Each year, thousands of freshmen are assigned a required reading for convocation. Few students truly engage with it, treating it as just another obligation.

Cathy Gomes, however, did more than just read it — she absorbed it. The book, Half the Sky, introduced her to the global realities of human trafficking. When she learned that Bangladesh was identified as one of the countries most affected, the reality of it landed with surprising force. That awareness planted the seed for 700 Rivers, a social impact company she founded to create dignified work and opportunity for women in Bangladesh. 

When a required reading became a call to action

While studying chemical engineering at NC State, Cathy Gomes took a senior design class that introduced her to entrepreneurship. A single lecture on social entrepreneurship opened her eyes to the idea that entrepreneurship could be a force for good.

Motivated to explore this path further, Gomes pursued opportunities in the startup ecosystem through a small, campus-based company. She soon realized, however, that she wanted to start something on her own. Even while working full-time, she spent her evenings and weekends researching how to start up her own business, looking for ways to combine her skills with meaningful impact. 

While exploring ways to start her business, Gomes kept returning to the stories she encountered in Half the Sky that brought to light the global realities of human trafficking and cycles of vulnerability. She understood that surviving on their own was nearly impossible for many of the women who had escaped, as they often lacked the job skills, resources and opportunities to sustain themselves. 

The faces and stories from Half the Sky lingered with Gomes, serving as a constant reminder that freedom alone was not enough without the opportunity to rebuild a life.

This sparked an idea: could she turn what she knew and loved from chemical engineering into meaningful work for women in Bangladesh? The thought stayed with her, and she began to see a path where her passion and skill set could translate into meeting a real need in the world.

Gomes realized that the skills she had honed in chemical engineering could be applied to something bigger: a product that could provide dignified work and independence for women. 

That is when soap-making came into focus. It was a craft she could learn, refine and scale, and it perfectly combined her chemical engineering knowledge with a product that could empower women. 

The power of partnerships in breaking cycles of vulnerability

Gomes drew inspiration from her South Asian heritage, incorporating traditional ingredients and fragrances she had grown up around. She quickly realized that to turn soap-making into a sustainable source of meaningful work, she would need partners who understood the needs of women in vulnerable situations.

She began reaching out to Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh that supported women who had escaped human trafficking, looking for a partner that could bring her vision to life. Among the NGOs Gomes researched, one stood out for its holistic approach to helping women escape the cycles of trauma and vulnerability.

The organization provided mental health counseling, safe housing and skill-building programs to help women rebuild their lives. Gomes saw an opportunity to combine her chemical engineering knowledge with their support, teaching women how to craft handmade soaps. 

With the partnership in place and the women beginning to learn the craft, Gomes officially launched 700 Rivers, a social impact company dedicated to creating high-quality, handcrafted products that delight the senses and provide meaningful work for women in Bangladesh.

The name, 700 Rivers, was inspired by the country’s more than 700 rivers and waterways, which provide life-giving water and fertile land. Much like these rivers, the company seeks to nurture the lives of its artisans and create sustainable impact for the communities it touches.

The company’s first batch was small — just four handcrafted soaps, but it carried a larger purpose. Launched right before the holidays in 2019, they quickly gained popularity, with customers using them as gifts and stocking stuffers.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, and people began asking for more than just bar soaps. Encouraged by this early success, Gomes and her team expanded the product line, introducing additional items such as candles and bath bombs. Each new product was a chance to provide more meaningful work hours for the artisans while sharing a piece of their craft and culture with the world. 

“All of our products are made with a coconut base, which is nourishing and gentle on the skin, and infused with natural essential oils inspired by the local fragrances of South Asia.”

Pivoting without compromising purpose

Just months after launch, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the company’s early progress to an abrupt halt. Exports paused, facilities were closed and uncertainty loomed over a business less than four months old.

Refusing to let momentum stall, Gomes pivoted quickly. Many of the artisans already had sewing training, so they began making face masks from home, ensuring a steady income during lockdown. As masks increased in availability in the United States, the focus shifted to vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, where donations were made to over 400 children in orphanages.

While pivoting operations to meet the challenges of the pandemic, Gomes also looked for ways to grow the business. As conversations on health and well-being became more prominent, Gomes listened closely to her customers and saw an opportunity to create even more products that encouraged rest and restoration during times of uncertainty. Gomes and her team created product lines designed to create intentional rituals of care within the home.

NC State programs and the power of alumni support

In reflecting on her time at NC State, Gomes describes the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program (EEP) as a defining influence on her journey into entrepreneurship. The program, centered on equipping students with the tools to launch and sustain a business, introduced her to the practical realities of being an entrepreneur — how to move from idea to execution.

After graduating, Gomes remained heavily involved in the NC State Alumni program and the Alumni Entrepreneurship program, where she connected with fellow wolfpackers who were either launching new ventures or leading established businesses. By attending these gatherings, she not only learned about the complexities of launching ventures but also formed meaningful connections with fellow entrepreneurs who openly shared knowledge and resources. 

One experience that proved especially pivotal was the Entrepreneurship Showcase, where selected NC State founders present their ventures and connect with alumni and peers in a shared exchange of insight and resources. Gomes had returned to the showcase year after year, but it was one of her early experiences that would ultimately change the trajectory of 700 Rivers.

In fall 2019, 700 Rivers was selected to present, and attendees were invited to vote for their favorite venture. By the end of the evening, 700 Rivers was one of the businesses to win the audience-choice award, receiving a modest grant.

At the time Gomes had received this grant, she had been self-funding her business — stretching what remained after rent, groceries and daily expenses to cover website development, materials and the many small costs that accumulate when launching a company. That first check from NC State funded her first manufacturing batch of soaps, which became the foundation of the company’s December 2019 launch. 

“It really came down to the first check we got from NC State that started our business, and we have continued to grow from there.”

The hands and hearts behind 700 Rivers

From its inception, 700 Rivers has been a female-founded and women-led company. Women are centered in every part of this company’s operations, from creating the products to making strategic decisions that impact the communities it serves. 

For Gomes, placing women at the heart of 700 Rivers has been an organic extension of her own experiences and values. Reading Half the Sky and seeing Bangladesh, her parents’ homeland, featured in the stories of women trapped by cycles of vulnerability made the inequities painfully real. She recognized that the line between her life and theirs could have been thin.

Without her parents’ immigration and the opportunities they provided, she too could have faced similar obstacles. Centering women in her company allowed Gomes to turn her awareness into meaningful action, providing opportunities for employment, skill-building and independence for those who had long been marginalized. Becoming a mother herself has made this mission feel even more personal: she now understands the responsibility that comes with shaping the next generation.

Her artisans’ priorities mirrored her own. When asked how she could better support them, they said they already had enough through fair wages and wanted the benefits to extend to their own children, ensuring girls, in particular, could continue their education.

This inspired Gomes to launch a scholarship program across Bangladesh, prioritizing girls and underserved youth. Seeing her artisans’ priorities of investing in the next generation reminded Gomes of her mother’s sacrifices, and as a parent herself, she now experiences firsthand how empowering women can ripple outward, shaping families, communities and entire futures. 

“This has always been a constant in my life. Women naturally think about how to care for others, from their communities to the next generation, and that perspective has shaped the way we run 700 Rivers and the impact we aim to create.”

A vision for the next ten years

Looking forward, Gomes hopes to see 700 Rivers continue to grow as a sustainable business, while expanding its impact in new ways beyond handcrafted products. She envisions expanding the company’s scholarship program to fund multiple girls from primary school through college.

In the years ahead, she also hopes to share her story more widely and support other entrepreneurs, ensuring that the ripple effect of empowerment continues well beyond her own venture.