About Handspoken
Our Mission
Handspoken brings together global and local communities through fair trade, ensuring that every purchase supports livelihoods rooted in equity, sustainability, and dignity for all.
Our Vision
We envision a fair world where artisans and farmers thrive, communities prosper, and dignity is shared by all.
Our Name
At our founding in 1981 our fair trade shop was called Helping Hands Handicrafts. When we joined forces with the national fair trade organization Ten Thousand Villages in 1999, we took on the name Ten Thousand Villages Lincoln. In November 2025 we reopened to the public as Handspoken.
Our recent name change comes as part of a national transition within the Ten Thousand Villages network, which is refocusing on wholesale and artisan services and inviting independent local stores to carry forward the fair trade mission in new ways.
When deciding on our new name for our next chapter, we felt that Handspoken reflects what we’ve always believed: that every handmade item carries the voice of its maker.
The Handspoken name and logo marks are federally registered trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, all rights reserved. (Serial numbers 99577575 and 99577569)
