In 2017, Rede Asta and the Instituto Center Norte began a partnership to transform lives in the North Zone of São Paulo. The region became a hub for the Rede Asta Artisan Business School to train handmade professionals living or working there to become entrepreneurs.
The project is part of the North Zone Entrepreneurship program by the Instituto Center Norte , a non-profit organization created by Cidade Center Norte to help improve the quality of life and income of residents in São Paulo's North Zone.
So far, there have been two cohorts. The first began in 2017 and concluded in 2019, and the second began in 2019 and will conclude at the end of 2020. Combined, 115 people have already gone through this entrepreneurial education center.
Artisans from the first cohort of the Rede Asta and ICN partnership in the North Zone of São Paulo
Artisans from the second cohort of the Rede Asta and ICN partnership in the North Zone of São Paulo
“We believe in the power of productive networks aimed at turning challenges into reality by further empowering professionals in the North Zone. We had a pleasant experience when we started the partnership and we want to continue contributing directly to personal and professional development, strengthening their ability to generate their own income through entrepreneurship”, said Daniela Pavan, Head of Sustainability at Instituto Center Norte, at the beginning of the second cohort.
In both years, Rede Asta recruited through online applications with broad promotion by both organizations, then selected and notified the artisans who would be part of the cohort. From there, the entrepreneurial education stage began. Through the Asta Platform they would watch the Artisan Business School video lessons in advance and expand their knowledge in person with discussions, exercises, and real-world applications for their businesses.
Artisan Business School class
These in-person mentoring sessions are facilitated by female entrepreneurs who were trained by the head of education at the Artisan Business School, Angélica Oliveira. This way, Rede Asta ensures the quality and standard of the classes. In the first cohort, the mentoring was led by Camila Pinheiro, founder of MAOS – Movimento de Artesãs e Ofícios where she works facilitating co-creation with artisans from all over Brazil. And, for the second cohort, this stage was led by Verônica Machado, founder of ONG Mensageiros da Esperança in Lapa de Baixo, São Paulo, who has vast experience in training women and young people in entrepreneurship projects.
“Watching the School’s classes really helped me plan Mariás better. Now I feel more confident to dedicate myself 100% to this project” Kátia Giani, creative sewing artisan, student of cohort 1, resident of Jardim Japão, and member of Rede CriaNorte.
Product collections: a design perspective on handicrafts
Developing high-quality collections with bold designs that align with fashion and decor trends is not always an easy task for artisans. Since the beginning of Rede Asta, we have worked on projects focused on developing products co-created by designers and artisan businesses.
The 2017-2019 project involved creating a network of artisans with a charter, as well as rights and responsibilities, which unified all the work produced during the project under a single visual identity. Gabriela Mazepa from the Re_roupa project provided the design perspective in the process of co-creating a cohesive collection for Rede CriaNorte.
Rede CriaNorte during the collection development phase with Gabi Mazepa from Re-roupa
In the end, the products were divided into three lines: Home, Accessories, and Children's. The pieces were produced using the techniques of each artisan in the project, with everyone contributing their specific part. For example, a seamstress would create the structure of a toiletry bag, which was then embroidered by an embroiderer. In this way, the products did not belong to one single artisan, but to the entire network.
The ongoing project was designed using an expressmodel, where Camila Pinheiro, a mentor from the first group, returned as a design consultant. In this format, the idea was not to create a single collection among the 70 artisans in the group, but to provide tips and guidance so that each artisan could develop their own collection tailored to their business's target audience.
Camila Pinheiro and the artisans during a product improvement consultation
This time, although there was no partnership between the artisans for the production of the pieces, they had the opportunity to receive a more qualitative analysis of the products they were already making. For example, they learned about new materials and ways to finish their pieces. This type of guidance is important so that, after the project ends, they can continue to maintain the same level of quality when creating new items for their businesses.
Rede Asta sends out a form for artisans to anonymously evaluate the classes. Here are some of the testimonials from the group 2 artisans regarding this stage:
“Lots of new things; the instructor shares so much content and diversity to inspire us.”
“[I liked] the ideas and inspiration from other projects!”
“[I liked] the concept of looking at everyday objects in different ways.”
“[I liked receiving] tips on color composition.”
“[I liked] learning about color palettes”
I’ve had several incredible ideas to work on and develop new products.
I enjoyed learning about the experiences of artisans from other regions.
Putting entrepreneurial education into practice: The Solidarity Kiosk at Center Norte
Both classes had a final project. Don't think of it as a thesis or a scientific paper. In an entrepreneurship course for artisans, a great way to wrap things up is to have the opportunity to operate a retail channel. That is why the Instituto Center Norte arranged for a Center Norte Solidarity Kiosk. After months of study and product improvements, the artisans had the opportunity to sell their goods at the shopping center with the highest sales volume per square meter in the city of São Paulo.
CriaNorte Network at the Solidarity Kiosk in 2018
Running a store is about more than just producing and making sales. You need to manage inventory, create and follow a staffing and cash register schedule, ensure you never run out of packaging, send daily financial reports to accounting, undergo audits by the mall, and handle everything else involved in this type of business. This opportunity allows them to gain much broader practical knowledge of this way of doing business.
The first group passed this phase with flying colors, and the second group didn't start immediately after the previous stages because a pandemic reached us and delayed their dream. However, during social isolation, they kept producing and remained hopeful about starting this long-awaited phase soon.
The mall will reopen on 06/15, following all mandatory safety protocols and several other best practices adopted by other countries. We asked the artisans if they would like to start or wait until next year to take this step. They chose to start right away on a voluntary shift basis. Previously, everyone would have been at the Kiosk, but since everything has changed, only those not in a high-risk group were able to volunteer.
Operating hours will be reduced to 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. There will only be two artisans per shift: one for customer service and one at the register. They all live nearby, so their commute will be short and outside of peak hours.
Center Norte provided training on the safety measures the artisans must follow and committed to intensifying mall cleaning, providing hand sanitizer, monitoring the mandatory use of masks by everyone on-site (visitors and workers), and controlling access to the mall.
Expectations after completion
In parallel with the previous stages, the mentors of the School of Business for Artisans of the North Zone of São Paulo, Camila and Verônica, worked on mapping out potential market openings for these female entrepreneurs.
These include opportunities to exhibit in stores that rent out shelf space, fairs held in the city—whether permanent or sporadic—places where they could teach their techniques, and much more.
CriaNorte evolved very well after the 2019 Kiosk. They were in many places recommended by Camila, but they went further, took the lead in their businesses, and forged new partnerships on their own—which is exactly the project's goal. Neither Rede Asta nor the Instituto Center Norte wants to be a crutch for these artisans. Our desire is simply to be a stepping stone so that they can become examples of female entrepreneurship in the future.
Luciene, a CriaNorte artisan, negotiating with Betty Prado, co-founder of Bemglô with Glória Pires, to include the Network's products in the brand's collaborative store.
We can't say yet how things will turn out for the most recent group, but we are confident that they are all powerful and capable of achieving the dreams and goals they set throughout the course, even with the mandatory and unexpected detour caused by the pandemic.
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