Provenance

Soko

Soko

San Francisco, United States

Shop exquisite, ethical, handcrafted jewelry directly from the makers, powered by Soko's mobile technology.
Innovation. | Style. | Impact.

www.shopsoko.com

Photos

  • A glimpse of one of the artisan's workshop in Nairobi. One of the biggest barriers for the Kenyan artisans is the lack of access to working capital. To compensate, Soko provides purchase orders and deposits against those purchase orders and works with Kiva to provide small loans by telephone. A recent partnership with Unreasonable Capital and the Nike Foundation provides larger loans of up to $10,000 to help artisans purchase tools and equipment to expand their businesses.

    A glimpse of one of the artisan's workshop in Nairobi. One of the biggest barriers for the Kenyan artisans is the lack of access to working capital. To compe...

    Nairobi, Kenya

  • When our founders started the company, one of the key issues they observed was the fact that there are hundreds of millions small-scale producers (which is why our jewelries are all handmade) making valuable goods in emerging economies around the world. However, these producers cannot access the worldwide consumer demand for their unique and low cost products because they, like over 70% of the world’s population, are living and working on the other side of the digital divide, unable to benefit from the innovation and economic opportunity the Internet provides. The proposed solution was then to create an international direct trade platform so that small scale producers can participate in the global marketplace. This way, any artisan can become a global entrepreneur and increase their earnings on average by a factor of 20. Registering as a Soko artisan enables one to earn traceable income on our platform, which can be leveraged to access loans, open a bank account, and even register as an independent entity.

    When our founders started the company, one of the key issues they observed was the fact that there are hundreds of millions small-scale producers (which is w...

    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Having contributed over USD 500,000 in artisan revenue to date, we have had significant economic impact on artisan communities, enabling them to save and better provide for their families in the long term. Upon joining Soko, average household income for these artisans increased by as much as 4x. This, along with our commitment to ethical production, has led to growing demand for our products from companies such as Nordstrom and Anthropologie, hundreds of boutiques, and thousands of online consumers.

    Having contributed over USD 500,000 in artisan revenue to date, we have had significant economic impact on artisan communities, enabling them to save and bet...

    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Made from upcycled bone repurposed into beads, this piece is handcrafted by Veronicah. Veronicah's truly entrepreneurial spirit drove her to train with a local community group in order to build her own small design and production business. She collects bones and horn from her local butcher and files, sands, and shapes them into unique beads. Each bead feels and looks slightly different, giving her work a richness and depth that only a handmade design crafted out of natural materials can achieve.

    Made from upcycled bone repurposed into beads, this piece is handcrafted by Veronicah. Veronicah's truly entrepreneurial spirit drove her to train with a loc...

    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Our daily challenges of doing a business in Kenya includes health issues due to water system, loss of electricity, spotty internet service, and other social challenges not a lot of other companies face. When sourcing metal jewelry, for instance, although as a company seeking to empower women ideally we want to hire female artisans, men traditionally do metalwork. With the expanded need for artisans, more women are learning to cast metal, work at a furnace and solder jewelry. Male artisans are increasingly hiring women to fulfill those roles, speaking volumes about the quiet social change Soko is facilitating.

    Our daily challenges of doing a business in Kenya includes health issues due to water system, loss of electricity, spotty internet service, and other social ...

    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Development of our F/W 2015 collection, featuring the horn bead capsule necklace with solid cast brass bar.

    Development of our F/W 2015 collection, featuring the horn bead capsule necklace with solid cast brass bar.

    San Francisco, United States

View more photos →

Location

Soko

San Francisco, United States