Meet Hattie Elliot

If it's better to give than receive, then best of all must be to give while giving back...

With SOCOCO (www.goSOCOCO.com), short for Socially Conscious Companion, you can dote on your dogs and dog-loving friends while doing some serious good this holiday season.

Sure to spark conversation, SOCOCO's colorful new "Good Dog Good Karma" collars and leashes benefit children in South Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS. SOCOCO founder Hattie Elliot gives 10 percent of the company's proceeds to the Baphumelele Children's Home, and lives with her husband and French bulldog, Gilles, in Cape Town so that she can work directly with the orphanage to develop programs that help the children.

Here Hattie talks about making a difference, being discovered by a major angel investor through Ladies Who Launch and bringing Ladies Who Launch Incubator workshops to women in South Africa.

Stunned by South Africa
Hattie: "When I was in high school (at a Waldorf school in New York), I went as an exchange student to Cape Town, and I loved it so much that I decided to go back when I was 18 and go to university there. It has had a huge impact on the woman I am today. (South Africa) is physically such a stunning country, the political situation is so progressive, and the people are amazing. There's a warmth and colorfulness that I haven't experienced anywhere else in the world."

Two Passions, One Company
"When I moved back to New York, I got a French bulldog and realized that dog owners in New York, including myself, are absolutely crazy about their dogs. I thought, 'What if there was a way to utilize the energy that people put into their dogs to help a cause that is close to my heart?' A huge problem that is affecting South Africa is the AIDS epidemic and the impact on children. I wanted to give back to those who need it most. That's how I came up with SOCOCO."

The Arrival of Her Angel
"I launched (the business in October of 2005) with a range of hand-beaded (pet-collar) charms made by South African artisans. Then I got a phone call from a prominent businesswoman who found me through Ladies Who Launch. She loved South Africa and loved her dog and we joined forces and decided we should work together. We developed this new line of collars and just launched that in October (of 2006)."

Not Just a Dog Collar... a Conversation Piece
"The goal for the company is really to develop the brand. It's not just pet accessories - it's a philanthropic brand. Any time someone sees our charms, collars or leashes, it's a conversation piece that causes people to talk about this very important cause. Our goal is to have the brand facilitate discussion and action for our cause.

"The type of person who buys (our pet accessories)... so many people will go back (to the orphanage's Web site - www.childrenofsouthafrica.org/donate_details.html) and make donations or tell friends to make donations to the cause."

Children Orphaned by AIDS Despite Wealth in South Africa
"AIDS has almost become a pandemic in South Africa... but there's a huge wealthy population in South Africa. There's an amazing university, medical school and the opportunity to educate people. The latest number I have heard out of the medical schools is that 15 percent of the population is affected by AIDS. This causes a huge problem because there are so many children who are orphaned by parents who are HIV positive and a great number of those children have been infected by AIDS as well."

Helping Children of All Ages - Not Only Those Younger Than Eight
"Baphumelele orphanage started out of the back of a woman's shack. She could barely afford to feed her own children, but she took in other children. Through the kindness of others, the facility has grown. It now cares for 100 orphans. They have an educare center and they provide the children with anti-retrovirals, which is rare for an orphanage. They're one of the only orphanages in South Africa to take children who are over the age of eight.

"Right now we're working on developing cluster homes - for relatively little money in U.S. dollars, you can develop a cluster home for eight children where they can stay and be given medical care and attention and love."

An Invitation to Visit Hattie
"I invite anyone who reads this to come visit us in South Africa. It's so moving. It gives you a whole new perspective. These children - they glow. Some are very sick, and it's hard to see sick children. They can't understand why they don't feel good every day. But they do understand love and they are just the most lovely, affectionate, happy children in the world."

Greatest Motivation
"At first, there was a lot of opposition from people who thought... 'pet accessories company that gave back to South Africa' sounded a little kooky. With the children, there have been more than enough reasons to push through the skepticism and the tough times. I've got the best motivation in the world, these kids."

Little Funding, Lots of Friends
"I didn't have much savings because I was living in New York. Every little cent I made, I would spend on the company. In the beginning, when I just did charms, it wasn't that expensive. I got very simple packaging printed. The art director (Milton Melendez) at the ad agency where I worked helped to design the logo and packaging. Another friend in Cape Town volunteered to help me put charms together. As a little bit of money came in, I would reinvest it in the company, and write a check to the orphanage. As funds came in, I would get more charms produced."

She Couldn't Have Done It Without...
"I had emotional support of my family - it was one of the few things that kept me going in the beginning when I was penniless. I grew up in New York in an incredibly loving and fortunate situation. I had two parents who were always involved in local politics and charity work, always instilled in me from a young age that it's very important to be thankful for what we have and help others who have less.

"Another huge aspect to making my company what it is today is Ladies Who Launch. I joined the Ladies Who Launch Incubator in New York a month after I launched my company, and aside from the connections that I made and network of people I met, the skills and confidence I gained by seeing how excited other women were for SOCOCO was hugely beneficial and kept me moving forward."

The Benefits of Partnership
"And of course I found my phenomenal business partner through Ladies Who Launch. She saw my classified ad on Ladies Who Launch and contacted me. Having a partner... to have someone who I had never met before find me, and hear about SOCOCO and so deeply believe in it that she would put in a huge chunk of her own personal money... I can't begin to explain how much confidence that has given me.

"It's also wonderful to have a partner, because when you're in business by yourself you're the accountant, you're the copy writer, you're the PR person. To have someone to share those responsibilities and (be able to) bounce ideas off someone... you can't do things alone. You have to ask for help."

Helping Women to Help Themselves
"When I decided to come to South Africa to continue work here, (Ladies Who Launch) asked me if I would be interested in bringing the network here. South Africa is full of motivated, interesting and successful entrepreneurial women, but I didn't feel there was the support here for women, especially not anything as unique and dynamic as Ladies Who Launch. I wanted to hopefully give the women here some of the amazing opportunities that I have had through the network.

"We have had a couple of (Ladies Who Launch) Incubators. They have gone really well. Women who have joined... it's been amazing for them. They come from a huge array of different backgrounds and businesses. Right now I'm working on developing reciprocity with couple of not-for-profits here... going into not-for-profits and basically doing incubators because there are so many women in South Africa who might not be able to afford the Incubator but who could benefit deeply from it... even some of the older kids at the orphanage."

Book She Recommends
"'Good to Great' (by Jim Collins). (The authors) found that the type of people who lead companies to greatness are humble. They keep normal working hours and work very hard within those hours, but tend not to work overtime. It's been my mantra in terms of my work ethic. It's been beneficial to myself and my marriage."

South African Wines She Recommends
"My favorite South African wines... Rudi Schultz Syrah, Mulderbosch Sauvingnon Blanc, and Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon."

Meet Gilles - French Bulldog and President of SOCOCO
"She's wonderful... when I got her, I never really wanted a small dog. She's a very affectionate, caring and loving dog. She's built like a machine, incredibly stubborn and steadfast with whatever she wants to do. I decided to use her as a logo because her personality is exactly how she looks... it's direct, it's real. She was the perfect logo for us because (children orphaned by AIDS) is a tough subject that's not always easy to talk about.

"By having a dog kind of send a message, it brings a life and a bit of a smile to an otherwise difficult subject. Our products are meant to inspire hope. It's about how little companions can make a big difference. It's also about little gestures... little acts of kindness make a huge impact in someone's life."