Kayla — founder of Rosie's — purchased a one-way ticket to Haiti in 2012 after graduating with a bachelor's degree for graphic design. She planned on spending her days at the community school her family's non-profit, Touch of Hope, was supporting, but she began to constantly hear a complaint from students that their stomaches were hurting. It wasn't sickness causing the pain...it was hunger.
She realized the importance of jobs early on. While providing children access to an education was vital, if the children went home to an environment without food or a safe place to sleep, it seemed pretty counter-productive.
While making these observations, she also began connecting with different businesses / organizations already operating in Haiti. They were creating beautiful products, but all the activity was either happening in Port-au-Prince or way further North.
At this same time, Kayla was also falling in love with Webert and beginning to care for three young children (and a donkey!) Her need to provide for her new family was becoming a pressing need.
Fast forward to 2014: Webert & Kayla married on a beach in January and in March they opened Rosie's Boutique! The business began in a small rented house, but quickly became known as a popular stop on the highway, where one could find a refreshing milkshake and souvenirs of all kinds.
About a year later, Kayla's mom, Renae decided the model of a gift + coffee shop would be a great addition to their small town community in Iowa. The brick & mortar could be a gathering place, while simultaneously supporting the work happening in Haiti.
In 2015, Kayla also began leading a program within the ministry, walking alongside women living in vulnerable situations. While the program aimed to educate & equip the mothers to be able to better care for their children, the need at the end of the day was...JOBS!
Friends from Iowa dreamt up the hand-stitched greeting card product and in 2016, they trained their first set of mamas (all of those mamas are still with us today, 10+ years later!)
Kayla used her graphic design skills to fine-tune and expand the designs into the collection you now see today. The greeting card initiative proudly employs 25 mamas + 1 papa! In 2025, the Fair Trade Federation verified the product and we are continually marketing and looking for new partners to sell the cards to.
Kayla and Webert came Stateside in 2019 to welcome their 2nd biological child. That fall the security situation in Haiti escalated and Covid did it's thing in the spring, so what was supposed to be a six-month trip turned into a permanent move. While they miss their life in Haiti and yearn to return, there's been much beauty in the past several years, too.
You can find Kayla working in the back office of Rosie's in Iowa almost every single day, either designing, fulfilling orders, or drafting e-mails. Renae continues to manage the front of the store and you can find her regularly annoying Kayla, making new displays in the store, and crying with customers as they share a conversation.
Outside of Rosie's, Kayla can be found at an early morning work-out, in the bleachers at a sporting event, or at home tending to never ending loads of laundry & dishes. Together, Webert and Kayla lead a loud & joyful household. Their seven children keep them busy and Webert continues to lead Touch of Hope as its sitting president, delegating the operations of the community school from afar. But don't be fooled, Kayla is the Big Boss 😉
