About the Brand
About
Ethical Trade Co is a Madison, Wisconsin-based ethical marketplace offering thoughtfully sourced gifts, apparel, jewelry, home goods, coffee, food, and accessories from artisan groups and purpose-driven brands around the world.
Founded in 2015, Ethical Trade Co exists to make ethical shopping more accessible while helping create dignified employment and sustainable economic opportunities for people vulnerable to exploitation. Every product is selected with attention to how it was made, who made it, and the impact the purchase can have.
The company works with fair trade organizations, social enterprises, small producers, and mission-led brands that prioritize fair wages, safe working conditions, environmental responsibility, and long-term community development.
Ethical Trade Co operates as a social enterprise of Five24, a nonprofit organization working to raise awareness about exploitation, educate communities, and create practical alternatives through ethical trade and supportive employment opportunities.
The brand’s goal is simple: to help customers find beautiful, useful products that reflect their values and contribute to a more just and sustainable economy.
Founding Story
Ethical Trade Co was founded in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2015 by James Ferrett and Manuel Ramminger.
The idea grew from a shared concern about exploitation in global supply chains and a desire to respond in a practical, sustainable way. Rather than asking people to stop shopping, the founders wanted to help customers shop differently by connecting them with products made under safer, fairer, and more dignified conditions.
They began by building relationships with fair trade organizations, artisan groups, and social enterprises working with communities affected by poverty, trafficking, displacement, and limited access to stable employment. What started as a small ethical retail project gradually grew into a broader marketplace featuring products from makers and mission-driven brands around the world.
Over time, Ethical Trade Co also became a platform for education and community engagement. The founders recognized that ethical retail could do more than generate sales; it could introduce customers to the people, cultures, and systems behind the products they purchase.
Today, Ethical Trade Co operates as a social enterprise of Five24, a nonprofit organization focused on exploitation awareness, education, dignified employment, and supportive work-readiness opportunities. The company continues to pursue the same founding vision: using everyday purchases to support meaningful work, strengthen communities, and create real alternatives to exploitation.
Signature Products
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Team & Experts
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James Ferrett is the co-founder and president of Ethical Trade Co, a Madison, Wisconsin-based ethical marketplace that connects customers with thoughtfully sourced gifts, apparel, home goods, coffee, food, jewelry, and accessories from artisan groups and purpose-driven brands around the world.
Originally from England, James moved to the United States in 2007 and co-founded Ethical Trade Co in 2015 after becoming increasingly concerned about exploitation in global supply chains. His work focuses on making ethical shopping more accessible, helping consumers understand the people and systems behind the products they buy, and supporting dignified employment opportunities for people vulnerable to exploitation.
James also serves as president of Five24, the nonprofit organization under which Ethical Trade Co operates as a social enterprise. Through Five24, he works on exploitation awareness, community education, ethical trade, and supportive employment and work-readiness opportunities.
With more than a decade of experience in ethical retail and social enterprise, James can speak on fair trade, responsible sourcing, conscious consumerism, social-impact business, ethical gifting, greenwashing, and the challenges of building a mission-driven retail company.
Press Coverage
THE CAP TIMES
Oct 10, 2023
Madison nonprofit brings Ukraine-made pottery to local tables
Ethical Trade Co partnered with Creating Comfort Lab to bring handcrafted Ukrainian tableware to U.S. customers, helping artisans maintain safe, stable income during the war. The partnership reflects Ethical Trade Co’s belief that long-term, sustainable employment can provide a more lasting response to poverty and exploitation than aid alone.
Locations
Store
1904 Winnebago St, Madison
Open Wed to Sat 11am to 5pm
Asset Library
Editorial-ready assets. All images cleared for press use with credit.
Press Contact
EC
Primary press contact
Ethical Trade Co
Press inquiries
- james@ethicaltradeco.com
- Replies within 24 hours