At Ardent Market, we are a human-first, value-driven business. We take intentionality, community, and humanity seriously and place the highest importance on the safety and well-being of everyone. Our values for diversity, equity, and inclusion serve as a framework for decision-making and form the foundation for our business practices, customer relationships, and buying guidelines in the retail industry.

We are committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We don't just stand in solidarity with marginalized communities; we stand for actionable change, particularly in the small business realm.

We strive to be a welcoming and safe place for our customers, audience, and community. In our first year, we put in a lot of work to create space on the internet, and now we are finding sustainable ways to hold that space for BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, persons with a disability, LGBTQ+ artists, creators, customers, vendors, and creatives. Being a part of our community means collectively sharing and holding space for art, craftsmanship, perspectives, well-being, and stories.

We have immediate and long-term strategies in place to navigate through our social contracts, and this is how we are taking action:

• We frequently honor the land we reside on by acknowledging and giving back to the original land protectors.
• We pledge to continue donations for causes and foundations in support of BIPOC, Mental Health, and persons experiencing homelessness.
• We invest in accessibility solutions and tools to make our site and offerings more accessible for persons with a disability.
• We invest (at least) 30% of our inventory in artists, brands, and makers of marginalized populations.
• Business operations budgets include training for inclusion, and web accessibility development in solidarity with BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, persons with a disability, LGTBQ+, and Minority-Owned businesses.
• We welcome and acknowledge all genders. The copy used on the website and marketing platforms is thoughtful and gender-full (a safe celebration of every gender).
• We further our education and connection with books, articles, and films. Our dialogue with other small business owners includes paid workshop materials from activism educators. If materials are free, donations are made to relevant charities.

The most important part of this pledge is that we remain accountable to you, our community, and our promises to be an inclusive and intentional retail/small business. As we update our community efforts and social contracts, we will release reports on our progress. Actionable, measurable change is how our communities can feel our support.