Sara Berks, Founder of MINNA Goods

With a background in graphic design from The School of Visual Arts, Sara's approach to textile design is strongly influenced by the Bauhaus. A weaver herself, she often begins the design process on the loom. Sara began her design career in branding and digital design. Unsatisfied and unfulfilled by the field, she left digital design in 2013 to freelance and taught herself to weave. MINNA grew out of Sara's weaving art practice and her desire to use design to create impact. She travels several times a year to work closely with MINNA's artisan partners in Central & South America, but her home is in Upstate New York.

“‘Fake it ‘til you make it.’ - I think I struggled and still do struggle with a bit of imposter syndrome, but I think learning on the job is the most valuable experience someone can have. ”

What has been the biggest highlight running your own company?

Seeing this thing I thought was a far fetched dream become a reality. Learning about myself and what I'm capable of.

Favorite business tools that your company uses?

Asana (we literally have everything in here), Adobe, Shopify, Quickbooks.

Who or what was the biggest motivator for you when you started your business?

Independence, ironically.

Books & podcasts that inspire you/your company:

A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business - Ari Weinzweig

Non-Violent Communication - Marshall Rosenberg

NPR’s How I Built This Podcast - specifically the one with Eileen Fisher

How do you hope that your company can create a better world?

I say this a lot, but I really believe there's a way to use business to do good. I think our approach to running the business, the way we produce our goods, the way we talk about our process, the way we interact with our team, the artisans we work with, our customers, is all rooted in creating equitable relationships and making things beautifully. If we stick to that as a guiding force, I think we'll make the corner(s) of the world we exist in, better.

What are your top three goals for your company this year?

This year really took us for a loop so I'm trying not to push too hard on big goals. I'm thrilled with how my team has been able to adapt and evolve to all of the unexpectedness. We're actually in more of a behind the scenes planning phase for some big changes next year!