# Ethical Sourcing Enablers The Collaborative Group is a New Social Enterprise Out of Chicago By Rebecca Byers | Published 2012-08-12 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collaborative-group References: [forbes](http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2012/08/07/impact-engine-announces-first-batch-of-startups/) & [collaborative-group](http://www.collaborative-group.com/) The Collaborative Group is a social startup recently announced as one of eight in the inaugural batch of enterprises from newly launched Chicago-based accelerator Impact Engine. Impact Engine will supports social startups that address social and environmental issues and was founded by OpenTable founder Chuck Templeton. The Collaborative Group serves as an advocate for marginalized artisans without the means to market their skills and products to socially conscious partners by connecting such workers with responsible retailers and distributors in the US. Enabling such ethical supply chains is the Collaborative Group's plan to create sustainable employment for artisans and underserved populations. The Collaborative Group's approach to ethical consumerism has so far seen the opening of their cooperatives in Guatemala, India, Dominican Republic, Morocco and Kenya. **Contact Information** Collaborative Group [website](http://www.collaborative-group.com/) Collaborative Group on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/coll_group) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.5/10 - Popularity: 10% | Activity: 26% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Ethical Supply Chains:** The Collaborative Group's approach to enabling ethical supply chains presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in responsible sourcing practices. - **Socially Responsible Retail:** The Collaborative Group's advocacy for marginalized artisans and matching them with socially conscious partners presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in ethical retailing and sustainable employment. - **Collaborative Commerce:** The Collaborative Group's model of connecting artisans with responsible distributors presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in collaborative commerce and ethical marketplaces. ### Who This Affects Most - **Fashion & Apparel:** The Collaborative Group's focus on marginalized artisans and ethical sourcing presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the fashion and apparel industry's responsible sourcing and social impact practices. - **Handicrafts & Artisanal Goods:** The Collaborative Group's advocacy for marginalized artisans and connecting them with socially responsible retail partners presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the handicrafts and artisanal goods production industry's supply chain practices. - **Sustainability & Social Impact Consulting:** The Collaborative Group's approach to ethical sourcing and creating sustainable employment presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the sustainability and social impact consulting industry's responsible sourcing and workforce development practices. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Specialized Ethical Commerce Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ethical-commerce-platform.md) - [Ethical Coffee Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/win-win-coffee.md) - [Collaborative Nonprofit Group Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/little-labels-big-impact-campaign.md) - [International Jewelry-Focused Digital Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeweler-collective.md) - [Conscious Consumerism Apparel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/or-collective-and-h-project.md) - [Social Good Brand Practices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dignity-coconuts.md) - [Ultra-Luxurious Collaborative Jewellery Lines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collaborative-jewellery.md) - [Developer Collaboration Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/codegroupie.md) - [Creativity-Centered Workshops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gap-workshop.md)