A Veteran Owned Business: Sword & Plough

Sword & Plough

Sword & Plough has been in the making since our founders, sisters Emily and Betsy, were born into a military family. Living at West Point, sharing Thanksgiving dinners with hundreds of soldiers in mess halls, hearing about her dad’s deployments and research, and watching her uncle, a Marine NASA Astronaut pilot, launch his space shuttle, are just a few of the experiences that inspired Emily to serve as an officer in the U.S. Army.

As a student at Middlebury College, Emily was the only ROTC cadet on a campus of 2,450 - most of her friends had never met someone in the military. After her sophomore year, Emily attended the U.S. Army Airborne School where she met soldiers who spoke of the struggles some of their veteran friends faced while attempting to gain employment after military service.

All of these experiences culminated in Sword & Plough's creation during Emily's senior year at college. After listening to an inspiring speech by Jacqueline Novogratz during Middlebury’s first social entrepreneurship symposium, a light bulb clicked on – Emily began to think 'What in my life is often discarded and could be turned into something beautiful with a purposeful mission?" How incredible would it be to repurpose military surplus material into durable and fashionable bags that people could use every day? By incorporating veterans into every stage of the business (from design to sewing, management, fulfillment, sales, even modeling), we could empower veteran employment. Through its branding and outreach, Sword & Plough could help bridge the civil-military divide. The repurposed bags could be used as conversation pieces and the company could become a platform to strengthen understanding between civilians and the veteran community. Inspired to give back to the veteran community through sustainable fashion, Sword & Plough was born!

Since Sword & Plough was founded in 2012, our team has worked hard to achieve positive and measurable impact while fulfilling our mission to strengthen civil-military understanding, empower veteran employment, and reduce waste. Sword & Plough is committed to our quadruple bottom line, which consists of social impact, environmental impact, purpose, and donating 10% of profit or 2% of revenue, whichever is greater, to veteran organizations.

We support social impact by supporting veteran employment at every stage of our business. This includes the design process, manufacturing, fulfillment, and sales. Since 2012, Sword & Plough has helped support over 65 veteran jobs through our own company and manufacturing partners. These include positions within our own management team, through our contract manufacturing partners (which are veteran-owned or partially staffed by veterans), through our veteran-owned fulfillment center, and through our Brand Champion program. Sword & Plough encourages any job-seeking veteran to send his or her resume and cover letter to jobs@swordandplough.com so we can try to help secure an employment opportunity either internally or within our expanding supply chain.

Another key part of Sword & Plough's mission is to reduce waste and minimize our carbon footprint on the world. By incorporating repurposed military surplus materials into our designs, we are able to significantly reduce our environmental impact as a fashion brand. We also manufacture exclusively in the U.S., which reduces our carbon emissions. To date, we have repurposed over 30,000 pounds of military surplus. Additionally, we use recycled materials in our packaging! Sword & Plough products are made in colors that are fashionable year-round, which reduces the need to purchase multiple bags! Your S&P bag might be the only bag you carry for years to come!

Sword & Plough is also committed to strengthening civil-military understanding. Our team knows that veterans are highly skilled technical professionals, problem solvers, and proven leaders who are empowering assets to civilian communities and companies. Through our social media, email, blog, and public speaking opportunities, we work to educate others about the value that veterans provide. Our customers love to share the conversations they have when stopped and asked “Where did you get that bag?” or “What is that bag made out of?” Those conversations are opportunities to bridge the divide and increase understanding between civilian and military communities. Do you have a similar story to share or an inspiring veteran or leader you’d like to highlight in Sword & Plough’s Inspiration of the Week? Email us at info@swordandplough.com with your submission!

We are proud to donate 10% of profits or 2% of revenue, whichever is greater, to veteran nonprofit organizations that align with our mission. You can view all of our veteran-giving partners on our website! We’ve also donated more than $45,000 worth of Sword & Plough products to veteran organizations. These in-kind donations have helped support over 100 additional veteran-related initiatives in areas of employment, education, health, housing, and leadership. In addition to making financial contributions, the Sword & Plough team members regularly donate their time to veteran-related service projects.

Meet the Founders

Emily Núñez Cavness, Co-Founder and Chairwoman. Emily is the Co-Founder and Chairwoman of Sword & Plough and a former U.S. Army Captain. During her military service, Emily graduated from Airborne School, served in the 10th Special Forces Group, deployed to Afghanistan, and was one of the first 100 women to try out for the U.S. Army’s Ranger Training Assessment Course. Emily channeled her passion for social entrepreneurship, civil-military relations, veteran empowerment, and sustainable design to embody the core values of Sword & Plough. Emily earned her B.A. in International Studies from Middlebury College and her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is a White House Champion of Change and Forbes 30 Under 30 Fellow.

Betsy Núñez, Co-Founder and Director of Brand & Business Development. Betsy is the Director of Brand & Business Development and Co-Founder at Sword & Plough. As a strategist with years of experience in operations and business development, Betsy brings a creative and strategic perspective to the team. Betsy manages Sword & Plough’s sourcing, production, and key relationships with our five veteran-owned American manufacturers. Betsy is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Fellow and a Bold Academy Fellow. Passionate and dedicated to driving positive social change, Betsy's goal is to ensure brands, individuals, and noteworthy products are given a well-deserved and amplified voice. Betsy holds a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from West Chester University.
 

Visit the Sword & Plough website and order today by clicking here

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