OUR STORY
ABOUT US
A chance field trip with Susan's sustainability students to Patty's company's offices marked the beginning of a long-term friendship and business partnership.
With many years of combined experience in the fashion industry, Patty and Susan dreamed of ways to make the fashion industry's supply chain cleaner, more ethical, and better.
EthoWork's genesis was a combination of ingenuity, hard work, and over 30 years of combined experience in production, quality assurance, ESG program development, social and environmental responsibility, product development, merchandising, teaching, and corporate training.
They figured that if they couldn't try their hand at making the world a better place, then who would?
PATRICIA LITTLEFIELD
Founder, Managing Partner, Consulting
Patricia (Patty) is a strategy and capacity builder with over 35 years experience driving change at senior levels. She has extensive experience in sustainability, working with the world’s leading companies in the apparel industry. Her areas of expertise lie in supply chain risk management, ethical sourcing, product sustainability programs, CSR management strategy, worker well-being initiatives, and global regulatory compliance.
Patty holds a degree in industrial engineering with a specialization in Human Resources, and a post-graduate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) certificate from Cornell University.
A native of Lima, Peru, she is also a certified life coach, and co-founder of ICF-Peru (International Coaching Federation). Patty's also taught at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.
Patty loves to travel and is an expert beach walker and amateur golfer.
LinkIn with Patty at:
SUSAN NELSON SPENCER
Founder, Managing Partner, Learning
As a learning designer with a sustainable fashion background, Susan designs and develops EthoWork's social and environmental training and strategic communications programs.
Susan has been an adjunct faculty member at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles for over 15 years, teaching merchandising, sustainability, and product development courses.
Aside from her fashion industry and educational background, Susan has created corporate learning experiences for Fortune 500 companies such as Google, WPP, GroupM, Saks Fifth Avenue, Petco, KPMG's ESG Hub, and CPA.com's ESG Accelerator program. She holds a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology, a Master of Public Policy, and a post-graduate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) certificate from Cornell University. She is also the author of Next Level Instructional Design: Master the four competencies shared by professional instructional designers.
When not working, she's either traveling or learning (more about something).
LinkIn with Susan at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannelsonspencerlearningdesigner/
WHAT WE BELIEVE IN
Our Vision, Mission, and Values
Our vision is a world in which every person is entitled to an ethical and decent work environment, regardless of their job title or location. We strive to empower businesses through education, training, and hands-on, practical tactics to reduce their environmental footprint and worker abuses in every stage of the product lifecycle.
Our mission is to build healthier businesses by helping companies to develop and implement ethical environmental, social, and governance standards throughout their supply chains.
Our core values are:
Continuous Improvement: Make whatever you start better, whether it be a policy or a product
Effectiveness and Efficiency: Get the job done right, on time, and in the most cost-effective way
Innovation: Apply disruptive and novel ideas to age-old problems to innovate to the highest standards
Inclusion: Every voice matters - from the factory floor to the C-suite
Our Code of Ethics
ETHOWORK CONSULTING, LLC
CODE OF ETHICS
We anticipate that all colleagues will adhere to this code of ethics, and we also anticipate that those representing our interests, including contractors and advisors will conduct themselves in a manner aligned with our code.
Clients
Our service to clients will be marked by honesty, transparency, professionalism, and impartiality.
We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of client data and records related to client interactions. Proprietary client information will be accessed and utilized solely with the client's explicit consent.
We will not use confidential client information for personal or organizational benefit.
We will avoid situations that create conflicts of interest, especially those that may give one client an unfair advantage by using confidential information obtained from another client who is a direct competitor, without securing the competitor's explicit consent.
Services
We will only accept projects that align with our proficiency and skill set.
Staff members will be assigned to client projects based on their relevant experience, expertise, and knowledge.
We will immediately disclose any situation that could potentially compromise our impartiality to our clients. When our objectivity or integrity might be at risk, we will proactively offer to discontinue our involvement in the consulting engagement.
Fees and expenses
We will establish the terms for our fees and expenses separately and ahead of time. The fees and expenses we charge will be fair, justified, and proportionate to the services we provide and the obligations we assume.
Integrity and respect
We will uphold the intellectual property rights of our clients, fellow consulting firms, and independent practitioners. We shall not utilize proprietary information or methodologies without proper authorization.
We will follow best practices to uphold the privacy and confidentiality of our clients’ data
Our advertising of services will consistently maintain transparency and truthfulness. We will never misrepresent the consulting field, consulting firms, or independent practitioners.
Diversity
We expect that every colleague will take responsibility for themselves and their peers to foster a workplace that values the advantages of diversity. In this environment, all individuals will be treated with respect and dignity, experience a sense of belonging and security, and could thrive, evolve, and excel in their work.
Any hiring, whether for temporary positions or external services, must align with our company's formal recruitment and selection process and rely solely on merit as the determining factor. Any form of favoritism is strictly prohibited
Human Rights
Our commitment to human rights guides our choice of clients and subject matters. We will not engage in projects that endorse or facilitate human rights violations.
We require contractors and suppliers to comply with the EthoWork Consulting Contractor/Supplier Code of Conduct which prohibits any forms of forced labor, child labor and human trafficking, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and requires compliance with all laws and regulations.
We will not tolerate from our employees and contractors physical or verbal abuse, discrimination, harassment, or bullying in any form. This expectation goes beyond the office environment including electronic communications and office events.
Corruption, bribery, gifts and entertainment
We are against any involvement in corruption, and we hold the responsibility to promptly inform our clients if we come across any instance of actual or perceived corruption within their organizations.
All members of our company and those representing us are prohibited from offering gifts or favors in exchange for advantages, whether for themselves, colleagues, or any third party. Furthermore, we do not accept gifts meant to influence us.
Our thoughts on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
EthoWork Consulting, LLC
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policy
EthoWork Consulting, LLC (“EthoWork") is committed to creating an environment that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable where all staff, partners, vendors, and clients are treated with respect and dignity.
For the purposes of this statement, Diversity refers to race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual identity, familial status, age, disability and socio-economic status; Equity is a process that ensures all people have the opportunity to contribute, develop, and grow despite historical, structural, legislative, racial, and socio-economic inequities; and Inclusion refers to valuing, respecting, and encouraging the full participation of each individual in the life and leadership of EthoWork.
As a small minority and woman-owned consultancy located in Southern California, we value the diversity of the greater Los Angeles area. Discrimination, harassment, biases, or bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. Regardless of socio-economic status, age, religion, race, sexual orientation, nationality, gender, disability, or marital status, EthoWork celebrates the richness of our community. We agree to be guided by these principles and pledge that they will be reflected in EthoWork’s vision, mission, strategic planning, programming, governance, and consulting engagements. Our deep commitment to DEI extends to both our internal and external stakeholders, including our staff, vendors, contractors, clients, and the surrounding community at-large.