Curated to the core: How a chaplain-turned-entrepreneur is elevating streetwear to boost KC nonprofits

In a world of loud statement tees, sometimes the most impactful messages are quietly sewn into the tag, said Makenzy Jean, whose Kansas City-based apparel company partners with local nonprofits on brand-merging designs that give back to their community causes.

Associated Humanity’s “For The Culture” tee, a design inspired through a partnership with Guadalupe Centers of KC; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“Streetwear is from the streets,” said Jean, founder of Associated Humanity and a former chaplain. “We want to make sure we’re supporting the very thing that’s giving our clothing it’s essence.”

Associated Humanity already has donated more than $7,000 to Kansas City nonprofits through this business model, wherein the company collaborates with an organization that aligns with its values — past partners include Guadalupe Centers of KC, Big Brothers Big Sisters of KC, Nurture KC, The Next Paige Foundation, and Halo Foundation. After a partner is selected, the Associated Humanity team works with them to design and promote a campaign shirt or collection, all at no cost.

“You don’t have to spend any money to buy into it,” said Jean. “That excites me, because we’re creating low barriers for nonprofits to be able to get a really dope collection.”

Click here to shop past collaborations.

A post shared by Associated Humanity (@associatedhumanity)

Bouncing designs off each other

The Associated Humanity team at the Made in KC Marketplace on the Country Club Plaza; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Fashion and philanthropy combine early in the design process, Jean said, noting Associated Humanity uses either an in-house designer or another local designer for each project — depending on the style needed.

Next comes a session with the nonprofit to jot down buzzwords and ideas that align with Associated Humanity.

“My favorite part about the creative process would be that deliberation,” said Jean. “Being able to take what our designers have created and make it into a physical tangible thing gets me super excited, because I love to create and I love to innovate.” 

After two weeks of designers creating early stage concepts, the team then meets to finalize the design, get approval from the nonprofit partner, and add a signature Associated Humanity red tag for a final touch.

Core collection coming soon

In a slight break from its past projects, Associated Humanity is developing its own core collection — expected to debut this month — that features a vibe that reflects the Associated Humanity brand itself. And because there’s no nonprofit partner for the collection, funds that would’ve gone to a collaborator will go into an Associated Humanity scholarship fund, Jean said.

“We believe that for underserved populations, one of the biggest gateways is low cost education,” said Jean, whose past career in tech has included work with edtech startup Boddle Learning and at fintech scaleup C2FO. “​So through this fund we can have students have the financial opportunity to go to school.”

The style for the core collection: Collegiate meets streetwear, Jean hinted, teasing an Associated Humanity-branded green crewneck and a white shirt with a front-back design. 

Click here to follow Associated Humanity on Instagram.

The Associated Humanity sign within the Made in KC Marketplace on the Country Club Plaza; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Testing the waters 

A creative artist his whole life, Jean pushed himself to start his own clothing brand while working as a chaplain at Drake University. 

“Whatever I decided to start, I knew that I wanted to give back to the organizations I love to support,” he said.

When Jean initially launched Associated Humanity in 2021, he created the first piece — a dad cap with ‘human.’ embroidered on the front — drawn to the idea that all identities could proudly wear it, no matter their race, gender or sexuality. 

“I liked that because it brought everyone down to the essence of who we are, but gives people the ability to tell their story and fill in the blank,” he said. 

When Jean received positive feedback on the hat after wearing it around the city, he decided to start selling it for profit and expand the collection with shirts. 

Associated Humanity has continued to grow largely through word of mouth, he said.

“Create something, wear it, and see what people think,” Jean said.

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