The Story Behind Meridian

WHO WE ARE

Ashley Viola founded Meridian with the dream of building a lifestyle brand that celebrates the cultural diversity of artisan craftsmanship across the globe.

Meridian is a social enterprise that designs, produces and sells unique, heirloom quality home decor, accents and textiles handmade by artisans from around the world. Each piece has been collected and curated through direct relationships with cooperatives and organizations in developing nations. Every purchase directly supports our artisan partners.

OUR INSPIRATION

Before Meridian, Ashley spent her career building brands and telling stories in children’s television. She partnered with companies such as Sesame Street to produce media and content that celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of the world. This career took her all over the globe, where she was inspired by international design and the personal stories of the people she met along the way.

Meridian began when Ashley wanted her home to reflect her travels, but she quickly found it was difficult to source authentic and beautiful pieces when she wasn’t on the road. She wanted the decor in her home to have significance and to tell the story of its origins. That desire is the foundation on which Meridian was born.

Meridian is more than just a collection of unique and beautiful handmade home decor. It is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of global craftspeople. Each purchase from our collection directly affects our artisan partners and provides fair wages, steady employment, sustainable skills and a lasting social impact.

Thank you for following along on our journey to build Meridian! We are grateful for your support and honored to have you within our international community of artisan makers, friends, family, employees and of course, customers. We couldn’t do any of this without you!

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