On this episode of De Raiz A Flor we welcome the founder of Designing A Difference Sewing House Rebecca Cahua. We talk about how she went from a .5 GPA student in high school to running multiple companies, what was the motivating factor in her earning her masters degree, and why there can never be too much on this woman's plate.

EPISODE NOTES:

03:18 - Growing up in the Mission 
08:54 - Processing things differently 
15:05 - The education path 
19:15 - Nothing to lose 
21:40 - Discovering her creativity 
26:30 - Launching Hashtag Lunch bag SF
34:19 - Designing a Difference is born 
37:26 - Choosing who to help 
41:10 - Buy a mask, gift a mask 
47:39 - Creating distance to build success 
52:25 - Surround yourself with people you admire 
55:25 - Petalos, brought to you by Latina Golfers Association 

A San Francisco native, Rebecca Cahua was raised by her single mother in the Mission District and is the second of 6 children. After many years struggling through school she went from a 0.5 gpa, to the first in her family to go to college. 
 
In 2011, while still in school, she purchased sewing machines and a screen printing press machine from a locally owned company and was able to open the doors to Designing a Difference Sewing House, a full-Service Cut and Sew Contract Manufacturer. 
 
Rebecca graduated from San Francisco State University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in apparel and textiles. Soon after she founded a nonprofit called Hash Tag Lunch Bag SF. Which consists of holding a monthly gathering of volunteers to make and distribute lunches to people in need. 
 
In 2015, she launched Designing A Difference Inc. a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of people with employment barriers. 

But that’s not enough, Rebecca moved fast when she noticed the need for personal protective equipment during the pandemic and brought together a team of scientists and product designers to launch O2 Nano Brands Inc, whose goal is to donate 40,000 masks in the next two months to people who are putting their lives at risk daily to help her community of San Francisco.

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This episode is brought to you by the Latina Golfers Association.