Stop Trying to Save People. Start Building With Them - Julie Colombino

2026-02-06

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In this episode of Insight Out, we sit down with Julie Colombino, the founder of Deme, a fair-trade fashion brand that creates living-wage jobs in Haiti. Julie shares her remarkable journey from providing immediate disaster relief after the 2010 earthquake to creating sustainable economic opportunities for the Haitian community. Julie recounts the pivotal moment when a Haitian woman told her, "I don’t want water; I need a job," and how it transformed Julie’s vision for long-term development. We also dive into the challenges of building a fair-trade business with limited resources and dis...

Julie recounts the pivotal moment when a Haitian woman told her, "I don’t want water; I need a job," and how it transformed Julie’s vision for long-term development. We also dive into the challenges of building a fair-trade business with limited resources and discuss how giving people the dignity of work can lead to lasting change. From her humble beginnings with tire sandals to expanding into high-end handbags, Julie’s story is a powerful reminder of the difference one person can make when they listen and build with a community, not just for them.

In this episode, we discuss:

[00:02:08] Julie’s first trip to Haiti
[00:05:20] The life-changing conversation with a Haitian woman
[00:07:10] Shifting focus from relief to long-term development
[00:10:30] The evolution of Deme from sandals to handbags
[00:14:15] Leadership lessons learned from the Haitian community
[00:17:40] Overcoming the challenges of starting a business with limited resources
[00:22:00] How Deme creates opportunity instead of dependency
[00:26:50] The importance of cultural understanding in business
[00:30:15] Julie’s advice for aspiring social entrepreneurs

Notable Quotes

[00:05:28] "I don’t want water; I need a job." – Julie
[00:11:13] “Economic freedom is the chance to make decisions about your life.” – Julie
[00:21:46] "A job restores dignity and freedom, it's not just about the paycheck." – Julie
[00:27:09] "When you create jobs, you're creating hope." – Julie

Resources and Links Julie Colombino

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliecolombino/
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/juliecolombino/
Website: https://deuxmains.com/
Book: https://deuxmains.com/products/from-loss-to-legacy-how-a-fashion-business-rose-from-haiti-s-rubble

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