Announcing: TEDWomen Global Showcase

Announcing the Global Showcase!

This October 26-27, the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise will host a Global Showcase at the 2016 TEDWomen conference - the premier women's conference in the world. Twelve artisan entrepreneurs will share their stories with over one thousand TEDWomen attendees, and three women will take the TED stage!

This year's TEDWomen theme is "It's About Time." At the Alliance, we believe it's about time to recognize the impact of artisan work on community livelihoods, cultural preservation, and entire economies. Join us in recognizing these extraordinary organizations, who together employ more than 6,300 artisans around the world.

Explore the Alliance website to learn more about the Global Showcase! Then, tell us why #ItsAboutTime we #ChooseArtisan to be featured on Facebookand Twitter

Meet the makers:

The twelve artisan organizations participating the Global Showcase represent diverse regions, traditions, and skills. Meet the makers below, and visit our website to better understand the impact of each group!

  • Gahaya Links | Dedicated to women's economic empowerment through enterprise design. 
  • Heshima Kenya | The first organization in Kenya devoted to protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee women and girls.
  • ROOTS of South Sudan | Empowering South Sudanese women and youth through the preservation of traditional arts and crafts. 
  • Fibre Tibet | Integrating traditional techniques and generating positive social, environmental, and economic impact in Himalayan communities. 
  • Turquoise Mountain | Regenerating historic areas, reviving traditional Afghan arts and architecture, and creating jobs and skills for Afghan men and women.
  • Kandahar Treasure | Reviving rare and unique embroidery traditions and empowering women artisans of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco | Promoting the empowerment of local weavers through the sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles.
  • Manos del Uruguay | Defending and promoting Uruguayan identity, where culture and tradition are mixed.
  • Paula Mendoza | Exemplifying the richness of Colombian gold and the power of each emerald's green.
  • Mercado Global | Providing income-earning opportunities to indigenous women in Guatemala's highlands. 
  • TRIA ETC | Preserving and promoting Greek artisanship, collaborating with talented artisans and artistic minds in Greece.
  • Yawanawa Handicrafts Initiative | Leveraging the intrinsic relationship the Yawanawa forest community in the Amazon has with their environment and community wellbeing. 

Thank you for your constant support!

The Global Showcase was made possible by members of the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise Artisan Partners Circle. We are so grateful for your ongoing support and critical investment in the global artisan sector. Are you interested in becoming more involved with the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise? Join the Artisan Partners Circle today!