In a recent article for Women 2.0, Stacey Horowitz (@ShopForAChange) explains how possible it is to successfully launch your own startup at age 50. Horowitz spent the previous decade raising her son at home, but as soon as he grew into a young man, she found herself at a pivotal point with an increasing desire to contribute to society in a meaningful way.

After a trip to Peru, Stacey became inspired by the talented yet impoverished women she encountered. She sensed that their creative skills in handcrafting could give them a better life and realized that she was the one who could make it happen for them. So, she sought ways to assist these women in handcrafting for the Western market. She outlined four main duties:

1. Provide work for artisans (predominantly women) and pay them according to fair trade principles.
2. Provide a global marketplace for artisans to sell their products and receive upfront payment.
3. Allocate half the net proceeds to fund community improvement projects in the artisans’ communities, focusing on clean water, healthcare and education.
4. Allocate the remaining half to U.S.-based nonprofits, which the consumer would choose during the checkout process.

These guidelines helped her formulate her business model for Shopping for Change which launched online just 14 months after her trip. Shopping for Change has become a global venture aimed at helping indigenous artisans from impoverished areas raise their standards of living while also promoting community improvement projects.

This organization now has over 50 partners, some of which offer trainings in how to design products and conduct business. All together, they have created a community to help lift artisans from poverty while simultaneously growing their businesses.

Despite the fact that Horowitz dedicated a decade to raising her son, she was still able to become the founder and CEO of a global company. Through this journey she learned that nothing is impossible. More importantly, she discovered that by finding change within yourself, you can create a small step to changing the world.