Interview with Keith Frausto, executive director
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: I’ve been in international development for many years, starting as a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland, Africa, serving as a United Nations volunteer and with the World Food Programme in Sudan, running emergency relief operations in Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania with International Rescue Committee. I joined Namlo a couple of years ago as the executive director because it looked like a challenge that would test my creative abilities, and because it offers such a broad platform for building sustainable communities in developing countries. The shop we have opened is a great way to connect people who are interested in international development with real, hands-on ways to get involved.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: We’re an international development nonprofit opening a gift shop to help support our overseas programs and strengthen our work as a social enterprise. Operating in Nepal and Nicaragua, Namlo has a “bottom-up” orientation, which means our programs are created in partnership with the communities where we work — not by local government or international donors. As an organization with a grass-roots orientation, we’re opening our store not only as a place where people can buy works of art from our women’s cooperative and other artisans, but also as a way to get directly involved in helping build the future of Namlo International, be it as an intern, volunteer, board member, donor or customer. We hope the shop is profitable, but more importantly we want to connect with people and give them an opportunity to get involved, and get engaged with building sustainable communities, be it here in Colorado or overseas.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: Seeing the positive change that comes out of collaboration. Our work overseas is very broad, and encompasses education, economic development, women’s empowerment and infrastructure improvement such as water systems. There’s a lot of satisfaction when you can see visible and measurable change in a poor community.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: The biggest challenge is our biggest opportunity, which is how do we connect with more people and get them excited about international development so they can help build the future of the organization. The biggest recent challenge, however, was responding to the April 25 earthquake in Nepal, where we delivered food, emergency supplies and shelter to more than 8,000 people.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: Namlo’s main goal is to build sustainable communities, but we also offer trips to Nepal and Nicaragua for people who want to learn first-hand what rural, sustainable development looks like.
Profile
Business: Namlo International Store
Address: 8790 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 100, Lakewood
Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Founded: 1999
Contact: 303-399-3649,
Employees: 3
