Novica is an
e-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile co ...
website that enables artisans to sell their
handcrafted goods to customers worldwide. Partnered with the
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...
, 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
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
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
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was a functional commission within the United Nations System, overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006. It was a ...
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, a non-profit organization based in
Washington, DC
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, 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 Website
Online marketplaces of the United States