BY MELANIE ULLE
Years ago, I was introduced to Tonya Quinn, the founder of the Kindness Empire, a do-good company in Denver with a unique mission and product line. Besides being cultured, charming and curious, Tonya was busy identifying and supporting creative talent with artists throughout our great city.
The Kindness Empire has a clear mission to nurture human connection and creative spirit, inspiring people to be kind to themselves and others, sparking hope. Tonya is serving this mission through corporate creativity workshops, corporate gift packages, art education programs for kids and those who are just kids at heart.
The Kindness Empire designates a portion of their profits to art education programs. Tonya has long valued the power of art and has committed to giving elementary school-aged kids on-going art education programs. Students in her programs enjoy the time, space, and encouragement to create.
I was recently surprised with a gift from a colleague and was delighted to see it was from none other than Tonya’s fine company. My first thought was: damn, this is some high-quality shit. My second thought was, dang mama, I can’t believe how much thought and consideration was put into this package.
The box included a hand-sewn embroidered cotton sack which read “gratitude” and inside was an RBG candle (how’d she know?), a tea bottle with an infuser, and organic herbal teas. The items included brief biographies of the creators, making the products more meaningful and personal. The presentation was beautiful and made me feel like the person who put it together for me sincerely cared and wanted me to feel appreciated.
Corporate gifts are hard to get right. I mean seriously hard to get right. Take it from someone who has sent many over the past twelve years and only occasionally hit the mark!
This package was thoughtful and…dare I say… awe-inspiring? I immediately reached out to the colleague who had this treasure sent to me and expressed my delight and surprise at the beauty and quality of the items.
Tonya’s work not only provides a much-needed service, but the value is multiplied by the knowledge that every gift gives back to Colorado kids and encourages their creativity. Other friends have filled me in on her corporate workshops and insist that the experiences are game changers. I’m adding a workshop to my wish list for next quarter and have great confidence it will impress me as much as everything else she does.
Check out The Kindness Empire at www.thekindnessempire.com.