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Episode 004: Alexis Cook, Co-founder of Unlocked

  • by Grace

Hi Novel Hand listeners! This week I sat down (well, to be more precise, I Zoomed #socialdistancing) with Alexis Cook, Vanderbilt alumna from the class of 2018 and co-founder of Unlocked. Unlocked is a Nashville-based jewelry brand which employs homeless Nashville women to produce ethical, sustainable, and beautiful jewelry. Founded in 2018, Unlocked has thrived as a social enterprise and administers a comprehensive transitional program called Pathways which offers housing, employment, mental healthcare, financial literacy, and a living wage to their Makers. 

In this episode, Alexis and I discuss the inspiration behind Unlocked, as well as how she and her co-founder Corbin Hooker used their experiences at Vanderbilt to create this business. We also touch on the social justice mission of the company, and the other community partners that are essential for the Pathways program. Alexis describes some of the challenges associated with creating an ethical start-up and offers suggestions for how the Novel Hand community can support the mission of Unlocked. Listen in to this week’s podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts to learn more about this incredible business from Alexis herself!

In this photo, co-founders of Unlocked, Alexis Cook and Corbin Hooker, sit down with two of the Makers from their company. Makers for Unlocked undergo a transitional housing and employment program which empowers Makers to find both a place to live and permanent employment after they graduate.
Grace

1 thought on “Episode 004: Alexis Cook, Co-founder of Unlocked”

  1. Pingback: Four Things I Learned from Unlocked - Novel Hand

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