Choba Choba

Choba Choba

par | Nov 12, 2017 | Fair Trade, Food, Responsible Consumption

Choba Choba

SERVICE

Sale of premium Swiss chocolate. 

BUSINESS MODEL

Fair Trade - For Profit

Choba Choba has a unique business model : the cocoa farmers are shareholders of the company. They participate in the decision making and the benefits of the company.  Also, 5% of the sales are allocated to the Revolution Fund and transferred to the communities in direct payouts and in the form of shares.

IMPACT

Place: Peru (Alto Huayabamba)

Scale:  impacted lives of 36 families

Depth: 

  • Fair remuneration of the farmers for their hard work. Being co-owner, they define the price for their product.
  • They benefit from the profits.
  • They enter in direct contact with their consumers which is of « great emotional importance » to them.
  • Empowerment and pride: from simple farmer to entrepreneur. They have a voice in the company.
  • Better unity in the community as they share a common vision.

 

ORIGINS

About 8 years ago, Eric and Christoph met the cacao farmers of the Alto Huayabamba Valley through their previous jobs in the fair trade chocolate industry. Their initial business relationship quickly turned into solid friendship, considering each other part of their families today. Together they decided to challenge the rules by which the chocolate industry plays. So Eric, Christoph and 36 organic cacao farmers from two communities joined hands and founded Choba Choba in 2015. 

WHAT’S NEXT?

  • In 2017,  they launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the « Nativo Project » to preserve the diversity of cacao by  protecting rare and native varieties, creating chocolates out of them and thus fighting against the industry’s standardization of taste.
  • They want their business model to become a role model for other small scale farmers and businesses. 

GET INVOLVED !

As a Consumer

Buy Choba Choba yummy chocolates online: special gifts, single bars and their exclusive subscription.

Buy Chocolate

Work for them

Love food and would like to contribute in the chocolate revolution?  Contact Choba Choba to know if there is a way you can help!

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Start Your Own!

Got inspired to create a business where ownership is shared with small scale farmers? Contact Choba Choba team for more insights on the business model.

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Soko

Soko

par | Sep 23, 2017 | Fair Trade, Jewelry, Web design

Soko

SERVICE

Sale of luxury jewelry, ethical fashion, offering high quality, contemporary design paired with handmade techniques and sustainable materials.

BUSINESS MODEL

Fair Trade – For profit

Artisans retain 25-35% of revenue while industry standards is 2-3%.   Virtual factory using mobile phones to coordinate over 1,300 independant artisans into a demand responsive manufacturing model. They receive purchase orders, manage inventory and delivery, and get paid directly on their mobile phone. A cloud system is matching demand with available capacity. This business model reduces waste, time and costs, offering a lower price to the consumer and higher wage to the producer. Soko sells  to over 400 international resellers, and directly to 10.000 online consumers.

IMPACT

Place: Kenya

Scale: 1,300 independant artisans

Depth: earning income multiplied by 5 for each artisan

ORIGINS

« We met when we were all living and working in Nairobi, Kenya working at the intersection of design, technology, and community development. Soko was founded in 2012. The company was born out of a love of design, a combination of global perspectives, the desire to connect and empower entrepreneurs via the use of the technology around us, and a belief that women can change the world. » (Catherine Mahugu, cofounder of Soko, Forbes, 2016)

WHAT’S NEXT?

« We just opened our flagship retail store in San Francisco last week and we’re launching beautiful leather bags handmade in Ethiopia next week. We’re working on some exciting brand partnership collaboration and scaling our retail presence internationally through Asia and the EU – all enabling us to grow our artisan network dramatically and begin to meaningfully prove a new model of ethical, international trade! »(Catherine Mahugu, cofounder of Soko, Forbes, 2016)

GET INVOLVED !

As a Client

Visit the e-commerce website of Soko and buy beautiful modern jewelry made in Kenya.  
Shop Now

Get Hired

Want to work for this company? Soko is looking for jewelry designers, graphic designers, sales analyst, and interns…
See Positions

Start Your Own!

Feel like an entrepreneur yourself? Replicate this business model and create your own social enterprise. 
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