Dear friends,

I'm Mickey Ashmore, founder of Sabah.

In 2012, while living and working in Istanbul, I was gifted a pair of very curious looking slippers made by generational shoemakers in Turkey. They became my favorite shoes — I wore them almost daily and everywhere I traveled. Little did I know, they would quite literally change my life.

The next year, back in New York City, I launched Sabah, a contemporary take on this traditional footwear — made by the same talented shoemakers — from my East Village apartment. I didn’t have a plan, or any fundraising, just several boxes of handmade shoes I loved, a craft story I was excited to share, and a desire to chart my own course.

Building Sabah from those early days to where we are now – with workshops in Gaziantep, El Paso and Italy, a community of 80+ craftspeople, and Sabah Houses from New York to London – taught me the importance of finding partners who truly understand your mission. 

That’s why, nearly four years ago, when I met co-founder of Highbeam, Samir and learned about his vision for Highbeam, I became their first customer. He was building a banking platform exclusively for consumer brands like mine. Not another generic business bank, but a partner who understood the unique ways in which we operate. 

Highbeam has brought real stability to Sabah through flexible credit, real-time cash visibility, modern tools our team loves, and genuine, personal service. No more pressing “5” and waiting on the phone for 20 minutes to reach a human. Pratyush, our go-to Solutions Engineer, and the rest of the Highbeam crew are always a message or ring away, responding quickly and having our best interests in mind. 

That kind of partnership has freed me to focus on what matters most. And, for me, that’s growing Sabah thoughtfully and, most importantly, independently. With Highbeam handling the financial foundation, I can think bigger about what’s next. New silhouettes, new materials, new ways to bring people together around our community. 

If you’re curious, send me a note at mickey@sabah.am. I’d love to set up a call to swap notes and show you what’s possible — with only the most genuine of intentions.

Sincerely, 

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Mickey Ashmore
Owner, Sabah