My friendship with Joy dates back fifteen years to the very glittery days of competitive cheerleading in 6th grade. Joy and I remained good friends throughout middle school, high school, college (in different cities), and now see each other every few months (although I wish it was more often!) now that we’re both living in Houston. It is safe to say that I adore Joy. She is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. Not only is she incredibly talented with apparel design, she is also a savvy business owner, as well as being a dedicated philanthropist (more details below!).

Joy is definitely one of my business role models. After graduating from The University of St. Thomas in 2011, Joy launched Priya, which originally sold artisan-crafted silk purses and bangles made by women in Asia who had been taken out of human trafficking and were being taught useful skills like sewing. In 2014, Priya debuted its first contemporary jewelry collection – the Zama Collection, which I posted about here. I adore all of Joy’s gorgeous pieces of jewelry, and I cannot wait to watch as Priya continues to evolve.

Joy launched a Kickstarter campaign yesterday to raise $30,000 to help support The Priya Foundation. I encourage you to watch the video, read the interview below, scour the Priya website, and if you feel moved by this cause, then support this campaign. I can guarantee you that the money will be put to good use.