Denver Women-Owned Business Honored with Community Hall of Fame Award

Local entrepreneur and Internet retailer, Elizabeth Bennett of Africa Direct, Inc., became the recipient of eBay’s Community Hall of Fame Award last night at eBay’s annual convention, eBay Live, in Boston.

The award honors five members of eBay’s community of more than 12 million sellers. In its twelfth year of business and co-owned by partner Sara Luther, Africa Direct is Colorado's largest eBay seller, as well as eBay's largest seller of African art and of trade beads.

“The problems in Africa of hunger, AIDS orphans, poverty and unemployment can be helped by small businesses like ours,” said Elizabeth Bennett, co-owner of Africa Direct. “One of our African traders told us that the large purchase I had just made of masks and carvings would mean a year’s school fees for all of the children in his village.”

Every year the eBay Foundation honors the Community Hall of Fame winners by making a charitable grant to a non-profit organization that each winner chooses.

Africa Direct chose AIDCHILD, a Ugandan orphanage where the $2,500 grant will provide medicine for 700 children for more than six months. Africa Direct has supported AIDCHILD and other charities through eBay Giving Works charity auctions, listing 20 percent of their items to benefit charities. Bennett and Luther were featured in a video introducing this charity auction concept to eBay sellers. Africa Direct is one of the top ten sellers in eBay Giving Works this year.

About Africa Direct
Africa Direct, Inc. is a leading e-commerce company that sells African art, trade beads, ethnic jewelry, baskets, masks, carvings, Shona sculpture, textiles and artifacts to collectors, galleries and museums around the world. Founded by business and life partners, Elizabeth Bennett and Sara Luther, the idea for Africa Direct began when the couple moved to South Africa with their three multiracial children in 1994, to celebrate Mandela’s election and the newly multiracial Republic of South Africa. Bennett and Luther travel to Africa on buying trips and also buy from more than 100 African traders, in addition to artist co-ops in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda and Swaziland. Exclusively an Internet-based company with a 16,000 item inventory, Africa Direct has been successful with sales increasing every year. For more information, please visit africadirect.com.

About eBay’s Community Hall of Fame Award
The Community Hall of Fame Award was established in 2002 at the first eBay Live! event to celebrate and honor members of the eBay community who demonstrate a strong commitment to the eBay community and exemplify the eBay values. Nominations are solicited from eBay's Community Development Team, other eBay teams and previous award winners. Every year the eBay Foundation honors each of the Community Hall of Fame winners by making a charitable grant to a non-profit organization that each winner chooses.