My son, Desmond, has a new favorite toy: Tegu wooden blocks. And while I bought the blocks “for” him, they’re my favorite too. These beautiful magnetic blocks are hand-crafted by a terrific company based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I was drawn to purchase from Tegu for three primary reasons.
- Honduras is the first country I traveled to internationally and will forever hold a soft spot in my heart
- Tegu’s founders run their company the right way, serving their Honduran staff and customers with care.
- Tegu was part of the Praxis accelerator program, a program founded and led by my good friends, Josh Kwan and Dave Blanchard
Winston Churchill once said, “Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon.” Do young Americans believe entrepreneurship is a target, a cow or a horse?
Tegu’s founders, brothers Will and Chris Haughey, see it as a horse. And that’s why they created Tegu, which now employees over 90 Hondurans with great jobs. I’m so encouraged by the fresh crop of innovative companies founded by passionate Christian young people like Tegu. Shoemakers like Nisolo, headquartered in Peru. Home furnishing companies like Chaka, based in Ecuador. Men’s apparel companies like Urban Offering, creating an innovative design-you-own suit approach through tailors in China.
Over at Values & Capitalism, they produced a short film highlighting the motivation and mission of the Haughey brothers and Tegu. It’s a beautiful film. I commend you to check it out!
Great post! I agree with your position and wholeheartedly believe that private enterprise must be the ‘horse’ that moves economies past poverty. Private enterprises, by providing more job opportunities and increased local ownership, coupled with training and education, proves a more sustainable model of economic development.
We will definitely be looking to pick up some Tegu blocks when we are blessed with children!
Fantastic comments, Stephen. Future Baby Miller will be excited by this decision. Looking forward to catching up soon to hear about the ways you’re putting these concepts into practice in Rwanda.
Chris: Great post and wonderful, powerful video. Thanks for everything you and Hope are doing to make these stories come to life. Grateful for you. Robert