Our Impact Investment Portfolio
The R.I.S.E Artisan Fund deploys capital using a range of investment vehicles from grants to revenue-based equity investments while seeking a return of capital for further investment, creating a reinvestment cycle that multiplies the catalytic impact of philanthropic capital.
R.I.S.E Artisan Fund invests in artisan enterprises who are redesigning business models based on:
Sustainable and ethical business practices
Skills development and training to increase sales and profitability for producers
Revenue or profit sharing with producers
Revitalization, revaluation and representation of traditional crafts and cultural heritage
Shared ownership structures around brand, design and stories
Advocacy
200 Million Artisans
200 Million Artisans catalyzes self-reliance and responsible innovation within India’s artisan economy by providing access to knowledge, resources, and networks that empower artisan-producers and first-time entrepreneurs focused on sustainable production and consumption.
200 Million Artisans Impact Opportunity
Crossing the Digital Divide: Opportunities to Scale Impact in the Artisan Sector
Slow fashion
Avani
Nestled in the Kumaon region of the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, Avani is a community built on the principles of sustainability and local empowerment. The name “Avani” comes from the Hindi word for Earth. Avani creates opportunities for rural women and men to find viable employment through a self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable supply chain.
Avani Earthcraft Impact Opportunity
Avani Natural Dyes Impact Opportunity
Gender lens financing
BIDUK
BIDUK is a prototype financial intermediary using flexible, commercially priced, debt products that are incredibly well suited to meet the needs of SMEs in Indonesia (and throughout Southeast Asia). The entire BIDUK concept is built around a gender lens and utilizing a blended finance model.
Turning mud into beauty
Colectivo 1050º
Colectivo 1050º are a cooperative of potters from Oaxaca, Puebla and Chiapas in Mexico. The company offers simple and elegant hand crafted clay products, which combine the wisdom of tradition and the dynamism of innovation. The colors of 1050° are the colors of Mexico, of its rich geography of mountains and hillsides, its flavors, smells and textures.
Art on your feet
Fuchsia Shoes
A direct-to-consumer brand, Fuchsia makes beautifully handcrafted artisan shoes that are comfortable and sustainable while changing the lives of marginalized communities. These ethically made, limited edition, handcrafted, luxury flats are art on your feet.
Catalyzing ecosystems
Industree
Established in 2000, Industree Foundation holistically tackles the root causes of poverty by creating an ownership based, organised creative manufacturing ecosystem for micro-entrepreneurs. Industree Foundation has reached 30,000 women artisans across India and Africa, through collaborative efforts with organisations like The Future group, IKEA, The Commonwealth Secretariat, Grassroots Business Fund and National Skill Development Corporation.
Clean energy
Sustainably harvested
Iluméxico
More than 500,000 families in Mexico depend on candles, diesel lamps or other sources of light that are inefficient, costly, damaging to their health and that pollute the environment. These families live in marginalized communities that are isolated and difficult to access, and so they are often not connected to the electrical grid due to the prohibitive costs of installing the posts and cables required to reach them.
By providing access to clean energy, Iluméxico seeks to promote positive change within these communities.
Itza Wood
Itza Wood provides handcrafted furnishings and woodware to the conscious consumer, global wholesalers and design studios. Using ethically sourced, certified and responsibly harvested exotic woods, Itza Wood handcrafts cutting boards, serving ware, and decorative home furnishings. Each Itza Wood piece is a unique expression of Guatemalan beauty and biodiversity.
Meet the Social Enterprise Transforming One Guatemalan Community
Liberating craft
Kala Swaraj Foundation
Kala Swaraj strongly believes in the sustainability of craft and its importance to future civilization. The foundation believes that with the growing interest in handcrafted goods and social justice, handcraft systems will thrive again, and artisans will be liberated from poverty and marginalization.
Kala Swaraj will facilitate the interactions between the buyer and producer that will help both to attain their business and social goals that are part of being a global citizen.
Bespoke handloom
Luxury textiles
Karghewale
Karghewale represents a community of exeptional young weavers from traditional weaving communities of India who offer bespoke, handwoven textiles of exemplary quality in contemporary designs.
The Hindi word, “kargha” means handloom, and thus Karghewale are weavers. More than 150 weavers work with Karghewale to market their handwoven textiles. Most are graduates of The Handloom School, an initiative of WomenWeave.
Madda Studio
Madda Studio creates handcrafted, luxury textiles for contemporary interior design using natural fibers and dyes with heritage craft techniques.
From sheep to spindle to showroom floor, each work is the unique combination of natural fibers, dyes, history, culture and design.
All the wool used in the studio’s creations is spun by hand with the pre-Hispanic spindle by 60 indigenous Chamula women from the highlands of Chiapas in southern Mexico.
Madda Studio Impact Opportunity
A Special Alchemy of Color and Texture from Design Ateliers: Amba and Madda Studio
Heritage crafts
Polly & Other Stories
Polly & Other Stories leverages modern design and simple technologies within its supply chains to serve as a reliable and consistent business partner to artisan communities and small businesses, empowering them to embrace new market opportunities. Our model enables artisans to make a decent living by creating jobs in the communities we impact.
Polly & Other Stories works with over 70 artisan groups and small creative enterprises across Pakistan.
Ethical commerce
Powered By People
Powered By People provides a marketplace platform and mobile digital tools that foster buyer confidence and empower ethical producers and brands worldwide.
Retail is changing. Consumers are demanding distinct, high quality products with origin transparency, yet highly skilled producers in low-income countries lack access to markets, tools and financing. PBP connects international buyers with small batch makers.
Powered By People Impact Opportunity
Crossing the Digital Divide: Opportunities to Scale Impact in the Artisan Sector
Forest livelihoods
Rabha Women Weavers
Rabha women weavers received training and support for design development and marketing from Hast Karigar Society.. The 16 Rabha women are from Garo Basti in Rajabhathkhawa, and Mendabari and Andu forest villages in Chilapata forest division in Alipurduar district of West Bengal. A local production coordinator for the association manages purchase of raw material, production schedules, quality control and arranges collection and transport of finished goods. The group is now marketing the women's handwoven textiles in local markets in India.
Mayan wisdom
Tierra & Lava
Tierra & Lava creates natural skin care products with Mayan ingredients for conscious consumers, generating economic impact and a source of pride for smallholder farmers in Guatemala.
Tierra & Lava seeks to capture the natural essence and healing properties of botanicals at their peak, unspoiled form to create beautiful, lush skincare products..
Tierra & Lava builds relationships with small holder farmers and financially supports them so they can carry on the legacy of their disappearing traditional Mayan cultural practices. The company currently works with 65 small-holder farmers in 25 rural communities.
ProjecThrive
Sonica Sarna Design
Sonica Sarna Design is an ethical design and production company that engages artisan communities, certified organic fabrics and inhouse compliant production to create hi-fashion products for the global market place. We consult leading global brands in creating transparent and ethical supply chains to maximize positive social and environmental impact.
Cultural heritage
The Handloom School
The Handloom School seeks to preserve and transform Indian handloom both as a sustainable art and a global industry.
The school envisions handloom communities becoming economically viable and socially innovative in a way that seeds a culture of quality, dignity and respect. The goal is to create diverse pathways to employment and to stimulate rural and semi-urban development through entrepreneurship.
Rural livelihoods
Tilonia®
Tilonia® is a mission-driven enterprise building the business capacity and entrepreneurial skills of artisan enterprises in rural India. Nearly 400 artisans earn supplemental income producing Tilonia® products. Designs and production methods draw on Indian craft traditions that are centuries old – but create modern opportunities for these rural women and men.
Zero waste fashion
tonlé
We believe every scrap of fabric has a purpose. Through a sustainable zero waste process, we create clothing, accessories and homewares from reclaimed materials that other manufacturers consider waste. We strive for circularity and climate justice to mitigate the fashion industry’s devastating impact on the planet.
Innovative design
WomenWeave
WomenWeave has supported the role of women in handloom weaving since its inception in 2002, working toward making handloom a profitable, fulfilling, sustainable and dignified income-earning activity particularly for women in rural areas of India. Based in Maheshwar, WomenWeave works to revive handloom in this centuries-old weaving center. WomenWeave also supports The Handloom School which trains young weavers from all regions of India.
Glass innovation studio
Xaquixe
Xaquixe produces the most sustainable hand blown glass in Oaxaca. The enterprise employs recycled glass, alternative energies and specific technologies. Our pieces are created under an ethical and Environmental friendly process, both utilitarian and decorative.