NOVICA Joins Forces with Kiva to Bring More Microcredit Loans to Artisans

NOVICA News Release

A new partnership with Kiva.org, the world's first personal microlending website will enable NOVICA to provide a higher volume of microcredit loans to artisans around the world.

In 2010, NOVICA launched their own microcredit program, allowing customers and the wider Internet community to fund interest-free micro-loans to artisans.

On June 8th, 2012, the first NOVICA loan went live on Kiva, offering Kiva lenders the ability to buy goods produced by the entrepreneurs they support, deepening the lender-borrower connection.

Since June 2012, Kiva has helped fund the loan requests of 121 NOVICA artisans,...

Read Full Article

Celebrating the life of Hainy Nercessian

Last month, NOVICA's global family was deeply saddened by the passing of Hainy Nercessian. Hainy led the regional office in Rio de Janeiro, and was amazing with the local artists. They loved her, and she would always make them laugh, each of them knowing that she cared about them deeply.

Sister to NOVICA founder Armenia Nercessian, Hainy was truly a part of our family, and we will miss her with all our hearts. As one of the first female propeller plane pilots in Brazil, Hainy was an adventurous, headstrong free spirit who was gorgeous, funny and always spoke her mind. To celebrate her inspirational life, we've put together a special...

Read Full Article

GBF Partners with NOVICA to Expand it's Global Reach

NOVICA News Release

The Grassroots Business Fund (GBF), a global impact investing organization, announced today that it has provided NOVICA with investment capital and business advisory services to expand its global network of artisans to new countries. Recently, GBF approved a capital infusion of $1.5 million to strengthen its regional supply chain, which is key to the company’s long term growth plan.

GBF's investment in NOVICA’s international infrastructure will allow their offices to improve the company’s operational efficiency by lowering costs and ensuring speedier and more reliable product delivery, while offering improved product quality...

Read Full Article

NOVICA Launches Private Sales

NOVICA NEWS RELEASE

In February 2012, NOVICA launched their first ever Private Sale, named "The Passport Sale", offering exclusive one-of-a-kind items from a select group of artisans. With a focus on all things Inca related, the first event contained many items that were especially developed for the sale.

"With the Passport Sale, our main focus is to bring customers a more exclusive shopping experience, with items that are truly one-of-a-kind," said NOVICA's Director of Sourcing and Merchandizing, Katherine Kelly. "We've been working closely with artisans to develop brand new collections, and encourage them to pour as much creativity and originality...

Read Full Article

Over $100,000 in Microcredit Raised!

When we started NOVICA, our dream was to connect artisans with customers all around the world. And by doing so, we hoped we could create a better way for artisans to sell their goods to customers worldwide. We had no idea if it would work, but it did!

Last year, when we launched our Artisan Loans, again we had no idea if it could work. Our goal was to give artisans an option for borrowing money because they really didn't have any good options, unless they were willing to pay extremely high interest rates. But in our case, there wouldn't be any interest at all - our lenders would get 0% interest and our artisans would pay 0% interest....

Read Full Article

GBF Issues a Grant for Jewelry and Furniture Development

NOVICA News Release

Thanks to a new grant from the Grassroots Business Fund (GBF), NOVICA will begin sourcing new jewelry artisans in Ghana, West Africa and provide expert advice and development assistance to new and existing furniture artisans around the world.

In West Africa, The new grant will allow NOVICA to send a jewelry specialist to work with local artisans, helping them to develop new designs that will have international appeal, while holding onto their strong regional flavor.

"We've been very keen to kickstart our jewelry offerings from West Africa." says Katherine Kelly, NOVICA's Director of Merchandizing and Sourcing,...

Read Full Article

NOVICA Adds Travel Glamour To New Rewards Program

NOVICA News Release

NOVICA has revamped their rewards program to offer three levels of membership: Voyagers, Explorers and Ambassadors. Every new member receives their own "Passport" page, where they can watch their stamps collect on the pages of their virtual passport.

Passport Stamps are earned in a variety of ways including purchasing multiple items from an artist, purchasing from different regions, helping with Artisan Loans and inviting friends to join myNOVICA. The more stamps you earn, the higher your level of membership rises, and the more savings and benefits you receive.

Roberto Milk, NOVICA's CEO & co-founder gives his...

Read Full Article

Novica CEO Roberto Milk is announced as 2010 Young Global Leader

The World Economic Forum today announced its selection of outstanding young leaders from 72 countries who are to join the Forum's Young Global Leaders in 2010.

The Young Global Leaders 2010 were chosen by a selection committee, chaired by H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and comprised of eminent international media leaders.

There are 197 people on the list overall, representing regional and stakeholder diversity, including musician Wyclef Jean, professional tennis player Roger Federer, fashion designer Stella McCartney, and bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert.

The process seeks to recognize...

Read Full Article

NOVICA Named Hot 100 Website

Internet Retailer Hot 100

As youngsters Charles Hachtmann and his friends, Roberto and Andy Milk, traveled together and marveled at artwork and crafts produced by artisans in remote corners of the world. As adults, they wanted to start a business that would help these artisans reach a wider market.

The Internet made that possible. Almost a decade ago, they founded Novica.com, a retail site that links far-off artisans with lovers of art and crafts in developed nations.

To make the connection come to life, the site introduces the artisans through photographs, videos, biographies and the artisans' own words. Customers can offer reviews and...

Read Full Article

Eat Pray Love

Novica note: The following book pages, featuring Novica Cofounder Armenia Nercessian de Oliviera, are excerpted from the broadly acclaimed bestseller Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

"If a more likable writer than Gilbert is currently in print, I haven't found him or her...Gilbert's prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible, and makes the reader only too glad to join the posse of friends and devotees who have the pleasure of listening in." -Jennifer Egan, The New York Times

Eat Pray Love (pages 264-265)

At this moment, a great-looking woman came walking into the...

Read Full Article

The Face of Global Art

Whole Life Times

Novica's marketplace transforms the lives of global artists and their authenticity-starved western patrons

In the Los Angeles offices of Novica, the online global art marketplace, African masks adorn walls lined with photos of proud artists from every corner of the world. Tiny bamboo shafts are stacked delicately on top of each other to form a few of the employee's cubicles, and the stunning Murano vases illuminating the hallway are from a Brazilian artist whose family emigrated from Italy - the artist now infuses an ancient Venetian glass blowing technique with Latin flair.

Read Full Article

The Kindness of Strangers

Décor & Style Magazine

For years, incredibly talented artists and artisans across the globe have struggled to find larger markets for their handmade products because they live in remote places. They resort to selling their goods to the tourist trade or to international art dealers, who then resell their goods at huge markups. At the same time, as large home furnishing stores expand, the consumer's purchasing options continue to diminish. As a result, interior design, like many other industries, has been compromised.

A unique web site with a humanitarian nature has been created to change all that. Novica.com is out to start a revolution. Its goal is to create...

Read Full Article

Live Like a World Traveler

Natural Health Magazine

A vast world of personal and home decor, steeped in personal history and cultural tradition, is finding its way into American homes. To search out these treasures, you don't need a passport, a water purifier or a fresh supply of Dramamine. Even world-savvy travelers are realizing that thousands of far-flung prizes are just a mouse click away.

In response to an increasing homogenous society, there's a growing desire to seek out creations of individuality and substance. Given the choice, frequent flyers and Web jockeys alike are passing up T-shirts, plastic mugs and other inauthentic "souvenirs" for genuine art and artifacts that are...

Read Full Article

'Fast 50' Winners

Fast Company magazine

Novica Named Among 'Fastest 50' Companies in the World

Thinking Locally, Acting Globally: Roberto Milk, Andy Milk, Armenia Nercessian de Oliveira, and others - co-founders, Novica: The sons of a Peace Corps member, the Milks had a lifelong interest in artisans in developing countries. They teamed up with Armenia Nercessian, a UN human-rights officer, to create Novica.com, an online marketplace that sells the work of more than 10,000 craftspeople.

Moment of truth: "The day we came up with the idea for Novica. Everyone said it couldn't be done: simultaneously establish offices in countries all over the world, pay artists more...

Read Full Article

Abuelita Angelica - she crafted with love

Grandmother of Novica co-founders Roberto and Andy Milk
An inspiration behind the creation of Novica

The gifted Angelica Larnia Estratti was born in Negritos, a tiny port city near Talara in the Northern Peruvian province of Piura on October 23, 1920. With almost 80 years behind her, Angelica has lived a life marked by love, laughter, creativity and hard work...

Read Full Article