Pivoting in a Pandemic with Caleigh Hernandez ’15

The word ‘pivot’ has become ubiquitous with the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and that is no different for Caleigh Hernandez ’15.

Caleigh is the founder and CEO of RoHo, an accessories brand usually specializing in sandals, jewelry, and handbags. RoHo partners with four artisan groups across Kenya to create their products while creating consistent, fair paying work for their artisans, most of whom are women. With the economic impact of the pandemic, sandals and handbags were no longer a top of the shopping list purchase for most consumers. But Roho’s artisan partners still needed to put food on their families’ tables. In this episode of Northwestern Intersections, Caleigh shares the creative changes the company has made in order to support their team, the challenges of global business, and the importance of open and honest communication in leadership.