(A lot it turns out!)
Naming something you care about is hard. It's like naming your kid—you want the name to be perfect, and to reflect the essence of what you're naming. But how do you choose a name that captures everything you love and admire? How do you choose a name for something that will grow and evolve? (And, what if you get it wrong?!)
With these pressures looming over me, I knew our company name had to be something with personal meaning. I needed to see the name and be inspired to keep going - even when things were tough. If naming a company was hard, I knew building it would be even harder. I wanted a name that invoked both the struggle and the hope of striving for something beyond ourselves. It was exactly that search that led me back to Bolivia.
After college, I was awarded a fellowship to travel and collect the life histories of women in prison. I lived in Cochabamba, Bolivia and it was a transformative and inspiring time for me personally. I witnessed the strength, spirit, and determination of indigenous women first hand. I watched as thousands gathered under the beautifully colored Wiphala flag, to demand their rights, to protect their land’s resources with, and to use the power of collective action in pursuit of a better future. The flag they held was captivating. It was powerful. And it was exactly the connective symbol that I needed.
Wiphala → Wipala
The Wiphala flag is a traditional flag used by indigenous peoples in the Andes Mountains of South America. It’s a symbol of unity, diversity, and resistance. The vibrant and colorful flag represents the full spectrum of indigenous peoples - and their cultures - and serves as a reminder that we are all connected and stronger together. I wanted our company to draw on that collective strength. I wanted to ignite wonder in our kids at the full spectrum of the world around them. And thus, WipalaBox was named.
Shades of Meaning
The Wiphala flag isn’t just a pretty face - it’s packed with meaning. Each of the seven colors (red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, and violet) represents the full spectrum of human diversity.
We invite you and your curious kid to explore these shades of meaning with an exclusive activity below. Additional questions that can help foster conversation with your kids include: What might the flag of your family look like? What would each color or symbol represent? As you design your flag, consider how we are all connected and stronger together, from your family, to your community, to the full spectrum of the world around us.
