R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund Sponsors the Kula Innovate Challenge Award for Three Craft Enterprises in India.
The R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund is proud to sponsor the Craft Revival Award of the Kula Innovate Challenge. Launched by 200 Million Artisans, the Kula Innovate Challenge provides a pathway to catalytic capital for craft enterprises across India, and offers award winners mentorship, cash awards and connection to a global network. These award-winning craft innovators — Mianzi, Samakhya Sustainable Alternatives, and The Wool Knitters — have been recognized for their innovations in climate action, sustainability and the circular economy.
200 Million Artisans advances India's cultural economy by bridging gaps in research, networks, and capital for craft-led enterprises. Founded by Priya Krishnamurthy, 200 Million Artisan works to equip these enterprises with the tools, connections, and funding needed to drive dignified employment, gender inclusion and climate-positive innovation across India.
Bawa Hope: Where Wings of Hope Lift Communities from Poverty
In Swahili, "bawa" means wing. For the artisans working with Bawa Hope in Nairobi, Kenya, that wing offers something more: the lift to escape cycles of poverty that have defined their lives. Founded in the aftermath of Kenya's post-election violence in 2008, Bawa Hope has become a bridge between marginalized communities and global markets, transforming trauma into beauty through contemporary, ethnic brass jewelry, beaded jewelry, and woven baskets.
The enterprise's origin story began in an internally displaced persons(IDP) camp in January 2008, where founder Anne Nzilani encountered women making jewelry amid the chaos of displacement. When Anne asked one woman why she continued creating despite losing everything, the response became the company's north star: "The poorest person in the world isn't one without food and shelter, but one without hope."
Sprout Enterprise® 2025 Impact Report: Creating Twofold Impact
We’ve Invested in Artisan Enterprises for over 25 years.
Craft is the original circular economy. The craft story today is what the story of craft has always been – of artisans making use of waste, left over or found materials, of design and innovation to perform the alchemy of material transformation into a product of function and beauty, of expressing and sharing community values, and of telling the stories of each generation. Investing in artisan enterprises improves the quality of life and creates a sustainable future for rural communities with few economic alternatives.