Launch Plan: Inside the startup journey of Kotn, Canada's next big ethical brand

How one Canadian B Corp is challenging global fast fashion with its “farm to table” approach

Why It Matters

Kotn started with the simple desire to create a reasonably priced, well-made T-shirt. Scaling globally, it’s now helping to rebuild Egypt’s cotton industry and sewing ethics into its entire supply chain. We sat down with Rami Helali, co-founder and CEO of Kotn, to dive into the company’s startup journey as part of Future of Good's Launch Plan series.

Welcome to our ongoing series, Launch Plan, featuring deep dives into the founding stories, journeys, and decisions behind the organizations, projects, and people changing the world of doing good. We’re continuing the series today with Rami Helali, the co-founder and CEO of Kotn.

Kotn is an apparel brand that ethically creates quality essentials from authentic Egyptian cotton. Based in Toronto, the online store was founded in 2015 and features a “traceability” tab on its website, allowing consumers to explore every step in their ethical supply chain.

It all started with a plain white T-shirt

The idea for Kotn first came up in 2014. My co-founders, Benjamin Sehl and Mackenzie Yeates, and I were all friends living in New York at the time

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