The Seven Bar Foundation is a

social enterprise A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners. Social enterprises ca ...

that uses cause marketing initiatives and the luxury lingerie industry to support

microfinance Microfinance is a category of financial services targeting individuals and small businesses who lack access to conventional banking and related services. Microfinance includes microcredit, the provision of small loans to poor clients; savings ...

. It is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

based out of

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

, that raises funds for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to help impoverished women start and expand their businesses.

Model

The Seven Bar Foundation is a

, a nonprofit that uses business models for social impact. The Foundation relies on commercial markets for a consistent

revenue stream A revenue stream is a source (or category of sources) of revenue of a company, other organization, or regional or national economy. In business, a revenue stream is generally made up of either recurring revenue, transaction-based revenue, project ...

in place of relying on donor funding, which may be more unpredictable and limited. Seven Bar uses the European lingerie industry as a marketing platform.

History

Seven Bar is a third-generation family involved in

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

development, and investments established in New Mexico beginning in the 1950s. Seven Bar and the Black family established the Seven Bar Foundation in 2001 with activities in eight states, contributing to

community development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists ...

projects in each.

Logo

The pink bars in Seven Bar Foundation's logo representing a "ladder" – an exit strategy out of poverty for women. The concept is based on the eighth step of

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...

' Golden Ladder, "To prevent poverty by teaching a trade, setting up a person in business, or in some other way preventing the need of charity."

Renata M. Black

Renata Mutis Black has fought poverty in 12 different countries, working with terminally disabled children in Hong Kong, mentally disabled elders in New Zealand, and victims of the 2004 tsunami in India. The events of the 2004 tsunami centralized her vision towards microfinance. Black and her husband narrowly evaded the destruction of the tsunami when their flight to Thailand was cancelled because of a mechanical failure. After the disaster, Black immediately went to help rebuild the villages impacted by the catastrophic flooding. During this project, a woman from the region approached her and said, "I know you have money and I don't want it. But why don't you teach me how to make it myself?" This encounter sparked a new course for Black, who immersed herself in study on microloans and their impact on impoverished communities with 2006

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

winner

Muhammad Yunus Muhammad Yunus (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, economist and civil society leader who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance ...

. Black then applied her training by establishing a

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

microfinance endeavor in India that exists to this day. Having seen the transformative force of

through her program in India. Black redirected the mission of the Seven Bar Foundation. To fund these institutions on a consistent and global basis. She found that microfinance presents these women. With the tools to create an exit strategy out of poverty and allows them to become self-sufficient.

Events

Lingerie New York

Operating on the tagline "empowering women on a G-string rather than a shoestring," Lingerie New York was produced by fashion week regular Lynne O'Neill and showcased the latest collections of lingerie designers Atsuko Kudo and Carine Gilson. It was held in October 2010 at NYC's historic landmark Cipriani 42nd Street.

Michelle Rodriguez Mayte Michelle Rodriguez (born July 12, 1978) is an American actress. Rodriguez began her career in 2000, playing a troubled boxer in the independent sports drama film ''Girlfight'' (2000), where she won the Independent Spirit Award and Gotha ...

DJed the event and supermodel Veronica Webb. Showcased a "space lace" corset made of injection-molded fiberglass. Designed by Dara Young. The event featured a performance by the Imaginaerial Entertainment Group. A cirque style

aerial silk Aerial silks (also known as aerial contortion, aerial ribbons, aerial tissues, fabric, ribbon, or ''tissu'') is a type of performance in which one or more artists perform aerial acrobatics while hanging from a specialist fabric. The fabric may b ...

act in which eight aerialists constructed a human Y. Also in attendance where host

Sofia Vergara Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

and media and fashion mogul

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...

. Lingerie New York raised over $200,000 in the name of microfinance for women.

Lingerie Miami

Lingerie Miami took place in front of the Vizcaya Palace in Coral Gables, Florida, on February 7, 2009, showcasing European lingerie designers Agent Provocateur, Fifi Chachnil, and Carine Gilson on the same stage for the first time. The event was hosted by

Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, and director. After a number of guest roles on several television series, she was recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytime ...

, co-hosted by

Veronica Webb Veronica Webb (born February 25, 1965) is an American model, actress, writer, and television personality. The first African-American to have a major cosmetics contract, Webb has appeared on covers of ''Vogue'', ''Essence'' and ''Elle'' magazines ...

, DJed by high fashion model

Ève Salvail Ève Salvail (born April 7, 1971) is a Canadian model. Biography Salvail was born in Matane, Quebec. While modeling in Japan in the early 1990s she made the decision to shave her head bald and have a Chinese dragon tattooed on her scalp. Her dist ...

, and featured guest speaker

Deepak Chopra Deepak Chopra (; ; born October 22, 1946) is an Indian-American author and alternative medicine advocate. A prominent figure in the New Age movement, his books and videos have made him one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in alternati ...

. Guests were served a three-course meal, cocktails by Belvedere and champagne by Moet & Chandon. Lingerie Miami featured a live and silent auction, including a private tour of the ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

'' set in Los Angeles and a kiss with Eva Longoria that sold for $35,000. The event raised over $180,000, funding microloans for 2,233 women, and garnered over 177 million media impressions.

References

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Seven Bar Foundation - About Us
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Seven Bar Foundation - About Us - The Golden Ladder of Giving
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Seven Bar Foundation - Director's Profile
* Chopra, Deepak. "Renata M. Black, Founding Director of Seven Bar Foundation." ''The Soul of Leadership''. New York: Harmony, 2010. Print. *
The New York Times Style Magazine - Photo Diary , Lingerie New York
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Party Builders Bonus Material: Supermodel Veronica Webb Talks Lingerie and Microfinance
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Party Builders Bonus Material: Aerialists Construct a Human Y at Lingerie New York
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Party Builders Episode 2: Lingerie New York Ready to Rock!
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Seven Bar Foundation - Lingerie New York - Partners
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Party Builders Episode 1: Lingerie New York Impacts the World with a Mix of Fashion and Microfinance
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Style.com Lingerie Miami Brings the Sizzle
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Seven Bar Foundation - Lingerie Miami 2009
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Seven Bar Foundation - Fusion Beauty
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Sephora - Fusion Beauty - LipFusion Luxe Boudoir
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Social Miami - Lingerie Miami
*

* {{note, q}

Microfinance organizations Social enterprises Non-profit organizations based in New York (state) Women's occupational organizations 501(c)(3) organizations 2001 establishments in New York City Organizations established in 2001