Handmade to Market

🌿 Elevating Chiapas Coffee in New Markets 🌿

For families in the highlands of Chiapas, coffee is more than a livelihood, it is culture, identity, and daily life. Yet too often, producers receive prices that don’t reflect the true value of their work.

Through our projects, HANDMADE to MARKET supports coffee producers in strengthening quality, understanding specialty standards, and building the skills and connections needed to access better markets.

Recently, this work was shared at World of Coffee in San Diego, where Elena Gómez, Director of our Crear y Crecer project, attended by invitation of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through Café por Venir to represent coffee from Chiapas.

“As an Indigenous woman from this region, my goal was to share the story of the coffee and make visible the work of the producers,” Elena shared.

Her words reflect a larger truth: coffee carries the knowledge and care of every hand it passes through, from producer to cup.

🤝 Handmade to Market México

Introducing Margaret Zinyu of Studio Predilection/Woven Threads, based in Nagaland, India. Margaret is a member of the HANDMADE to MARKET Membership and 2025 Canvas Home Small Grants recipient.

Margaret leads Studio Predilection, a design initiative that encourages the women of Nagaland to preserve their unique weaving traditions while supporting and mentoring their growth.

As the founder, Margaret is focused on growing the market for their products. Having joined the membership at the beginning of 2026, she has quickly become an active and valuable member of our community.

Connect with Margaret and learn more about Studio Predilection's Woven Threads division here: https://www.woventhreads.in/

⏰Time is almost up ⏰

Enrollment for the HANDMADE to MARKET Membership closes soon, and doors won’t reopen for a while.

This is opportunity is more than a course. It’s a space for handmade entrepreneurs who want:
• Clear direction
• Practical tools
• Expert guidance
• A global community

If you’ve been thinking about joining, now is the time.

👉 Register here: https://www.handmadetomarket.org/handmade-to-market-membership-registration?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=april_member_launch_2026

We can tell you all about the membership, but the best way to understand it is through the people inside it.

💬 “Within just a few days, we already felt like we can actually do this.”
💬 “Through the membership, we’ve already had meetings to build relationships — including connecting with other members and industry experts.”
💬 It was inspiring to learn from someone with 30 years of experience and see their journey.”

What stands out isn’t just what members are learning, it’s how they’re growing, connecting, and taking action.

That’s what the HANDMADE to MARKET Membership is designed to support.

👉Join here today! Registration closes at 11:59pm EST on May 1, 2026: https://www.handmadetomarket.org/handmade-to-market-membership-registration?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=april_member_launch_2026

We were deeply saddened to recently learn of the passing of Sophie Sauzeat in July 2025. Sophie had been a gifted designer, valued consultant, and dear friend of Aid to Artisans (now HANDMADE to MARKET) since 2008, working with us on projects around the world.

She brought extraordinary talent, creativity, and compassion to every community she served, leaving a lasting impact on artisans, colleagues, and friends alike. Her legacy lives on through the many lives she touched.

For those who knew Sophie and would like to honor her memory or share condolences with her family, please visit the link below (In French).

She will be deeply missed.

https://www.pfm-les-templiers.fr/avis-de-deces/sophie-sauzeat-maurepas-f1ae2608?utm_source=user&utm_medium=copy-link&utm_campaign=sharing-from-defunct-page&utm_content=6842H-since-publication&smpTab=hommages

📸 Sophie in Djibouti and Benin

You’re working on your business…

…but you’re not sure if you’re focusing on the right things.

🧵Should you improve your product?
🎨 Fix your branding?
📈 Work on marketing?
🚀 Try to sell more?

That confusion is what keeps people stuck.

Inside the HANDMADE to MARKET Membership, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
You get a clear path and real expert guidance so you know exactly what to focus on next.

👉Join here for a limited time: https://www.handmadetomarket.org/handmade-to-market-membership-registration?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=april_member_launch_2026

The HANDMADE to MARKET Membership is officially OPEN!

If you’ve been trying to grow your handmade business but feel stuck on what to do next, this is exactly what we built this for.

You’ll have access to:
✨Monthly expert-led workshops
✨A clear step-by-step path to grow your business
✨40+ hours of trainings + courses
✨A global community of makers, designers and entrepreneurs to support you
✨Practical tools you can actually use

This is your chance to stop guessing and start moving forward with clarity.

👉Registration is open for a limited time. Join now: https://www.handmadetomarket.org/handmade-to-market-membership-registration?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=april_member_launch_2026

We’re just a few days away! Our FREE live workshop, “Global Trends: Insights and Influences,” with Patti Carpenter is happening on Monday at 11:00am EST.

If you’re ready to bring fresh direction and inspiration into your business, this session is for you.

👉 Click the link to save your spot today: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9WNwYW4wRsmpgNdH4UODPg

Remember, this is a LIVE event, and the full replay will not be available after! We can’t wait to see you there.

The Kenya visit, in partnership with Ten Thousand Villages - Handcrafted & Sustainable Goods, highlighted the power of the Artisan Pathways model, combining business training, mentorship, and direct buyer engagement.

For artisan partners, the conversations helped clarify future goals and strengthen confidence in growing their businesses.

As Mike Muchilwa, Chairman of KICK, reflected:
“The discussions helped us reflect on the kind of business we want to build in the future… leaving us confident and ready to compete in a changing world full of opportunities.”

We’re thrilled to introduce Patti Carpenter (https://www.patticarpenter.com/), the expert leading our upcoming workshop titled Global Trends: Insights and Influences. ✨

Patti is a Global Trend Ambassador, designer, and cultural connector with experience across 60+ countries. She brings together design, artisan development, and trend forecasting in a way few others can.

You don’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind experience to learn directly from someone who is a true trend leader!

👉 Click the link below to save your spot today: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9WNwYW4wRsmpgNdH4UODPg

We’re excited to announce that HANDMADE to MARKET is launching Crear y Crecer, a new project expanding economic opportunities for Indigenous communities in Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula. ✨

Across these regions, women artisans and coffee producers face persistent income poverty, limited market access, and systemic gender barriers that limit education, financial inclusion, and growth.

Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Crear y Crecer will support 70 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and 95 savings groups over the next two years—building on the progress of the 908 families we’ve partnered with through Manos Vivas and Manos Vivas 2.0.

Through this work over the next two years, we’re strengthening locally led enterprises, increasing financial sustainability, and helping build long-term economic resilience.

🤝 Handmade to Market México