisco de Sales, Guatemala. Every year, Wenger and her husband, Spencer, visit Guatemala and host a huge Christmas celebration for 400 to 500 children. The two have their hearts set on building a school in the city that will provide education and support to the community.
Wenger's products include oils and materials sourced from local Indigenous women artisans and help provide essential resources for education and community.
Through her efforts, the business preserves and presents Mayan cultural heritage, fostering economic independence and brighter futures for residents.
Olympian Allyson Felix's shoe brand Saysh is changing the game for women.
Despite being the most decorated track and field athlete with 11 Olympic and 20 World Championship medals, Allyson Felix was forced to choose between her career and her family.
In 2017, Felix's longtime sponsor offered her a 70% pay cut after she became pregnant.
Inspired by her experiences with biases as a pregnant athlete, Felix and her brother Wes launched Saysh, a women-centric footwear and lifestyle brand created to address the unique needs of women, particularly those overlooked by the male-dominated sportswear industry.
Saysh's shoes and clothing are designed for women's bodies and comfort through all stages of life.
Felix has doubled down on her advocacy for pregnant athletes through Saysh's maternity returns policy. This policy provides pregnant customers with a free pair of shoes in their new size, ensuring comfort and inclusion during and after pregnancy.
The brand is also a force behind changing policies within women's sports to support female athletes during pregnancy by creating commercial opportunities and championing equity, fair treatment and pay while on leave.
One of their early targeted initiatives was a $200,000 grant to cover childcare costs for professional athletes, helping women pursue their careers without sacrificing family needs.
The brand's digital community, the Saysh Collective, provides users with resources, exclusive content and a safe space for women to connect and grow together.