Young Feminist Enterpreneur spotlight: AuH2O

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I had the awesome pleasure of meeting Kate Goldwater (pictured) this weekend (actually at Jill from Feministe‘s Holiday Party). Kate and I spent an hour or so talking about entrepreneurship and feminism, specifically focusing on her business AuH2O.

Kate and I are the same age (26) so I was hella impressed that she’s been running her own clothing boutique (featuring many of her own designs) for four years now.

I loved everything about AuH2O. The store is named such because it’s the chemical equivalent of her last name: Gold (Au) water (H2O). Perfect blend of nerdy and cool. It’s based on principles of recycling, and all the clothing and accessories sold are vintage or used, including the materials for her original designs. The clothes are also not going to break the bank, as is common with vintage stores (and especially original designs!) in NYC.

I’ve written about entrepreneurship before, and I continue to be excited when I meet young people focusing on creating their own businesses. I used to think that business had to be about making money at any cost. I’ve come to realize that you can also be an entrepreneur who is motivated by your values, your political perspective, and who wants to make a living in your own unique way.

We know the non-profit sector has its own ethical drawbacks, so why not consider other options?

Kate has a successful business (she just brought on three partners!) doing what she loves in NYC. We could use more businesses run by people with good politics. You can check out some of her designs on Etsy, or check out the store next time you are in NYC.

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