We are big believers in the potential of people to change the world. We know that empowered people are powerful people but we also know that we cannot empower anyone. The best we can do is to help break down barriers, create opportunities, and treat everyone we encounter with dignity.

We choose to live our lives and run our business by 3 golden rules. Through these values UTZ Market creates a more inclusive economy where small makers are celebrated for their craftsmanship.

The UTZ Market Golden Rules

Create opportunities.

We give people hand-ups not hand-outs. We let them do what they do best and we take care of the rest (i.e. logistics, shop management, marketing, & customer service) at the same time, we teach them new skills (i.e. google drive, Pinterest, small business finance, marketing, etc.). The result is that our partners, local Guatemalan artisans and brands, are self dependent while creating  meaningful livelihoods that provide them with a dignified income.

Treat people with dignity.

Dignity is when you recognize the humanity in someone else and treat them with the respect that every human deserves.  When you treat someone with dignity you are standing next to them, supporting them to live the life they choose, to set big goals and work towards them. We are committed to treating everyone we work with with dignity regardless of who they are, color of their skin, where they come from, what they believe in, their history or their socio-economic status, We believe that is what good people do and that is what every human deserves.

If  we are ever going to move forward as a society, we believe that treating people with dignity is the first step. This is why we work against the dependency model that so many people, organizations, businesses and even government institutions have created. When a person is dependent they are at the will of a provider, but what if that  support goes away? The person slips back into the same challenges they faced before, creating a cycle of dependency.

Innovate.

Because nobody ever changed the world doing the same thing every damn day. We see injustices in the world and we know that we can’t solve them overnight. We know that there are many challenges that we won’t be able to solve at all, but we also know with a little creativity, determination, and persistence we can create solutions to address the root of the problems we experience.  

Ultimately, people want to be the driver of their life, the creators their own destinies. We are simply building a virtual road for them to do that. Join us on this journey to create an inclusive marketplace that supports the talented artisans, producers, and budding businesses in Guatemala. When you choose to care about how your products are produced and who makes them, you have the power to create a lot of good in this world.

#UTZMeansGood

#WeAreUTZ

#LiveYourValues