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ECONOMY
PROFESSIONALS
Jobs Recruiter Advocates for the Disabled
BIG TENT FROM PAGE 12
physical, it's very intimidating!'
Kaplan eliminates that discomfort
by informing employers up front about
candidates' special needs, which he says
also benefits employers since disabilities
are often hidden during the interviewing
process.
"It takes that out of the
equation and adds
a level of comfort;'
Hintalla says.
There is often
a misperception
that employing an
individual with dis-
abilities can be cost-
prohibitive and require
accommodating
needs that otherwise
wouldn't be an issue.
Debunking that
myth, Kaplan says that
approximately half of the
necessary accommodations cost
companies nothing, and the average cost
is $500 — a small price to pay for hiring a
qualified candidate.
"The good news is that employees tend
to know very well what they need, and
often they have it," he explains.
A New York City transplant, Kaplan be-
came a disability advocate after the birth
of his first child, who was diagnosed with
cerebral palsy. He and his wife, Gabriella,
moved to Detroit upon his completion of
graduate school in Atlanta.
He's active in the disability community
and serves on the board for the Detroit
Institute for Children. Combining his pas-
sion for the disabled community with his
15 years of business experience seemed
like a natural fit.
"I've been thinking about it for a
long time, and it's a great time to start a
company in Michigan;' he says. "A lot of
the inputs [rent, material
costs, etc.] are lower [in a
down economy]. At the
same time, as companies
begin to see the light at
the end of the tun-
nel, they start looking
toward employment
aggressively."
Big Tent, which
launched in March
2011, is still work-
ing on placing its
first candidate, but
Kaplan says there's
great interest from
corporations, especially
those set on diversifying their
workplace.
Workplace diversity rings true with con-
sumers, making it not just good karma,
but good business."Eighty-seven percent
of people prefer to work with companies
who've hired the disabled," Kaplan says.
Hintalla says Kaplan's professionalism,
energy and enthusiasm point toward
success, and while multiple headhunters
are courting positions for him, he hopes
it's Kaplan who discovers the right role.
"He turns over a lot of rocks. He works so
much harder than anybody else." R.T
HOME BREW
vvvvw.raydianceforwomen.com
Arbor Teas Co-Founders Steep in Their Success
ARBOR TEA FROM PAGE 12
Colonial
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Aubrey marvels at their success "given
the economy of the past decade;' she says.
"The tea business is a wonderful market
... it's healthy, it's been around for thou-
sands of years, it's organic and fair trade
— how can you go wrong?"
With a socially conscious business
model that's proven successful, the
Lopatins recently moved the business out
of their home and have opened a new
warehouse distribution center in the heart
of downtown Ann Arbor.
"All of our products are certified or-
ganic, and about 75 percent are also certi-
fied fair traderAubrey explains. "Pair Trade
USA ensures that tea estates, as well as the
larger plantations, meet their criteria for
fair business practices and working condi-
tions — such as paying a living wage,
allowing their employees freedom of asso-
ciation and avoiding of child labor."
That standard is important to Jeremy,
who holds a degree in environmental
policy from U-M's School of Natural Re-
sources. He and Aubrey strive to bring an
eco-conscious mindset to their work.
"When we first started, we used tins to
package our products;' he explains."After
learning more about the environmen-
tal impact of this choice, we looked for
alternatives!'
The couple moved away from metal
and introduced recyclable paperboard
packaging. But further research revealed
an even more desirable product to the
couple: backyard-compostable packaging.
"It's made to be compostable in the aver-
age, non-industrial compost pile. Now, if
you compost your used Arbor tea and its
packaging, you'll produce no waste at all."
As the parents of two young children
(Arthur, age 3, and Penelope, 1) the Lopa-
tins have created a business model that
allows them the flexibility to spend time
with their children while also doing work
that is true to their values.
"When we sell teas from these [fair
trade] estates, a percentage of the profits
go back to them, where a democratically
chosen panel of workers and owners
decide together how those funds should
be used to benefit the tea estate as a
whole,"Aubrey explains."They've used
these funds to purchase ambulances,
provide child care to the tea pickers, for
micro-lending to start new businesses or
for school monies:' RT
Open Monday Saturday 4) 39530 W 14 Mile in the ii
hopping
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14 September 2011 I
RED MEAD
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