Created in 2004 by Founder Ruth Álvarez-DeGolia, Mercado Global is a Brooklyn-based accessory brand and non-profit that empowers rural women in Central America to become entrepreneurs. Through donor-funded business education and leadership programs, they help women create community businesses to support themselves and their families. By designing collections for the international market while using traditional local weaving techniques, they are changing the status quo for women, communities, and the industry. To this date, Mercado Global has impacted the lives of over 400 indigenous women throughout more than 40 communities in the rural highlands.

The products of Mercado Global are produced using the timeless tradition of weaving, a process that has been passed through generations of indigenous women. A respect for this ancient craft is fostered from seeing the intricate detail of the women’s fingers design pieces line by line, without hesitation or doubt.