Kellie Guthrie: Owner/Founder
With over 20 years of marketing, public relations and sales experience in the for-profit and non-profit arenas, Re-Invention's owner and founder, Kellie Guthrie, is creative, energetic, compassionate and has a clear vision of what she is called to do at this time in her life! After years as a Territory Manager in the fashion industry promoting and marketing to high-end boutique women's accessories and clothing, Kellie is focusing her experience, talents, and gifts on solutions for real change in the world. Her heart to serve and yearning to live larger led her on a search for designs which compared in beauty and excellence to those she has represented, but are created by the hands of those ravaged and exploited by circumstances of extreme poverty. Her search uncovered humanitarian organizations and ministries that are providing employment-based solutions, called social enterprises, for those who previously had no hope of freedom from the poverty surrounding them. She is passionate about the growth and sustainability of these businesses.
With over 20 years of marketing, public relations and sales experience in the for-profit and non-profit arenas, Re-Invention's owner and founder, Kellie Guthrie, is creative, energetic, compassionate and has a clear vision of what she is called to do at this time in her life! After years as a Territory Manager in the fashion industry promoting and marketing to high-end boutique women's accessories and clothing, Kellie is focusing her experience, talents, and gifts on solutions for real change in the world. Her heart to serve and yearning to live larger led her on a search for designs which compared in beauty and excellence to those she has represented, but are created by the hands of those ravaged and exploited by circumstances of extreme poverty. Her search uncovered humanitarian organizations and ministries that are providing employment-based solutions, called social enterprises, for those who previously had no hope of freedom from the poverty surrounding them. She is passionate about the growth and sustainability of these businesses.
Kellie has seen firsthand the effects of extreme poverty and its many forms of exploitation, and has made a commitment that, "this will not continue to happen on her watch!". She's not just motivated, but driven by what she has seen and experienced. Although devastated by the brokenness she has seen in the world, it is also something that has inspired her. She knows from her own experience that at the point where there seems to be nothing left, "everything is possible!" Kellie desires to leave a legacy of giving and compassion for her niece Gracie and her nephews Jackson and Walker, and is passionate about empowering the dreams of this generation by providing opportunities to effect real change in the world. She firmly believes God has called "them" to be a generation of heroes!
Kathryn Guthrie: Sales Manager
Kathryn has over 30 years of experience in the wholesale home furnishings and accents industry, as well as the wholesale women's apparel and accessories industries. She is smart, creative and has a multifaceted knowledge of business. Kathryn has a proven, successful track record in sales and marketing, development of regional and national markets, merchandising, and management of sales forces and customer service departments, including staffing, training, projections, and quotas.
Throughout her career, Kathryn has worked with large retailers on product development and direct import. She has managed sales forces throughout the Southeast, Northeast, and Midwest, and has coordinated primary markets via showrooms and trade shows.
In 2008, Kathryn adopted Rebekah Grace, a beautiful Vietnamese girl, who is full of life and personality. Her journey to adopt Grace has opened her heart to the importance of reaching out beyond ourselves and connecting to the world. Kathryn has seen firsthand the ravages of poverty and is committed to being a part of making real change happen. Through her work at Re-Invention, she hopes to instill compassion and a heart to do more and be more in her daughter.
Lisa Jacobs : Production Manager
While the colors, textures, and designs of the G.E.A.R. by R-I collection come from Kellie's mind, the work of Lisa's hands makes them tangible. Lisa is creating our production model, which is in a daily mode of refinement and management. She is an Artist in every sense of the word, as she brings to life pieces for which we are proud to place the G.E.A.R. by R-I brand. Her incredible ability to work with her hands, and to assist in the process of bringing colors and textures together to make something truly beautiful, is invaluable. Her love for her work is reflected in every piece and our team would not be complete without her!
Rachel Fisher: Director of Communications & Customer Relations
Rachel jumped on board with Re-Invention after she graduated from college in 2009 as our cheerleader, volunteer, and connector. Today, Rachel serves on our team as our megaphone working to get the word about R-I to the masses and inviting anyone and everyone to be a part of changing the world. She is passionate about seeing broken people and places made new and has an ability to see "it" before "it" even happens, which is valuable in this business. Rachel has seen the effects of poverty in places around the world like Uganda, South East Asia and Eastern Europe, but seeing it in her own community of Montgomery broke her the most. For her, it was not okay that people were living in poverty only a few streets over. Rachel believes in the potential Re-Invention has to make change a possibility for many like them. She and her husband Chase were married in 2011 and share a love for travel and building relationships.
The Women at Friendship Mission
Although G.E.A.R. was formed to create jobs, all of our goods are made with the hope of expanding the base of who our net-profits will serve.Two years ago, through circumstances we can only call providential, we connected with a group of women. These women were in a transitional program at Friendship Mission in Montgomery, Ala. and were, as the director Mary said, "the last people anyone would pick for their team." Our first partnership was soon established and today, women are learning to cut, sew, and create with the ultimate goal of arming them with the necessary skills and confidence to work with us or seek other employment. Through this initial partnership we are creating opportunities for work that promote the sustainability of our world and the lives of those who live in it. We have begun to live our dream to serve by providing love and compassion for our neighbor-whether right next door or halfway around the world and these women are a huge part of making that happen!
