Moonflower Enterprises is a family owned business managed by Felipe and Maria Gonzales.
Maria, a weaver, mother, accountant and excellent cook is 100% MAYA Kakchiquel from the Solola province located in the central highlands of Guatemala. She learned how to weave when she was nine, alongside her mother and older sisters. She worked her way through middle and secondary school and was the only one of six siblings in her family to receive a formal education. After graduating, she focused her career in social work, and worked with several Mayan, grass-roots organizations to improve the lives of her people through community development projects.
Felipe, is a US born, second generation Mexican-American. His grandparents on his father's side immigrated to the USA from the Huasteco Indian territory of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. His grandparents on his mother's side originated from Southwestern Colorado. He was born in Alaska, raised in Texas and "grew up" in Guatemala, where he lived and worked among Mayan peoples for 16 years. He met Maria while working on rural development projects with the Maya Kakchiqueles in the Solola province.
While teaching Mayans to prepare and incorporate soy-based foods into their diet, both Maria and Felipe soon found that they shared a similar vision: to empower and promote the social and economic development of Mayans, while respecting their traditions and culture.
Both Maria and Felipe continued to work, for separate non-profit organizations, through out the late 1980's till 2001, with several ethnic groups of Guatemala conducting a diverse range of community development projects including: rotating credit funds, agricultural development, legal assistance, education, health, grass roots organizing, community infrastructure and strengthening Mayan culture and traditions. |
 During this period, the idea of creating Moonflower Enterprises was formulated by Felipe who was motivated into action through the unequivocal irony of the incredible beauty, amazing skills and profound humility of Mayan artisans who produced extraordinary weavings, textiles and crafts, juxtaposed against the harsh reality of abject poverty and extremely difficult social and political conditions in which these families lived.
Thus, Moonflower Enterprises was created as a means by which Mayan made crafts could be marketed in the United States, and resulting funds returned to families and communities in Guatemala to help improve their lives and social conditions
Felipe moved back to the USA in 2001. He was joined by his wife, Maria and their two daughters in the Spring of 2003. In Fall 2004, Moonflower Enterprises obtained official status as a member of the Fair Trade Federation. Moonflower Enterprises has been steadily growing and expanding their markets as consumers become more aware of fair trade principles and the demand for fair trade products increases.
Together, Felipe and Maria work tirelessly, keeping alive the spirit and intent of Moonflower Enterprises by marketing fair trade arts and crafts created by a modest network of Mayan artisans, many of whom are close families and long-time friends. |
