Shared passion driving great ideas
The two co-founders of Art4Change, Ulrike Streifler and Angela Jackson, come from relatively different backgrounds. While Ulrike Streifler is first and foremost an artist that sought to expand the positive energising power of her creations, Angela Jackson is primarily a businesswomen determined to give something back to the society after selling her own business. As recognised by Angela Jackson, “we recognised the synergies of our complimentary skills and our shared passion to do some good in the world and drive change.”
“The main goal for us was to do something that would help drive some of the much-needed change in the world. We aim to provide revenue streams for charities that are independent from donations by selling art and art printed on sustainable / ethical products.” It is the strong emphasis being placed on sustainability and up-cycling that clearly sets Art4Change apart from other art initiatives and businesses. “There are many companies offering art on a very wide range of products, in most cases there are anything but sustainable or ethical. We strongly support the Fair Trade market and where possible purchase directly from such suppliers or through the organisations that manage the distribution of Far Trade products. Additionally, we look for suppliers with unique products such as the up-cycled wine bottles that make such beautiful lanterns that are enhanced through the beauty of our art.”
Protecting the uniqueness of Art4Change from the very start
“The idea to protect the brand was borne almost immediately as we believe we are doing something unique and something that we need a lot more of in this world. We wanted to be sure that when our idea starts to deliver the success, we hope it will have, it cannot be impacts by others imitating us.”
And this is where Trama came in, providing effective protection for the Art4Change brand through trademark registration in the EU as well as the UK.
“Having previously managed a trademark process with a traditional law firm and recalling how involved that was, I was a little worried about how the process would be with Trama. Now I can say that I am so glad that we decided to use Trama. The communication was seamless, clear and all times super easy to understand. Any and all questions were answered quickly and efficiently, and I am really happy with the ease of the process and with our wonderful new trademark!”
Inspiring plans for the future
Giving back to the world is at the forefront of everything Art4Change stands for. This social enterprise has been running only since February 2021 but that does not stop its founders from making big plans. In addition to the sustainable drive of Art4Change, 10% from every item sold will be donated to charities! Moreover, while virtually all of the art currently available in the store has been created by Ulrike Streifler, plans are already being made to include additional artists, allowing them to showcase their art and support the cause!
