Free Enterprise Series: Ethiopian Shoes from Rubber Tires

I used to write a marginally scandalous blog post series called "What's Wrong with the World Wednesdays" until I realized that: a) what I was writing was not all that original and I'd leave the heavy lifting (and receipt of bizarre harassing comments) for the professional wonks on the web, b) it is both tiresome and loathsome to commit yourself to writing about negative things ALL the time, c) I no longer believe in the advantage of blog writing schedules, so naming a series with a day of the week in it was a very bad idea.

So - I'm taking a different tack. Maybe it's impending motherhood, but the world is so damn negative, perhaps I can shine a teeny tiny light by emphasizing the things that are right with the world instead. (Don't worry, I'll always stay snarky.) As a free market proponent - I love to find stories about the unequivocal good done when businesses are allowed to innovate in new areas.

This story comes from Ethiopia via CNN, where businesswoman Bethlehem Alemu founded SoleRebels: a family-friendly, family-owned, fair trade, free trade, eco-friendly, for-profit company.

Alemu and her family launched the business in 2005 and already it is stepping out onto the global stage with clients like Amazon, Urban Outfitters, and a host of Web sites outlets and bricks and mortar companies in the U.S.

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Innovation is not a hallmark of Ethiopia. The country is Africa's second most populous and one of its poorest, more known for famine and periodic conflicts than innovative business startups.

The country is dependent on foreign aid from bilateral donors and millions receive food assistance every year.

But Bethlehem Alemu wants to change that.

You would think stories of women from third-world nations creating global businesses that are both sustainable and profitable would be front page news, rather than a fluff piece...but people are addicted to the bad stuff. I'm glad I am weening myself from it.