My name is Eliana Lopez. I was born and raised in Venezuela and moved to San Francisco, California, about 13 years ago. I am an artist, entrepreneur, and the mother of two beautiful boys and a dog.
Two and half years ago, I started researching organic underwear when I could not find Potty trainers for my son Kian. I wanted something free of polyester, organic, and thoughtful prints away from the regular trucks and superheroes. After asking myself- “how hard can it be to make this?”- I expanded my knowledge about Organic Cotton, how it is produced, how it should be printed, and how durable the fabric is. My curiosity sparked and pushed me to return to school, and I learned how to sew, prepare a collection, accounting, and entrepreneurship concepts and principles to start my own business.
Therefore, a year and a half ago, my mother (who happened to have a small clothing factory in Venezuela for the last 30 years) joined me. We started making prototypes, forecasting costs, and testing the quality of the different fabrics we used. Then, we launched our online store.
Working with my mother has been excellent. I miss her presence in my daily life and still call her whenever I want to cook something different or my kids are having a hard time. She is always there to give me the advice or reassurance I need. Working with her has allowed me to value another side of her that I undervalued before: her entrepreneurial mind and sustainable practices.
There is a phrase that states: "Amor con Amor se paga," which translates: "Love is with love repaid," so, to give back to my home country, Venezuela, we donated 1% of our profits to children and families in need. Thanks to my mother's support and guidance, our product is made in Venezuela at her family-run factory committed to producing Zero waste and providing free vocational training to youth.
We named our brand: MUKUPATI (Moo-Koo-Pa-Tee), an indigenous word from the Venezuelan Andes that means: "Where the paths meet."
Mukupati has become an intersection of cultures, languages, genders, and generations with a common goal of building a better future for our children and the planet we will leave to them.