The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise is thrilled to host the second-ever Global Showcase at the 2017 TEDWomen Conference, November 1-3 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year, the Alliance is highlighting artisan enterprises that provide vulnerable refugee populations with sustainable livelihoods. Join us as we celebrate the skills and stories of refugee artisans in an immersive learning experience, re-examining entrepreneurship on a global scale. Follow the Global Showcase at www.allianceforartisanenterprise.org/tedwomen, and learn more about this year's participants below.

The International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe is the world's largest annual folk art festival, celebrating 160+ artists and makers from across the globe. The 15th annual market will take place July 13-15, 2018 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Are you interested in participating in this year's market? Complete the full application (due October 1!) on the International Folk Art Alliance website. Find frequently asked questions and additional guidance for first-time applicants in the Application Guide. Email Gina Rogari with any questions throughout the application process! 

Will your business participate in the 2017 Summer NYNOW trade show? Let us know! Find members of the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise featured in the Handmade Global Design, Artisan Resourse, and Personal Accessories sections August 19-23, 2017 - be sure to stop by and say hello! 

The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise is proud to foster a community of over 130 artisan businesses, support organizations, and others working with artisan producers in over 100 countries around the world. This summer, find three Alliance members featured in Aspen IDEAS Magazine - the biannual magazine of the Aspen Institute. Read their stories and explore the diverse ways these organizations are impacting women across the globe. 

Will your business participate in the 2017 International Folk Art Market? Let us know! Hosted by the International Folk Art Alliance, the International Folk Art Market is one of the largest and most impactful trade shows in the world. Over 160 artisan businesses and 20,000 attendees gather on Museum Hill for the three-day event. At the Market, the Alliance is excited to join key partners to lead two business training workshops exclusively for Folk Art Market artists. Please contact Gina Rogari if you are interested in learning more about our sessions and for sign-up information. 

The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise is thrilled to announce the second-ever Global Showcase at the 2017 TEDWomen Conference, November 1-3 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2016, the Alliance featured 12 extraordinary artisan businesses in the inaugural Showcase. Together, these women employ over 6,300 artisans, support tens of thousands of family members, and have rediscovered hundreds of ancient techniques across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. 

The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise is thrilled to announce the second-ever Global Showcase at the 2017 TEDWomen Conference, November 1-3, in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2016, the Alliance featured 12 extraordinary artisan businesses in the inaugural Showcase. This year, the Alliance is reinventing the Global Showcase, highlighting artisan enterprises that provide vulnerable refugee populations with sustainable livelihoods. Every member of the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise that is working with refugees is eligible for this opportunity, and will be considered by the Showcase review team. We are excited to stay in touch with updates throughout the Showcase planning process. See you in New Orleans!

Every year, Fashion Revolution Week is celebrated in remembrance of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, where over 1,000 people were killed on April 24, 2013 outside Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fashion Revolution Week urges millions of consumers around the world to ask: "Who Made My Clothes?" and demand greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. Around the world, members of the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise answered with photos, videos, and messages sharing the stories of their artisan partners.

This March, the Alliance network gained 7 new members. Join us in welcoming Soko, Hello Crisp, Batik Boutique, Bellezza Global Consulting, Artisan & Fox, The Rich & Strange, and Batiqua to our community of artisan organizations working in more than 100 countries across the globe. Explore the contact and social media directories in the Alliance member portal to get connected! 
 

The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise is proud to support artisan businesses that drive increased incomes and economic opportunities to women around the world. In 2016, members of the Alliance network reached over 81,000 artisans, 89% of whom are women. These extraordinary women increase standards of living for hundreds of thousands of family members in global communities.

Kiva is the world's first online crowd-lending platform, connecting entrepreneurs around the world (like you!) with over one million individual lenders. Leveraging the Internet and a global network of Field Partners (including the Alliance), Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 each to help create opportunity. Hundreds of people fund each loan on the Kiva website. 

In partnership with Kiva - the world's first online crowd-lending platform - the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise offers loans tailored to artisan businesses. Artisan businesses are often overlooked by traditional lenders; Kiva allows these entrepreneurs to bypass banks and secure capital to buy raw materials, access international markets, invest in equipment and training, and more. In one year, the Alliance has raised over $100,000 in loan funds from individual Kiva lenders and has maintained a 100% repayment rate. Learn more about the program and see all 17 of our Kiva borrowers here!

At a time of such momentous change, it is so important for us to continue working to support small scale artisans around the world and to believe we can create positive change. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise community and your belief in the potential of artisan entrepreneurs everywhere!

2016 has proved the most impactful and exciting year yet for the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise! We are so grateful for your commitment to the Alliance community. Explore our impact and initiatives over the past year in our 2016 Impact Report, and read more about the Handmade is Human forum on the Aspen Blog!

2016 has proved the most impactful and exciting year yet for the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise! We are so grateful for your passion for the artisan sector and dedication to driving more resources and recognition to artisan businesses around the world.