Novica is an
e-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manageme ...
website that enables artisans to sell their
handcrafted goods to customers worldwide. Partnered with the
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...
, Novica shows handcrafted works of art, ranging from handmade jewelry to handmade apparel and world-style home decor.
History
The idea behind Novica came to a group of co-founders at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
in 1995 who collectively felt there must be a better way for artisans in developing nations to sell their goods to customers around the world.
In 1995, Roberto Milk, went to Mina Olivera and her mother, Armenia Nercessian de Oliveira, a human rights officer with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights who was later featured in Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel Eat, Pray, Love. and together, they came up with the plan behind Novica, along with Milk’s brother, Andy Milk, childhood friend Charles Hachtmann, Stanford roommate Jose Cervantes.
In 1999, supported by Michael Burns and other seed investors, they took up an office in Santa Monica, CA and launched the NOVICA.com website.
By the end of 1999, they opened their first six regional centers located in Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand and Ghana.
Merchandise
Most products are based in specific cultures and traditions. Artisans make items that are familiar to them and oftentimes, the tradition has been passed down from generation to generation.
[ Lee Romney, Los Angeles Times. June 14, 2000. Retrieved May 4 2018]
Business advisory services
In 2009, Novica began working with the
Grassroots Business Fund
The Grassroots Business Fund is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC. It has field offices in Kenya, Peru, and India. Their mission is to build and support high-impact enterprises that provide sustainable economic opportunities to tho ...
, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, with a mission to build and support enterprises that provide economic opportunities to people at the base of the economic pyramid.
References
{{reflist
External links
Novica
Online marketplaces of the United States