From Loss to Legacy; Leather Accessories with Julie Colombino-Billingham Ep 179 Artwork

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Grounded in Maine Podcast is an open conversation about being mindful of how we show up for the world. We discuss the role we play in sustainability including gardening and preserving, recycling, composting and even household DIY. It's a podcast about our commitment to ecological responsibility, and empowering us to take on our role in the solution instead of feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world.

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Grounded in Maine

From Loss to Legacy; Leather Accessories with Julie Colombino-Billingham Ep 179

December 30, 2025

Julie Colombino-Billingham was working in disaster response 15 years ago, and was in Haiti after the earthquake of 2010. She never went back. She fell in love with the resilience and kindness of the people, and started a business with them called Deux Mains (two hands), making sustainable, fair trade leather bags and accessories - and also school shoes for students that they sell to churches and ministries to distribute. These beautiful bags are sold in Nordstrom!

During the time she's been working with the people of Haiti, Julie's interviewed residents and documented her time, and launched her memoir earlier this month - it's called From Loss to Legacy: How a Fashion Business Rose from Haiti's Rubble. All book proceeds will go to REBUILD globally, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty in Haiti through education and job training.

Julie wants to relay the message of the power of our purpose - that our purchases make a global impact.

Deux Mains website is here: https://deuxmains.com/pages/our-story-2

Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/deuxmains_official/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DeuxMainsDesigns/

They're on Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/deuxmainsdesigns/

Julie's TedX Talk is here: https://youtu.be/XE76NResiUc

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