In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting the stories of four women entrepreneurs at the helm of enterprises in the NESsT portfolio.
Read on to discover what inspired them to enter the world of social entrepreneurship and create businesses that are accelerating change for some of the world’s most marginalized communities.
Emilia Garska, Co-Founder of Heca, Poland: Supporting people to find their spark and encouraging them to follow it
Emilia’s journey began in a small village in northern Poland, where from an early age she was drawn to art and painting. After going on to pursue this passion at university, she found purpose in using art as a tool for social engagement, especially with children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Through art, I discovered the joy of connecting with others through creativity,” Emilia explains. “And it’s that same spirit I wish to capture through Heca.”
Photo: Emilia (centre) with Heca Co-Founders Paulina (left) and Maks (right).
Located in the city of Tczew, Heca supports people with physical or mental disabilities and young people experiencing homelessness, to find work, form social connections, and become independent.
“We identify people’s strengths and passions, and we build on those rather than focusing on what they can’t do. Our approach is to support them to find their spark and encourage them to follow it,” Emilia adds.
Recognizing that traditional work environments don’t always accommodate the needs of people with mental and physical disabilities, Emilia and her co-founders developed various business lines within Heca to provide local people with stable employment in a familiar and inclusive setting.
One of these is Patentu, a company that produces hand-crafted, quality furniture using recycled materials such as plastic waste collected from corporate partners. Patentu’s furniture is designed for accessibility, built with universal design principles that accommodate the needs of children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities.
Photo: Heca, NESsT portfolio enterprise
In addition to other business lines, including ice-cream production and a bicycle courier service, Heca also runs a refugee and migrant information point. Here people seeking refuge in Tczew can access language courses and support with navigating legal processes.
NESsT has supported Heca to develop its Patentu business model and to enhance its pricing, sales, and marketing strategies to reach new markets. To date, Heca has created close to 50 jobs for marginalized people and improved the livelihoods of over 300 local individuals.
““My advice to other social entrepreneurs would be to persevere: It’s important to keep going, even when things seem tough. The sun is always behind the clouds, even when we can’t see it; there are always people who believe in what we’re doing. Making a positive impact, even in one person’s life, makes it worth it.””
Learn more about Heca’s work supporting marginalized communities to secure quality jobs in the local community here.
Mariana Aleixo, Co-Founder of Maré de Sabores, Brazil: The power of food to bring about positive social change
Photo: Mariana (left) and Helena (right, Co-Founders of Mare de Sabores, NESsT portfolio enterprise
Some of Mariana’s earliest memories are of family gatherings with food: “My parents were entrepreneurs in Maré, so my brothers and I were always together with them at their store or at our grandparents’ house, which was seasoned with food from northeastern Brazil.”
Mariana Aleixo was born in the Maré favela – one of the largest slum complexes in Rio de Janeiro. Maré is home to a population of 140,000 people, over half of whom are women.
Driven by a belief in the power of food to bring about positive social change, Mariana studied gastronomy and production engineering, before working in top-tier restaurants in Rio de Janeiro. Mariana then channeled this knowledge and experience into improving the livelihoods of the women of Maré.
“The gastronomic sector is one of the most powerful economic activities in Maré, both in terms of offering goods and services for local consumption and for generating work and income for residents,” she shares.
Mariana co-founded Maré de Sabores alongside social entrepreneur Helena Edir over 10 years ago. The community-based catering business brings homemade meals packed with the flavors of Maré to businesses in the city and employs low-income women from Maré, providing them with formal, well-paid jobs that support their financial independence and give them access to their own income.
Maré de Sabores also provides women, especially low-income single mothers, with work experience and other job opportunities in the food industry. Since joining the NESsT Racial Equity Initiative, Maré de Sabores has trained 670 of women who previously lacked access to their own income and placed over 690 women into employment in the gastronomy sector.
Mariana, whose work at Maré de Sabores has gained various awards and recognition, including being named as a finalist for the Basque Culinary World Prize 2020 and being listed on the 50 Next 2021 list of people shaping the future of gastronomy, adds:
“Through providing women with training in culinary skills, together we’ve formed a catering business and a buffet that generates work and income for these women, and engages them in developing the area of Maré, who then go on to mobilize and secure more rights for the people living here.”
Read more about Mariana’s journey with Maré de Sabores in this article by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship here.
Daniela Staicu and Alina Tiplea, Co-Founders of ALTRNTV, Romania: Building a circular economy with small creators at its center
Photo: Daniela (left) and Alina (right), ALTRNTV, NESsT portfolio enterprise
Many small-scale artisans and clothing producers in Romania face challenges in securing a steady income, especially those dedicated to making environmentally-friendly products.
Passionate about changing how things are done in fashion, Daniela Staicu and Alina Tiplea met when working together in the social sector ten years ago. In 2015, they founded the tailoring workshop Atelier Merci, which they transformed into ALTRNTV – a collective of local artisans who produce handmade clothing, home decor, and accessories.
Daniela and Alina opened the ALTRNTV store during Romanian Design Week in 2022 in the heart of Bucharest. Much more than a shop, the store showcases sustainable, upcycled, and circular products made by Romanian artisans.
“[...] NESsT’s guidance has helped us measure and document the positive impact we’ve made on the lives of underserved producers and artisans, ensuring our mission remains at the heart of what we do.”
Many of the products ALTRNTV sells are made from textile scraps and other waste materials. “One of our designers collects plastic bottles,” Daniela explained. “She empties and cleans them, before melting the plastic and crafting exquisite brooches and earrings from this waste product.”
Daniela and Alina also run the ALTRNTV online store, further amplifying the reach of locally-made products, which range from clothing, home decor, and accessories.
Photo: ALTRNTV, NESsT portfolio enterprise
In addition to supporting small designers to earn a stable, living wage, Daniela and Alina work to amplify the voices of local artisans, especially women. The pair run regular campaigns and workshops to share their artisans’ unique approaches to sustainability and, with NESsT’s support, are measuring and documenting their impact on the lives of small producers.
“If we grow, our community grows," shares Daniela Staicu.
Read more about Daniela and Alina’s journey with ALTRNTV in this article by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship here or watch the video below.