Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 460,592 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,240 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,086 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,240 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,086 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,210 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 460,592 cutting edge ideas.

Leigh Morlock, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Push Pull Cambodia (INTERVIEW)

— August 24, 2011 — Social Good
Leigh Morlock is the Creative Director and Co-Founder of one of SocialBusiness.org’s most recent heavy-hitters in terms of views this week, Push Pull Cambodia, a social enterprise that sells hand-dyed fashion accessories and home textiles. By empowering Khmer artisans with a market to produce Ikat designs, Leigh Morlock and her team at Push Pull are able tackle issues of poverty by creating long-term employment opportunities.

We interviewed Leigh Morlock on how she the business model for Push Pull Cambodia came to fruition and how she stays in tune with her spiritual side by practicing yoga, listening to Adele and taking raw cooking lessons in her downtime.

Four Questions with Leigh Morlock

1. How did the idea for this business model come about?

The idea was sparked from a friendship between the owner of Push Pull Cambodia, Dan Flickinger, and our Field and Operations Manager, Kongkea Chhay.

Dan was on a holiday in Siem Reap when he met Kongkea, an eager and smart tuk-tuk driver. This initial meeting blossomed into a mentorship that encouraged Kongkea to pursue his educational goals.

In a later visit to Cambodia, Dan met Kongkea’s family in Takeo District, the historical hub of Ikat weaving in Cambodia. Dan was at once impressed with the high level of skill on display and saddened by the poverty of the region.

This visit, and a gift of silk Ikat from Kongkea’s mother to Dan, became the catalyst for Push Pull Cambodia. Weaving is a way of life in Takeo; there is at least one wooden handloom in each home.

We want to celebrate and foster the skill that already exists in Takeo. We founded Push Pull Cambodia to link skilled Khmer artisans to Western markets.

Our goal is to stimulate a renaissance of Cambodian Ikat. This will provide long-term employment and result in improved quality of life for our artisans and their families.

2. How did you decide to join this sector?

I joined this sector when I moved to Cambodia in 2009 to help a local NGO explore the viability of a weaving project. The NGO served as an incubator and after six months, we decided to launch Push Pull Cambodia as a social enterprise in order to harness the strengths of business (flexibility, adaptability, market reliance) to affect development.

3. How do you get your inspiration?

I’m a bit of a creative dumpster diver. I endlessly and relentlessly search for cool, new, dynamic, heartwarming, and soul-stirring ideas, art and design.

A few of my current favorite places to gather inspiration: Bangkok, Pinterest, Trend Union, Seth Godin’s blog, Stylesight Blog, HonestlyWTF and TrendLand.

I’m also very inspired by Cambodia -– the countryside, the architecture, the grills and gates that surround most houses, and the spirit of openness and warmth that radiates from the people who live here.

Our patterns and products are inspired from a mix of East and West. We like to blend the best bits from Cambodia and abroad.

4. How do you reset yourself to be creative? Do you have any rituals?

I do! I am obsessed with a new retreat center that opened just outside of Siem Reap, Hariharalaya. Every other Saturday they offer a day retreat that consists of morning yoga, a raw or vegan cooking class, and time in the afternoon to relax. I love having this time to unplug.

On a more regular basis, I usually choose one or two nights each week to reset and regroup. I put lemongrass and lavender in an oil burner, turn the lights down low, and journal while listening to soothing music (hello, Adele!) or watch a television show that requires low mental energy. This is my time to turn off and tune out.
Trend Themes
1. Social Enterprise Empowerment - Push Pull Cambodia empowers Khmer artisans with a market for hand-dyed fashion accessories and home textiles, creating long-term employment opportunities and tackling issues of poverty.
2. Cambodian Ikat Renaissance - Push Pull Cambodia aims to stimulate a renaissance of Cambodian Ikat, fostering the skill that already exists in Takeo and linking skilled Khmer artisans to Western markets.
3. Creative Dumpster Diving - Leigh Morlock, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Push Pull Cambodia, gathers inspiration from various sources such as Bangkok, Pinterest, and Seth Godin's blog, blending the best bits from Cambodia and abroad in their patterns and products.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Accessories - Push Pull Cambodia sells hand-dyed fashion accessories, providing disruptive innovation opportunities in ethical fashion and sustainable manufacturing.
2. Home Textiles - Push Pull Cambodia sells hand-dyed home textiles, creating disruption in the home decor industry by offering unique, artisanal products.
3. Social Entrepreneurship - Push Pull Cambodia's social enterprise model provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the social entrepreneurship sector, combining business strengths with development goals and creating long-term employment opportunities.
4.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness