Meet Genevieve Anderson | Founder WUNZ Apparel in Action, Co-Founder Make It Work

We had the good fortune of connecting with Genevieve Anderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Genevieve, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started WUNZ Apparel in Action as a social enterprise to impact the homeless crisis in Los Angeles. I read Blake Mykowski’s book, Start Something That Matters, and decided I wanted to create a similar business, except with jumpsuits instead of canvas alpacas. I learned quickly what an expensive and complex venture a CPG (consumer product good) business is, so I pivoted to workforce development model, which is where the Make It Work program came from. I partnered with the Los Angeles Mission, and we teach women coming through recovery at the Anne Douglas Center how to cut and sew. We will be producing throw pillows, totes, aprons, etc, all from deadstock fabric from the garment district.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Make It Work is a workforce development program created by WUNZ Apparel in Action bringing together the neighboring sectors of Skid Row, the Garment District, DTLA businesses, and the broader community to foster cross-sectional participation in tackling the deep economic inequities that drive the homeless crisis.

We’re training women coming through recovery at the Los Angeles Mission how to create simple items from deadstock fabric (fabric otherwise destined for landfill) – pillows, accessory bags, totes – to sell to surrounding businesses and online. Our first B2B partner is the Conrad Hilton in DTLA.

I do not have a business degree, and, as an artist, I never dreamed I would have a business. I have had to learn EVERYTHING from scratch, and am still learning. I started the business for social impact, not profit, so that has made the path extremely challenging. You need money to start and operate a business! I’ve had some miraculous support, but if I were to start over, I would do many things differently. That said, I am in love with this business and very excited about its potential. My dream is for WUNZ and Make It Work to provide opportunities for women coming through recovery to learn new skills, make beautiful products, and inspire them to become business owners.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
DTLA!! The bridges, the different districts, the museums, the FOOD!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Los Angeles Mission has been an incredible partner in providing context and support for this program to emerge. They are a vital part of the ecosystem in Skid Row and work tirelessly to help people in need. Also my partner in the Make It Work Program, Vanessa Watson, who is a veteran ESG and sustainability consultant in Sydney, Australia. She is an absolute rock star! I could not have done any of this without her.

Website: https://www.makeitworkla.com/, https://www.shopwunz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewunzworld/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WUNZWorld

Image Credits
David Blumenkrantz