Networking Roundtable: Ethical Storytelling for Travelers and Business Promoters

September 30, 2025

Join WARP for our new monthly members program! In January, we began a series of Networking Roundtable online discussion groups for members on Zoom. The goal is to give members an opportunity to network and discuss topics of interest that advance WARP’s overall mission.

Storytelling is a universal human activity that helps support cross-cultural exchange, which in turn enriches the lives of individuals in the global textile community and promotes positive change. As travelers and as business people working with artisans in other countries and cultures, we have a responsibility to use our natural storytelling impulses in an ethical way that respects and protects the interests of the people at the heart of the stories. Given the wide cultural and legal contexts that frame the artisan communities that we seek to support, we’ll kick off the discussion with a brief review of what we mean by “storytelling” and some fundamental ethical principles around storytelling. Then we will dig into discussion around what ethical storytelling looks like “on the ground” for travelers and business promoters and how we can keep ethics at the heart of our interactions.

Please note that if you would like to attend but are unavailable at the time listed, register anyway and you will receive a link to the recording as soon as it is available.

Facilitator:

After retiring from law, Rikki Quintana built HoonArts Fair Trade, working hand-in-hand with Silk Road artisans in Central Asia. Over the past decade, she’s honed the craft of telling artisan stories in ways that connect deeply with audiences while staying true to her values. Her “on-the-ground” marketing education came through trial, error, and training with top storytelling experts.

Most recently, Rikki launched Impact Storytelling for Results, dedicated to helping people-first entrepreneurs and mission-driven nonprofits share stories that spark engagement and sales—while honoring the dignity and agency of the people at the heart of those stories. Click here to connect with Rikki on LinkedIn.

The video recording of this event is available to logged-in WARP members only.