It's about the people, and a croissant

Different Kind started with a croissant. A croissant that Liz, our CEO, had at Luminary, a London bakery that trains and employs refugees, trafficked and disadvantaged women. The croissant was very good and so was the impact the business had on women’s lives.

The possibility was exciting and obvious: there should be a showcase for ethical, socially-motivated producers with top quality products. A retail idea was born.

Different Kind is the result of that simple impulse. It’s a platform for the best, most exciting, emerging ethical businesses to reach more people. We are four women wanting to bring home the virtues of goods that do good.

Liz Warner: Co-founder & CEO
As CEO at Comic Relief, Liz, worked with a range of exciting and emerging social and ethical enterprises. She started Betty, one of the first female founded television production companies. At Different Kind she leads the business, shaping our approach. She believes in the winning combination of creativity and purpose. And, as you know, she loves a good croissant.

Vik Anderson: Co-founder
Vik’s an ethics pragmatist who unearths and vets producers and helps to choose our brilliant products. She’s a responsible jewellery designer/maker too. Vik has purpose sewn into the back of her organic cotton sweatshirt, just don’t come near her with soy, false claims or the offer of a cruise with a free DVD thrown in.

Charlotte Hillenbrand: Co-founder
Charlotte has worked on digital innovation projects for over 15 years, and is the brains (and muscle) behind the digital platform. Charlotte has a knack for scanning the marketplace and being digital and social with thought and purpose. She has an eye for graphics, loves a geometric design and can be tempted by a nice ethically sourced Negroni.

Gail Sulkes: Co-founder
Gail’s a business consultant and executive coach who’s helped build our business and reciprocity models and shape the brand. She has seen firsthand the transformational power of being a good actor in business. She is from Detroit, loves her hometown music, and harbours secret ambitions to run a hair/nail salon (ethically, of course).