Women Artisan Entrepreneurs from Asia Go Global
On July 13-15, 2017, 160 artisans from 53 countries came together for the 14th annual International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to gain first-hand experience on how to develop and market their products. For the first time, The Asia Foundation’s Lotus Circle sponsored a delegation of women artisans, business owners, and representatives from Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, and Laos to attend. The group participated in a series of educational workshops, panels, and market experiences to equip them with new knowledge and resources to grow and expand their businesses and empower women in their communities.
After the market, the delegation traveled to Asia Foundation headquarters in San Francisco, for a unique Pop-Up Shop event to sell their goods and interact more closely with a U.S. market. This slideshow captures highlights from the event, as well as a glimpse into one of the participant artisan’s workplace in Laos, captured on-site by the Foundation’s staff photographer, Whitney Legge.