All Across Africa (AAA) is a Benefit Corporation that brings the best of business practices through market development, training, and teaching to producers in Africa; most important, AAA connects these producers to our developed external markets. Benefit Corporations require organizations to consider non- financial interests (the people we serve and partner with, our staff’s health and the environment) and our investors, shareholders and profit margins when making decisions. Non-financial and financial interests are weighed equally in a Benefit Corporation – that’s what sets it apart from a traditional corporation. It’s a healthy way to do business. The model is sustainable and scalable without having to rely solely on fundraising and donations and all the while maintaining focus on the goal. Our business model reaches deep into rural villages in the developing world and provides jobs that restore dignity and promote self sufficiency – we see it as the way forward for sustainable development in Africa. It’s the best of business and the best of the non-profit world, its social business. OUR DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY Our focus is in the under- served areas of rural Africa. We are leading a new way of helping rural families achieve their full potential. Instead of giving handouts, we invest in artisans to generate a permanent gain in family income. By providing artisans with a "market bundle" that includes education, finance, materials, training and market access, we present a poverty-reducing solution that is sustainable and helps restore dignity. We believe that business creates jobs that people are proud of, and creates a true partnership between market and producer. We listen to our partners, the people we work to serve - doing so allows us to offer long-term opportunities instead of short term band-aids. It allows us to offer training to create the highest quality product so that each season there is a market for their outstanding workmanship.