Sseko Designs is a company based in Portland, Oregon that started out selling handcrafted sandals with interchangeable accents. The sandals are made by women in Uganda who are “working to pursue their dreams and overcome poverty.” In Uganda, Sseko provides life skills training, professional mentors and an opportunity for higher education for its female Sseko Fellows. The founders of Sseko Designs, wife and husband team Liz Bohannon and Ben Bohannon, pitched their fair trade fashion business on Shark Tank in February 2015 but alas did not get a deal.
[Related: 27 Favorite ‘Shark Tank’ Products at Amazon — New List]
Since then, Sseko Designs has expanded its product line to include shoes, handbags, scarves, jewelry and other accessories and is working with women in Kenya, Ethiopia and India. When the Bohannons were on Shark Tank, they reported that 47 women had graduated the Sseko Fellow program. In 2019, Sseko will send its 131st woman to university! New episodes of Shark Tank air Sundays at 9 pm on ABC. [BONUS: Stream any ABC show through the ABC GO Digital App found here. Download is FREE.]
