We all love stories, and we all need role models. This is the first set of case studies of real women– by real women, I mean the unsung heroines, who are making a difference without celebrity status. Women like us!
On the front lines of Entrepreneurship, unsung heroines turn their ideas into action to make a difference and Pay It Forward: They make amazing role models.
Whilst I have talked about:
§ Ideas to Action through Entrepreneurship
§ Thinking Outside the Box, and
There is nothing more inspirational than real case studies.
We all love stories, and we all need role models, so as part of our blogs especially for women and girls we will regularly showcase real examples for you.
Real examples of real women– By real women, I mean the unsung heroes, who are making a difference selflessly without celebrity status.
Role models show us what's possible and inspire us to be better. They remind us that one person can make a difference. I will cover role models in a future blog but couldn’t resist sharing this anonymous quote with you now:
“Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate.” Anonymous
We often forget that each one of us is already a role model to someone else, especially to our children or our friends’ children. So, always lead by example!
Women are making a difference in their communities through volunteerism, philanthropy, mentorship, and activism. They are working to create positive change in the world, often without any recognition – Women are Paying It Forward naturally.
We hope that by sharing the stories of the two role models below, we can inspire others to do the same, and understand the ripple effect of your work too.
All the women featured are known to me and we receive no financial reward for featuring them or their businesses. It is our way of Paying it Forward.
So, let’s just cover three topics today:
Making A Difference: The Many Faces of Heroism
Paying It Forward: The Power of One
On The Front Lines of Entrepreneurship: A Shared Responsibility
Making A Difference: The Many Faces of Heroism
Swati Soharia – Katran Studio
Meet Swati:
Thinking Outside the Box and Stepping out of the Comfort Zone
Swati Soharia was a graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology in India, and a visual merchandising designer before becoming an Entrepreneur and turning her idea into an action – an action which is touching hundreds of lives, and she is just 33 years old.
One day, Swati Soharia decided that she was going to stop buying clothes. This is surprising considering her training and what she did for a living. But she simply refused to put any more things into her wardrobe and decided not to remain in the conventional fashion business anymore either. So, she moved to work on frugal innovation.
Each day Swati saw how much waste her city generated and it began to make her feel uncomfortable. So, she started trying to reuse all sorts of waste material, and eventually ended up setting up her own company. Launched in 2017, the upcycling lifestyle label- ‘Katran by Swati Soharia’ is a natural outcome of Swati’s love for fashion and passion for sustainable living.
Driven By Passion
Swati states, “My staunch belief in frugal design and innovation led me to experiment early on with various materials and forms. After being exposed to the wasteful nature and exploitative process of modern garment industry I worked towards raising awareness about the dangers of fast fashion and promote more responsible consumer behaviour in fashion retail.”
A Sense of Responsibility
Upcycling is nothing new, but with fast fashion and factory waste, there was an opportunity to be seized. Swati was on a path of action:
In late 2017, Swati got in touch with a curator who specializes in sustainability. This gave her the opportunity to display some of her installation artworks with Galerien Thayaland in Vienna which brings together artists, researchers, and industries with the hope of ideating on future resource efficiency and working towards a circular economy.
After this experience, her orders started coming through word-of-mouth, and Swati collaborated with women’s groups from February 2018. She was soon coordinating with bigger brands for corporate gifting orders and meeting demand needs by partnering with NGOs who were working with women with sewing skills.
The economic disparity in society makes it difficult for many of these women to earn sufficient money to feed their families. This is where upcycling and corporate social responsibility comes into play. Swati is giving workshops and training her workers whilst also guaranteeing them a job.
After giving workshops and talks about upcycling in Delhi, Swati realized that her message had a much wider reach and potential to improve people's lives. She understood that more than just making products, her company was providing something sustainable for families.
“We train and employ women from marginalized communities to up-cycle textile waste into functional accessories and clothing. We collaborate with NGOs which aim at providing basic tailoring skills to women. We train them on upcycling textile craft to make them market-ready.”
Katran Studio Paying it Forward
With its vision for change, Katran Studio has become more than a marketplace for upcycled products. It has also become more than a training centre and provider of livelihoods for women. Swati has gone on to drive the change she wants to see by educating people about the problems generated by unnecessary consumption and shared with them how to make smarter shopping decisions.
Swati has a team of about 100 women connected to her company in various communities. To date, they have successfully upcycled nearly 8 tons of fabric waste in less than 4 years.
You can support Swati and the women she employs by purchasing their products at
and by following her on:
“I think the best role models for women are people who are fruitfully and confidently themselves, who bring light into the world.”
Paying It Forward: The Power of One
Anja Carron – Theia International
Staying with the Circular Economy, let me introduce you to my friend Anja Carron.
https://www.theia-international.org/english/
An Unrestrained Mindset
Anja is a Changemaker. She states, "The time to change is now and everlasting. As pioneers we move beyond to impact the people, our communities and the planet.”
Anja is a global leader with a background and expertise in education. Whilst she is a native German, she has not hesitated to step out of the box by living and working on 4 continents and more than different 20 countries.
Her idea to action, which she has recently launched, and which she discussed extensively with me, is built on her years of learning, networks and experience. Anja is the initiator of the first global platform to inspire Youth for a Circular Future. She has taken her passion for young people and her knowledge and experience of working with international leaders towards developing sustainable branding strategies and created Theia International.
The motto of Theia International is something that resonates with me:
“We politely refuse to recognize limits,
Not in ourselves, not in you and especially not in what we can do together.”
With Theia, Anja is Paying It Forward.
“We're offering young talents the chance of a lifetime...” says Anja. “We offer programs and projects for young people to acknowledge reality, find inspiration and orientation - We bring followers physically together - Build bridges - Encourage them to find and harness their personal value-based leadership energy. Theia provides an impetus for young people to get out of their comfort zones so they become the drivers of their development.”
Anja feels passionately that innovation flourishes when diverse and intercultural perspectives, disciplines, and skills meet. With her multicultural teams, she has designed over 30 partnerships and projects in the fields of sustainability and circular economy in Europe, Asian Pacific Countries, Africa, Latin America and the Emirates.
"Change needs people with an inclusive identity that reflects their sense of connection with other people, aspects of nature - especially in the trade-off between socio-economic challenges and digital progress.", reiterates Anja.
Guiding others to have an Entrepreneurial Mindset
Anja is driven by the 5 Ps PEOPLE, PLANET, PROSPERITY, PEACE and PARTNERSHIP.
Anja, through her organisation Theia, promotes the potential of children, youth, and young adults through holistic and sustainable education programs. Theia International inspires young people to step out of their comfort zone and face the challenges of an uncertain world with an open mind. Diversity and inclusion play a central role in Theia projects.
“All young people, regardless of their social background and stigmas, should have the chance to develop the knowledge and skills they need to shape their lives as well as their careers in future fields and to actively work in their own way for a humane society that acts in harmony with other cultures and nature.”,
is part of the Theia mission.
The Theia Worlds are a unique interplay of experiential opportunities and innovative learning spaces as well as encouragement by role models from future realms worldwide. In this way, Theia ensures that young people experience the necessary orientation to participate in forward-looking innovative life and society designs, thus making it possible for a future-oriented responsible transition in harmony with nature into a just and peaceful world.
A big vision, which ONE person has initiated! Anja’s idea to action which began on a Blank Piece of Paper.
You can support Anja and her work by being a partner or a mentor.
You will find more information here in German and English, and you can contact Anja and her team through the contact page: https://www.theia-international.org
“It’s not always easy to do what’s right. That’s what makes it so special!”
― Frank Sonnenberg, The Path to a Meaningful Life
On The Front Lines of Entrepreneurship: A Shared Responsibility
As you can see from the two case studies above, women are making a difference in the world of Entrepreneurship. They are the ones on the front lines, working tirelessly to not only turn their ideas into action but to also have a beneficial impact on the lives of others. – A point I argued in the blog: $multi-billion opportunity: The Rise of the Female Entrepreneur.
Our unsung heroines and these are only two of millions of stories, are the ones who take risks, who innovate, and who persevere in the face of adversity. They step out of their comfort zones and think outside of the box. Most importantly, they make things happen by acting.
Such women are an inspiration to us all, which is why I ask you to also share your stories with others.
In today's world, it's easy to get caught up in our own lives and problems and forget about the people around us. But when we help others, we not only make their lives better, but we also make the world a better place.
It's called Paying It Forward, and it's something we can all do. When you see someone in need, help them out. If you can't do it yourself, find someone who can. It doesn't have to be a big gesture; even small acts of kindness can make a difference.
And when someone does something nice for you, don't forget to pay it forward. Helping others is its own reward, but it also creates a ripple effect of positivity that can change the world. We're all in this together, so let's help each other out.
"Paying it forward" is a concept that has gained traction in recent years as a way of giving back to others. The idea is simple: when someone does something nice for you, you "pay it forward" by doing something nice for someone else. This act of kindness creates a ripple effect of good deeds that can have a lasting impact on the world.
There are many ways to pay it forward, big or small. You can buy coffee for the person behind you in line, hold the door open for someone, or even just smile at a stranger. Any act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a difference.
However, you can also practice Paying It Forward through Entrepreneurship and turning your ideas into action. As with Swati and Anja, they didn’t just see a product or follow their career path, they thought of others who would be impacted by their journey and they included them in their vision, and into the bigger picture.
We all start small, one step at a time. But you must start!
And then once you have started your expectations will be exceeded as to exactly how much you can really achieve as an individual or as a team.
Keep the examples of Anja and Swati in your thinking – If they can do it, you can do it!
As privileged people, we have a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play in supporting those who reach out for help, those who we see who need help, and towards those who are there, but remain invisible because we choose not to see them.
‘We’ know who ‘they’ are but they don’t know who we are.
We understand the entire world but they only understand part of it. We decide what is good for our world and for theirs.
We can participate in their world but should not have too much influence. We study 'them' and don't share the results; they don't need the information.
There is only one ‘time’ at a time. We are all in it together. There is only one we. There is no they there. Jody Diamond
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Founder Madi Group www.madisharma.org
Founder Women’s Eco-nomic & Social Think Tank www.westtworld.com
Author Madi No Excuses! www.madinoexcuses.com
Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Freelance Journalist
Listed as 1 of apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy in 2018
@MadiSharma1
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