Ali Coulibaly knows that home is everything, so he created Mande Goods, a home and lifestyle brand focused on providing a curated selection of ethically-sourced goods for everyday living.
“We are proud to be a Cincinnati-based small family business and aim to promote African arts, contemporary designers promoting different cultures, improve the quality of life for our communities, and tell stories about Africa through our curated products and the story behind each of them,” says Coulibaly.
The inspiration behind Mande Goods is Coulibaly’s mother. “I grew up very close to my mother and was helping her clean up the house, putting up picture frames on the wall,” he says. “My mother loved to decorate the house, and at a very young age I would spend all my time flipping through the pages of various magazines. I grew up with a high respect for individuals who know how to use their hands and make beautiful items – like the ones I saw in magazines,” says Coulibaly. He saw the ways in which his mother incorporated cultural items into their home to showcase who they were and to stay close to their heritage.
Coulibaly knew that he wanted to share his culture with others after he moved to the U.S. in 2008 to pursue his education. He lived in Portland for a year before moving to Cincinnati, but his childhood took place across the ocean in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, as the owner of Mande Goods, Coulibaly is dedicated to not only showcasing beautiful items, but also to sharing his culture with others.
“I consider myself a cultural ambassador, whose mission is to promote, educate, and use elements of our culture to bring people together for a better understanding of each other,” he says.
When you shop Mande Goods, you’ll find that the brand works with various artisans in Africa, from countries such as Mali, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, and Morocco. “We carry handwoven fabric from Mali called mud cloth to handwoven sisal baskets from Rwanda,” says Coulibaly. “We also have table runners, jewelry, leather boxes, and other textiles, baskets, pillows, and throws.”
All of the products from Mande Goods are hand-picked and one-of-a-kind. “We make sure we tell the story of the artisans behind each of our products and how they are made,” he says. “We refuse to be part of the ‘help the poor Africa’ narrative. It’s about empowering African artisans and designers in the marketplace.”
Mande Goods recently celebrated its first anniversary in business, after opening its brick-and-mortar store. “We took our chance when opening a store during COVID, and our community was there for each every step of the way,” says Coulibaly. “For this second year, we plan to introduce home furniture upcycled with an African twist as well as more contemporary African outfits.”
Mande Good is located in Madisonville at 5901 Bramble Avenue.
Although based in Cincinnati, Coulibaly understands the importance of sharing his brand with the Dayton community as well to help promote his mission.
To learn more about Mande Goods, visit their website or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
