we’re all about good juju, and those of us at hq look no further for positive vibes than our marketing manager + domestic giving coordinator, julia sykes. we see ju around the office all the time, coordinating giving trips, keeping in touch with our Artists, and building our super cool brand (we’re biased) but it’s not very often we get to talk about what brought her to umano.

fill in the blank: if I could go anywhere in the world, I would go ___________.

 ju: “back to haiti. the love people have for each other reminds me why relationships are so important. there is an overwhelming amount of hope in haiti if you choose to see it.”

was working in fashion on your radar? 

ju: “I never grew up wanting to move to new york city to go into the fashion industry. I liked how business put me on a path where I could tailor to my interests.”

where did you hope that path would take you? 

ju: “a job where I could see the bigger picture—more than doing something cool and making money. I believe marketing, in particular, presents a ton of opportunities to shine a light on brands with inspiring stories.

how did you meet jonathan + alex? 

ju: “when I developed an interest in social entrepreneurship, a good friend told me about umano. eventually, I ran out of information to read on their site and immediately emailed alex to meet in person so I could learn more.”

what made you want to get on board?

 ju: “I was so inspired by jonathan and alex. they had given up everything to pursue umano. their passion and energy was contagious. I couldn’t not work for them. the decision pretty much made itself.”

where do you think the brand will go from here?

 ju: “I am confident umano will be extremely successful, but our values will never change. we’ll always be humble, because at the end of the day it’s not about us. we are building something bigger than ourselves.”

advice for anyone looking to change the world? 

ju: “anyone is capable of making a positive impact in the world and the crazy thing is, you may never know the names of the true world-changers. my advice is to be selfless and patient.”