Tea Collection

So here's the thing about Tea Collection-it's not actually about tea at all. Kind of brilliant when you think about it, right? The name comes from the idea that tea is something we all have in common, a drink shared in nearly every culture around the world, where people can find moments of connection, understanding, and inspiration. And that's basically what this San Francisco-based kids' clothing company has been doing since 2002.

Co-founded by Emily Meyer and Leigh Rawdon, Tea Collection started with a simple but powerful concept: what if children's clothing could be a passport to the world? Twice a year, their design team actually packs up and travels to different countries-we're talking Morocco, Japan, Australia, Greece-soaking up patterns, colors, and cultural details that eventually show up on graphic tees, twirly dresses, and baby rompers. It's the kind of approach that makes getting dressed feel like a mini geography lesson.

But here's what really sets them apart. Their clothes are responsibly made and designed to last so you can pass your Tea down from kid to kid, and they've created a secondhand marketplace called Rewear, where you can buy, sell, or trade-in preloved Tea. In an industry drowning in fast fashion, that's refreshing. The quality's there too-parents rave about how these pieces survive multiple kids and countless wash cycles.

And they put their money where their mouth is on the giving-back front. Tea gives back 10% of profits, and since 2002, they've donated over $1.5 million to the Global Fund for Children and other organizations. That's not nothing.

The business model is interesting. They started wholesale, built up partnerships with boutiques and Nordstrom, then finally opened their first brick-and-mortar store in 2018 at Santana Row in San Jose. Since 2012, the company has had a 24 percent compound annual growth rate and seen its headcount more than triple, with revenue in 2014 hitting more than $40 million. Not bad for a company that started in a Palo Alto apartment.

What's cool is how they treat their employees. They actually give each team member money for international travel every year-because how else are you supposed to design globally-inspired clothing if you're stuck at a desk? It's that kind of thoughtful detail that shows up in everything they do, from the hand-drawn prints to the furoshiki-style gift wrapping inspired by Japanese tradition.