we utilize existing skills and develop new ones paying generous wages and benefits
Even the most generous of companies typically only give back 1% of sales to nonprofits. Our operational impact model generates well more than 10x that level of impact through direct and dignified employment of refugees. That's the power of employment social enterprises.
A farmer in his home country, Amadou loved raising crops to feed his family. After being forced to flee his home under threat of violence, Amadou's family fled to Senegal, where he met his wife and learned how to sew while working for a small company cutting and sewing traditional African men’s clothing. Amandou and his family lived in Senegal for nearly 20 years before getting an opportunity to move to the United States in 2012.
After making American flags for 10 years at a factory in Kansas City, Amadou moved to Denver and joined the team at Knotty Tie. His attention to detail and insistence on quality is incomparable, only second to his commitment to family and faith. In 5+ years with Knotty Tie, Amadou has expertly made every product we sell. Like a true craftsman, he refuses to produce anything other than the highest level of quality. He is happy to have found a position that pays well, suits his skill set and allows him to provide for him and his 8 children.
Living as a Congolese refugee in Rwanda for 18 years, Marc understands global racial discrimination and injustice on a deeply personal level. Evicted from the DRC, Marc and his family took refuge in Rwanda, where they worked hard to create a new home. Marc attended a year long program, where he learned to sew, and used his new talents to provide for his family as well as teach others. Becoming president of the refugee camp, Marc managed volunteers, donations, and relationships with the Rwandan government. To his surprise, his family was among the first group of refugees from the camp to be selected for resettlement to America.
Learning a new culture and country was difficult while Marc sought out jobs where he could use his sewing skills but to no avail. According to Marc, the only jobs available for recently resettled refugees were unfulfilling, unpredictable, and menial and he didn’t think it was possible to find a job doing what he loved, using his sewing and design skills. Fortunately, he found Knotty Tie and is grateful l to have a job where he can learn english, use his professional skills and provide for his family. He is proud to be able to show his children that they have a promising future and can do many things in America.
Omar is from Hama, Syria. When Syria broke out in war, the government started throwing civilians in jail without cause. After 8 months of living in fear of being thrown in jail at any moment, Omar fled Syria. He and his family found safety at a refugee camp in Jordan. At first Jordan welcomed Syrian refugees, but as more and more Syrians were displaced by the war, Jordan grew reluctant to accept more refugees. Omar lived in the refugee camp for 5 years before he was granted asylum in America.
On February 13th, 2017, Omar and his family started their new life in Colorado. His wife, his 2 year old son, and his 3 year old daughter accompanied him to their new home. Before he moved to America he didn’t know if he would like it here, but now he says he likes Americans even more than his people of Syria. He has felt very welcome here and he likes his coworkers a lot. His goal is to build a bright future for his family in Denver by becoming fluent in English and later hopes to attend fashion design school. His brother and mother are back in Syria and he hopes that some day they will be able to join him in America.
definition
Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their homes and have crossed an international border to escape war, persecution or disaster.
definition
An asylum seeker is someone who is also seeking international protection from dangers in their home country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn't been determined legally.
definition
A displaced person is someone who has been forced to leave their home, usually due to war, violence, or natural disasters but hasn't crossed external borders to flee.
We took home the $20k top prize for Colorado companies in the FirstBank's Good Business Giveaway.
The message behind the ribbons was powerful: solidarity and support for the millions of people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes.
Manufacturing in the USA allows quick customization with orders shipping in as fast as 7 days from order. Learn about our standard and expedite turnaround times and what you can expect based upon order size and shipping location.
We have no minimums so whether you want a full production sample to review prior to placing a large order, need only one product for now or want to order several different designs, go for it! Learn more about products and pricing at our FAQ.
You can easily start a custom design in just a few minutes and we'll work quickly to create a design in a business day or less, so long as we have the color and design assets needed. Request swatches to verify designs or ask for quick revisions to meet your design objectives.
Hundreds of patterns have completely customizable colors so you can match to a dress, suit, palette or just make a rad one-of-a-kind design you won't see anywhere else. Remember that colors on screen are different than print and if you need exact colors, please verify with the ColorMatch Chart.
Connect the knots with helpful tips and discounts plus new product and pattern releases.
© 2025, Knotty Tie Co.
