In 2014 Sara founded MINNA, a queer-led home textile brand collaborating with master artisans throughout Latin America. Rooted in responsible design, MINNA is a certified B Corporation. With a belief that design can create a positive impact and businesses can do good, Sara has established an ethical supply chain with over 400 artisans in rural and indigenous communities. Sara deeply understands the needs and nuances of the artisan sector and has established herself as a leader in building equitable artisan partnerships rooted in co-creation. From the ground up, Sara has built an inclusive team culture, structured operations, a design philosophy rooted in co-design, and a strong company ethos.
Named one of Dwell Magazine’s ‘30 Emerging Talents in the World of Design,’ Sara’s singular style and conscience-driven work are beloved internationally. Prior to founding MINNA, Sara received her BFA in Graphic Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She then worked at various agencies including Area17, Red Antler, Behance, and Huge with clients including Google, Tom’s Shoes, Esteé Lauder, Waterworks, and Jay Z. Her experience building brands and solving complex user experiences allowed her to craft MINNA’s branding, creative direction, and overall visual design of products that have been featured in publications including Martha Stewart, Architectural Digest, and Vogue.
In 2013 she decided to freelance so she could focus on her art practice leading her to discover weaving. She traveled to Oaxaca to learn about Zapotec rug weaving and MINNA was born. Her art practice has ebbed and flowed over the years from tapestry weaving, drawing, and painting. The work explores communication, patterns of thought, behavior, and relational dynamics. Each shape can be considered a thought or sentence, something said, unsaid, or misunderstood. Her paintings are approached without a plan and drawn with a pen for permanence. A sense of order can be found in being bound within a frame, but internally unpredictable.
Sara believes it’s possible to build businesses rooted in equity and creativity. As a queer design leader, she has let queerness inform her approach to just about everything. She dreams of writing a book called ‘Queering the Artisan Sector’ merging business, design, and life. Maybe she still will.
