FROM LOSS TO LEGACY
How a Fashion Business Rose from Haiti's Rubble
In January 2010, an earthquake devastated Haiti, shattering lives and leaving millions without homes, jobs, or hope. Among the first responders was Julie Colombino-Billingham, an aid worker from New York who thought she was coming for two weeks of volunteer work. Instead, Haiti transformed her life.
Out of heartbreak came a new beginning. Julie founded REBUILD globally, a nonprofit that provides education and job training, and later Deux Mains, a pioneering fair-trade fashion company owned and operated by Haitian artisans. Together, these organizations have created hundreds of jobs, built classrooms, and proven that dignity and opportunity can rise even from the deepest loss.
Julie’s debut memoir, From Loss to Legacy, shares this extraordinary journey. With raw honesty and compassion, she tells the story of the people of Haiti whose resilience inspired her to reimagine disaster relief—not as a handout, but as a path to empowerment. The book is both a personal testimony and a rallying call for a new model of aid that prioritizes partnership, dignity, and lasting change.
All profits from From Loss to Legacy go directly to support the work of @REBUILDglobally, continuing the mission to fight poverty in Haiti through education and job training.
Discover Julie’s story. Discover Haiti’s resilience. Discover how loss can become legacy.
“BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN”
¨In telling her own story, Julie Colombino Billingham tells the story of so many whose lives were transformed by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Her clear and honest recollections put the reader at the epicenter of the most challenged and resilient culture in the western hemisphere.¨
Sean Penn, Actor, Director and Humanitarian
Meet the author Julie Colombino- Billingam
Julie Colombino-Billingham is a social entrepreneur and founder of REBUILD globally and Deux Mains, a pioneering fair-trade fashion company in Haiti. Originally from New York, she has spent more than a decade creating sustainable jobs, advancing education, and building innovative models of disaster recovery that prioritize dignity over charity. Her work has attracted international recognition and partnerships with the United Nations, USAID, Kenneth Cole, and Eileen Fisher. Julie holds an MBA from Rollins College’s Crummer Graduate School of Business.
Defeating Poverty with Entrepreneurship Julie Colombino | TEDxFIU
In her TEDx talk, Julie Colombino-Billingham invites viewers behind the scenes of her journey in Haiti—sharing the moments of doubt, discovery, and determination that shaped her path. With warmth and candor, she explores what it means to truly listen to a community, and how small choices can spark movements that change lives. This talk offers an intimate glimpse into the experiences that inspired her book From Loss to Legacy and the ongoing mission of empowering people through dignity and opportunity.
Deux Mains - Fashion with Purpose
Born from the rubble of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Deux Mains is the fair-trade fashion company Julie Colombino-Billingham founded to prove that business can be a force for dignity and renewal. What began as a small workshop of artisans handcrafting sandals has grown into a globally recognized brand creating shoes, bags, and accessories that blend timeless design with social impact.
Every piece is made in Haiti by skilled artisans who earn fair wages, receive benefits, and own a share of the company. Profits are reinvested into education, training, and community development, ensuring that each purchase fuels lasting change.
Deux Mains is more than fashion—it’s the living legacy of Julie’s mission: turning tragedy into opportunity, and proving that resilience, creativity, and craftsmanship can build a brighter future.
100% of the profits from book sales will be donated to REBUILD Globally.
Alongside her work with Deux Mains, Julie Colombino-Billingham founded REBUILD globally, a nonprofit dedicated to tackling the root causes of poverty in Haiti. Where emergency relief could only provide short-term aid, REBUILD globally focuses on long-term solutions: education, job training, and leadership development.
Over the past decade, the organization has supported hundreds of students through scholarships, created vocational training programs, and opened pathways into dignified employment with Deux Mains and beyond. By investing in people rather than handouts, REBUILD globally empowers Haitians to build their own futures.
All profits from Julie’s memoir From Loss to Legacy directly support this mission—ensuring that every book sold helps provide education, training, and hope in Haiti.
Learn how opportunity, not charity, is changing Haiti’s future.
REBUILDGlobally
A world without poverty where all people are empowered through dignified work opportunities.