How Uprisers Uses Partnerships to Scale Community Storytelling

0:00How's it going? Benjamin Gottlieb here. Just wanted to pop in for a minute to tell you about Shopify masters and YouTube. You can now watch our in-person interviews, like the one you're about to hear, on your computer, your tablet, your smartphone, you name it, on YouTube. Just search for Shopify Masters and our channel will pop right up. It might sound a little radical, but we are no longer going to be on social media.

0:27Welcome to Shopify Masters. I'm your host, Shuang Estershan. How can your clothing company make a statement? Uprisers founder Michelle K. Hanabusa creates not only streetwear-inspired designs, but clothing that tells a larger story of immigrant communities. Our stories are just as important and they deserve to be heard. She has done clothing lines for PacSun and collaborated with Panda Express. Uprisers got invited to ComplexCon. I want to bring as many Asian-owned brands with me as possible. She's here today to share what it means to develop a unique point of view for Uprisers. Thank you so much for being here, Michelle.

1:09Thanks for having me. I know that Uprisers has existed for five years now, but it actually started more in the storytelling front. Tell us about the first project and the first products. Oh my gosh, it's, I want to say almost 10 years ago at this point. Yeah, we started five years ago in 2019. This year will be our sixth year. But the idea of it really stemmed from this urge of wanting to celebrate a diverse group of stories and how unique all of our family stories, our backgrounds and what the U.S. is really made of. And I had this passion to make sure that our stories and underrepresented stories are being told.

1:55And so it was a very grassroots campaign with my first brand, actually, where we photographed over 500 people across the United States in one T-shirt. And when I say grassroots, it was a couple of us creative folks coming together and really, you know, amplifying our community stories. And it's amazing to think about where one t-shirt has led to such an impactful brand. Take us through some big milestones that kind of got us to today's Uprisers. So Upprisers is my third company. And the first two was very much on the same mission. But again, there wasn't really a blueprint out there that I could find where I'm like, this is kind of how I can navigate uplifting our communities, but then also being product.

2:45And, you know, how do we stay true to our voice and yada, yada. And so with our first project with American Made, that was this aha moment where I was like, man, this could be really, really powerful just from like a single T-shirt. After that project, there were a lot of different trial and errors. One opportunity that presented itself was in Little Tokyo where there was a small business program where they allowed you to have a storefront for a whole month rent free. But it allowed the folks in the Little Tokyo community to activate and really learn how to run a business. And so that was like a second aha moment where I gained enough confidence.

3:27I ran that store by myself for 40 days. And I gained that confidence of like, oh, I can potentially do this on my own. One thing led to the other. But because the first two businesses failed, it was this like, like moment of like, can I do this again? The third time, not rely on certain partners or folks that would be your crutch and that I can start uprisers on my own with$20 ,000 that I saved and start all over again and do it my own way. In 2019, that's when I started Uprisers. And I think when 2020 hit, that's when we were able to activate our next evolution, which was with Hit as a Virus.

4:15And I feel like that's such a unifying effort as well. And it's something that even though we're different, maybe coming from different places, but it allows us to kind of be closer together and bond in that way. And I think that's kind of the foundation for building a community. When you were thinking about things, how did you define community for you to make it make sense? Yeah, I mean, the word community, I feel like we all use it today, right? And it can mean so many different things. But for us at that time, it was really just trying to find like-minded folks who were just as passionate about making sure the voices of the underrepresented and the voices of the unheard were being seen.

4:58And to be frank, we didn't really know what we were doing or what was the right path, but it was worth it for us at that time to at least try and kind of keep it really open ended of like where the possibilities lie. Yeah. And I think like highlighting the untold stories of different immigrants, that really kind of plays around with the idea of identity. When you're picking out these stories, why was it so important for you to kind of shine a light for stories that often gets left untold? almost 10 years ago, that concept really became this like portrait, right? Or like the blueprint of how we wanted to be able to capture, go to different locations and celebrate together.

5:42And so it was very much a portrait series. And over time, it's evolved. As a clothing brand, you know, we use clothing as that vehicle for change. And so as our team of creatives got together, it was more than just portraits. It was like, how do we continue to go deeper? And so over time, year after year, we always think through, you know, whether these stories are from a local perspective or really a collaboration with a local restaurant or an organization to more of like a larger campaign, which is what we're working on right now to tell immigrant stories. I want to make sure we're humanizing our communities and that our stories are just as important and they deserve to be heard.

6:30And so if we have a platform to do so, why not utilize that? I love the fact that you've taken this concept and it evolved it during different periods of time, especially during the pandemic. The phrase was kind of coined by your team, hate is a virus, which I think is also such a unique angle to share more stories and do more projects that you love to do. Yeah, these campaigns are very much like the passion projects for our team, right? It's by no means like the moneymaker at all, but these are what is keeping our team together, keeping us motivated. These are the things that are important to us.

7:11And so when we do activate these types of campaigns. It's more about our approach of like people first. Hate is a virus, when that started to emerge at the end of 2019, bleeding into 2020, it was this need that we couldn't just sit here as a brand and not do or say anything. And going back to 10 years ago of not really knowing where it's going to go, that was the same feeling, even though it was four years later. So hate is a virus launched with just a small group of us, you know, sharing our talents and doing what we can. And it kind of just exploded. And now it's its own nonprofit, 501c3. It shows the positive side of also social media because you're really creating social impact through the stories you share on social, which is hard to do at times.

8:03So I guess like how do you manage the stories on social to create the social impact you want? Social media at that time was a very powerful tool for us as a small brand. You know, there's only a couple of us on the team to, you know, share with folks that are in our broader community. Right. And there's so many like amplification opportunities like other people can share your pieces on your stories. And it kind of just like trickles from there. One big shift that we're doing this year is because we want to go deeper and deeper and deeper into these storytelling pieces. We're starting to think about how social media or that like 15 second, 60 second reel can't really cover what we want to share and what we want to tell.

8:50So it might sound a little radical, but we are going to announce soon that we are no longer going to be on social media. and you know if you want to hear more about the projects and stories that we're covering and whatnot go to our newsletter and we're going to focus on long-form content on YouTube and so we haven't fully fleshed out our strategies per se but we will be announcing that soon and it is going to be a big shift for us. But I feel like you're building a home for people who wants to like be closer to the stories that you're telling. And I feel like that's also really precious because you're building the foundation where you feel like it's best suited for the community as well.

9:33Yeah. Yeah. And it's, you know, we do these community surveys at the end of each year and we get hundreds of folks just really sharing with us the things that they enjoyed that we did this year or areas of improvement, or maybe there's issues or topics that they want us to cover, And so we really take that feedback to heart and we really try to evolve with our community. Internally, as a team, we always say like at the end of the day, even though we are a clothing brand, we're also like servants to our community, you know, because we're servicing our community at the end of the day. It's so great that you're thinking about this differently because you're building something that suits the community.

10:13Is that also a part of the advice you'll share for new founders? Because you kind of have to build community in the way that suits best to you and you don't have to follow what other companies are doing. There's a lot of pros to learning from what the OGs have been doing or what's been working for a lot of companies and just putting your own spin and creativity on it. But I think also recognizing what your product or service or business really does and responding to the way your community is responding to. I feel like if you asked me 10 years ago, I would have never been like, yeah, we're not going to be on social.

10:50what are you talking about? Because that's such a big tool for so many people. I'm always an advocate for people to try things differently in their own way. Yeah. And you're investing in channels that you own and you have way more control over. The fashion industry is so saturated, but you're able to stand out and be unique and also incorporate messages in the pieces that you design. In the early days, like how did you kind of find yourself in a place where you're thinking, okay, this t-shirt and this design can actually be a vessel for the message you wanted to share? Going back to almost 10 years ago, it was just this one t-shirt, very minimal, like block letters that just said American made.

11:36And so many people gravitated towards that because I think one, It wasn't really a direct message, but people can kind of see what this campaign is about and make their own assessment of it. And it inspired folks to want to wear it and also share their stories. So I was like, that is so interesting how this one really simple product can kind of get people to respond. And same with hate is a virus, you know. And even 1924, we get folks messaging us being like, I was wearing this shirt in the middle of the street. And someone asked me, what does that number mean? And it becomes a conversation starter.

12:16When we first began, that was a concept, right? It was just like about our community, this people first concept. And fashion and my background in corporate life and fashion and also entertainment, it was almost secondary. fashion product all of that was very much secondary to me so that part of the evolution in the business didn't really start till maybe like last year okay yeah because I think all of the phrases and the messaging they are so thought-provoking and it's not something that's like intuitive that you get right away you have to like think and decipher for yourself so I think that's why it like works so well for people to be like yeah I do want to know what this is like the deeper story behind this yeah no that's awesome to hear I will tell you that one of one of our teammates for the hate is the virus she just came up with that within like 30 minutes of us talking so you know I also think that during different eras of of what uprisers is today there's just been really, really awesome, creative individuals who wanted to utilize their talents for good.

13:30And we've just been really lucky to be able to foster that. We weren't really a clothing brand at the beginning. It was how can we utilize Uprisers as this platform? And how do we bring in up and coming creators who don't know all the answers, right? We're just at the end of the day trying to figure it out together and how I can empower them to rise up. That was really how it started. And then over the years, we just kept on getting community feedback of like, we want uprisers to also have their own identity. Like, what is your viewpoint? You know, like we're hearing like other folks or entities that you guys collaborate, like their viewpoint, but what is yours?

14:11And so we're like, huh, interesting. I never thought about it that way, I guess we should also have our own POV. Yeah. And it feels like it really shows the journey of the brand as well. The social impact is not just siloed to what you do, but you also work with organizations to amplify the impact. How have you been selecting these partners and these projects? It really comes from learning from my mentor. He has been a activist and just an incredible community leader for so long and started that journey when he was at UCLA in the 60s. So he's been doing this work for a very, very long time. And just learning from his experiences and his own stories, he kind of empowered me to be like, you have your own skill sets that you've learned throughout the years.

15:04This new generation is going to take this level of work on a whole nother level that like I can't even fathom to think about. He is the one that really taught me like this is amazing that you want to use your creativity to bring it back to community, but try to bring other organizations along the ride. And so it's important to also tap into orgs that are actually doing the work on the ground. You know, like you can say all the things and share that like we stand for this issue or that issue. But is it just, you know, putting statements out there and you're not actually giving back to your community?

15:42And so that's the piece where my mentor really instilled in me of like partnering with organizations, amplifying their work as well, because not a lot of people might not know, you know, what they do. And so that's that's really how it started. Yeah. They are the ones like, you know, doing the day to day work that is so impactful. Yeah. Yeah. And so since 2019, we've been able to donate over$300 ,000 to various nonprofit organizations. Amazing impact. Yeah. And I feel like that's just like one aspect of uprisers. We've talked about so many, but there's also that sustainability component where there is upcycling involved as well.

16:22What kind of statement do you feel like that makes to choose to incorporate that into the business model as well? Yeah, that's a really great question. When we first started, again, it was this people first concept, right? But over the years, and as we evolve with our community, we're getting feedback like, hey, like, at the end of the day, you are utilizing fashion as your tool and platform. How are you guys doing better in your production or like how you make things? And, and that was in the middle of the pandemic. And so we've been really lucky to have friends and folks in the upcycling business.

17:01Rewalder is an LA-based business who've been doing this work for a really long time. So collaborating with them and doing really impactful projects and kind of learning the ropes through them, we've been able to have our own spin on it. And so when we think about what does a sustainable future look like for us, it's this intersection of like culture preservation, right? When we think about people first, it's like, how do we preserve our cultures and untold stories while preserving the materials and clothing that we're working with? So it's this like interesting blend and that's kind of the journey that we started on last year.

17:43And I like that the value system is thought about every single kind of aspect of the business. We mentioned there's also corporate partnerships like the ones you have with Paxson and Panda Express. So yeah, like how does it look from like developing those relationships and eventually making a collaboration happen? Paxson has been so amazing to work with. They were really early on on board with kind of our mission. And I was surprised at the very beginning that they were down for it. You know, like a company or retail store so large with so many stores across the country. Like, do they really want to amplify our messages?

18:23Like that was going on through my mind. And so they really helped carry some of our pieces in their stores. So a lot of young folks do discover us through Paxon. But then recognizing our community aspect of it, which is, you know, how we started. They really leaned into that and they were like, how can we work with you more on that front? And so every year, this year will be our fourth year, we have an annual family drive where we get hundreds of folks to come with us, volunteer, we're meal packing, we're doing like wellness together. And we bring other brands involved. So everyone's designing amongst like a centralized theme and 100 % goes back to the nonprofit organizations we work with.

19:11So that's where I am so grateful to have like corporations that are thinking alike. So it's no longer just finding individuals, right? But it's also like companies that are also aligned and can amplify this work. Yeah. And it's like they are also providing this like marketing stream where it's allowing you to reach more people and to your point amplify the message that you're trying to share as well. How did the collaboration with Panda Express happen? Panda Express is amazing. Do you eat? There is one close to my hotel and I'm going to venture out to get some. Nice. So nice. Uprisers got invited to the biggest like streetwear hub convention called ComplexCon.

19:52And when we first started, it was my dream. I was like, maybe by year five, ComplexCon will invite us and we'll be able to show up. Right. And I think it was like year three, they reached out and were like, you guys should showcase. And I was so pumped. I was like so excited. In my past experiences of going to the show, I didn't see a ton of folks that look like us, Asian, female-owned streetwear brands that had a booth, right? And so I was like, man, because we have this community first concept, like I want to bring as many Asian-owned brands with me as possible for this opportunity. And so I came up with this idea called Family Market, where it's just like a inspired by like a Japanese convenience store, you know, and let's just like stock our booth with all of these dope like up and coming Asian owned brands.

20:49The first year we got 13 small businesses through and there are some businesses still till this day. They're like, hey, people have told me that they discovered us through ComplexCon. So it was really cool to hear that. but I had this like idea also I've never done a convention show before and we're like there's so many logistical things that go on yeah and I had no idea and so my friend who's now also my manager but she was like hey Panda Express might be really interested in this like let's approach this idea to them and they loved it they wanted to support it and so that was our first time collaborating together and they sponsored our booth.

21:32So we were able to like afford all of that. And that is when they discovered people are diehard fans in the streetwear world about Panda Express. Like, I remember we were just like, people are coming to us be like, oh my God, like, like Panda Express is here. Like, and they tell us their order, like what they get at Panda. They're like, do you guys have merchandise? Like all these questions. And that kind of gave us a queue that there's something there. And the following year, we launched our first like collab with Panda. There's something about like a brand and a food company coming together to create merch.

22:11It's just like so exciting and so special. Yeah. Yeah. And it's they've been so great. And so, yeah, we've we've collaborated with them on multiple fronts. And even this past year was another campaign we were able to do together. I think this world is feeling really heavy these days and we just wanted to bring comfort into people's homes. And so we just created these like cute Sherpa made cozy jackets and they wanted to activate at their restaurants. So I think it was over 70 restaurants across the US. We were giving away a couple like free hoodies and there were like lines outside of the door at every single one.

22:49We love a queue. We love a line. I know. I was like, this is so wild. And one guy, he woke up at 4 a.m. to stand in line. Wow. But the store didn't open until like 9. I was like, that's dedication. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it shows how excited people are. And I love that like the relationship really developed and nurtured over the years because, you know, you just ask for a sponsorship one year and then there's all these new opportunities for new founders who are thinking about pitching other companies, like thinking about partnership, what's your advice to them to make sure that it's beneficial for both parties?

23:26At the end of the day, partnerships is so, you know, we each kind of get something out of it. The way we approach things as well is really thinking about like, what are their goals for that year and seeing if there is an alignment. I think ours might be a little bit more harder to navigate because we have that community aspect. So for me, it's like, do our values align you know are there opportunities for us to give back to our community or have some sort of impact where again like panda express we can uplift like all of these like up-and-coming asian-owned brands you know that that we love and i think there's definitely creative ways to go about it but when the right partnership comes it's almost like a relationship it almost feels a lot easier than you think.

24:16Does it feel more like just a conversation versus like, I am formally pitching somebody? To be honest, I've never really done a formal like pitch where it's like, I feel like I have to wear a suit and tie and pitch in front of like a whole conference room of people. Maybe because it was also COVID, right? So there's a lot of like virtual pitching, but there's still decks involved you know if it's a new relationship and they barely know like what uprisers does there's this level of like painting a picture for them getting them excited showing your capabilities deck there are like definite things that are kind of standardized and you should have prepared or have something ready to show yeah yeah there is definitely components of pitching, but you're making it feel like not super like a pitch.

25:12Yeah. Right. You know, and the way I see it too, at the end of the day, these people are also human, you know? And I think if you can build upon a relationship like that, there's so much value that comes from it. Yeah, definitely. Rather than making it feel so like businessy. Stepping back from the transactional nature of it and just like conversing, like collaborating, having the shared ideas together is kind of like what gels you together for those projects. And then I know that things have come full circle and there's more projects that you're so excited and passionate about. You mentioned at the top of the show about 1924.

25:51Talk to us more about this project and why it's so important to you. Yeah. So going back to my mentor early on in 2024, he was like, Michelle, do you know what year it is today? I was like, no. It was like there's an Immigration Act of 1924. And this year in May marks 100 years since that. And it still affects us today, even though it feels like it was so long ago. And that kind of gave me this cue of like, I had that same feeling when we're doing Hate is a Virus. I was like, we just can't not say anything. And we know 2025 is probably going to be a crazy time for us. And so on May 26th of 2024, we shared this piece of history to our audience.

26:42And we announced that we are, because it's 100 years, we're going to kind of go back to our roots. and start sharing and capturing our community stories. Our original goal was to complete those hundred portraits and stories, but we realized with what's going on in the world, we want to continue this as 2025 hits. So now we're actually like fully activating our campaign and we'll be announcing this on GoFundMe as well because we will be traveling to different cities all around the United States to capture them. Yeah. And I think that makes a lot of sense of your decision to take a step back from social media because these stories deserve the airtime, the dedication and at home where like people can take all these stories in.

27:35So I think that makes a lot of sense. And I'm so grateful that you're taking on this project. If you know anyone in Phoenix and New Orleans or St. Louis. Yeah, we're going there. So amazing. Well, thank you so much for being here, Michelle. Thank you. That's Michelle K. Hanabusa, founder of Uprisers. And tune in Tuesdays and Thursdays for brand new episodes.