Inspired by their new found mission to provide their daughter with a promising planet and a sense of social responsibility, Julie Jonas and her husband Danny Roberge, founded Zia and Tia Pure Luxury Organics in 2006.

Inspired by their newfound mission to provide their daughter with a promising planet and a sense of social responsibility, they founded Zia and Tia Pure Luxury Organics in 2006. After teaching their daughter about composting, recycling and organic food, Zia and Tia was a natural outgrowth "My inspiration to start Zia and Tia was borne out of my desperation to get involved and support other children living out their childhood in orphanages," she explains. "The philosophy of giving back is the foundation of the business and dealing in only organic and sustainable goods was really an extension of our lives. "

Zia and Tia is a company with a conscience. They are committed to the environment, sustainable agriculture, responsible manufacturing practices and advancing the livelihoods of women and children worldwide. "We have designed, and now wholesale, a small collection of organic hand knit articles for babies and children that we call responsible luxury," Jonas says. "It would have been a lot cheaper to mass produce and have volume, but we chose to support a smaller cottage industry of women who support themselves somehow, by knitting for us."

Jonas, a former headhunter, is now a full time mom and entrepreneur at the helm of Zia and Tia. They also create and retail organic, sustainable products for adults and home. With over 450 items like baby knits, organic skincare, sustainable bedding, pet items and even recycled chandeliers, diversity certainly is their strong suit. They choose manufacturers who are committed to sustainable practices and creating a cleaner earth. "Our new organic handmade and fair-trade bedding collection for babies and adults is a work in progress, all items will be handmade by women in rural communities, giving them the ticket of being self sufficient, to support themselves and their children and not have to remain living in conditions of domestic abuse and other situations."

Her tireless entrepreneurial efforts have an impact half a world away. The company supports China's orphaned children through a percentage of their profits. Ten percent of every purchase from Zia and Tia is donated to Half the Sky Foundation, which provides nurturing care programs for China's orphaned children. Through their partnership with Trees For the Future, the company plants a tree for every product sold

Jonas, a vegan and running enthusiast, manages to cope with the dualistic nature of her two roles: being a green entrepreneur and a mom. In addition to Zia and Tia, she's been running an organic baking company for over a decade. "I'm juggling our business, the baking company and being a stay at home mom. You have to be very organized and plan very well," Jonas admits. "With internet and email, it makes life so much easier--I can run this business without even leaving the house. You find what works for your lifestyle and do things as best as you can to keep your priorities in order. Many businesses like mine are [owned by] women who have left their careers to have children and stay at home with their kids. Then they find something they are passionate about and start a business based on it."

As does any new entrepreneur, Jonas has faced her fair share of challenges and hurdles. "My first year was spent putting together the website and researching of all the products," Jonas recalls. "It was extremely time consuming and difficult. I was a new mother to an adopted baby, with responsibilities in our organic baked goods business and very new to the website world. I found time late at night when my daughter was sleeping. In September 2007, after a year of website building and research, Zia and Tia went live. It took a few months before sales started rolling in. It also took a lot of extra hours to get any rankings so shoppers could find me."

Jonas is careful to separate the well-intentioned, passionate business owners from those that are simply jumping on the green bandwagon. She finds value in those businesses and individuals that engage in green lifestyles themselves and partake in the learning process. "If you're going to get into this, you have to walk the walk. You have to know what you're selling," Jonas states. "Educating yourself about the products and manufacturers is crucial. As consumers become more educated, they want to know about where it came from, the dyes used and such. You have to be able to give them answers."

Green businesses are attracting unprecedented attention from the media and consumers. Jonas views the attention in a positive light and believes more awareness is needed. "I think green business is the way of the future," Jonas admits. "We have lived our lives on automatic pilot-oblivious to the consequences that our lifestyles have on other people; I think things are catching up with us and change has to happen."

Jonas plans to continue building the Zia and Tia brand and focus more on the creation of new collections. "We can only keep moving in this direction as people continue to become more aware," Jonas reflects. "People need to know where their consumer goods are coming from and what price the people making these goods are paying, and ultimately the effect on our planet.

For more info. on Zia and Tia Luxury Organics, visit http://www.ziaandtia.com