MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

SOKO

One-line solution summary:

SOKO is a female led, sustainable manufacturing platform which connects independent artisans directly to the global marketplace

Pitch your solution.

SOKO is a manufacturing platform built using mobile technology and supply chain innovation and was founded by women and is led by women. SOKO connects independent artisans directly to its business and the global marketplace.Our business model provides economic opportunity and financial inclusion for marginalized artisans in Kenya who manufacture ethical and sustainable jewelry on our behalf. We work in Kibera, Kenya, the largest slum in Africa and our distributed manufacturing business model contracts with over 2300 independent artisans in the local market. Our artisans earn 5X more than at an average workshop.Over 50% of Kenyans work in the informal sector, therefore, if they don't get work from companies like SOKO, they have no means of earning money to provide for their families. There is no government assistance for marginalized communities.

We are driven by social impact, and as a certified B-Corp, we strategically balance purpose with profit.

What specific problem are you solving?

The artisan industry is the second-largest employer in the developing world. It is also one of the most disenfranchised. Accounting for 60% of the world’s creative goods exports, these offline producers cannot access online consumer demand as they are part of the 70% of the world’s population that live and work on the other side of the digital divide. Those at BoP face challenges such as poor infrastructure, poor management and operational capacity, low capital base, lack of training, and lack of consumer information; resulting in low, short-term, and unpredictable income, with few opportunities for business development and stable income. Most artisans are need-based microentrepreneurs with very small businesses. Many get by on less than $2 per day. Limited by the size of domestic markets, vulnerable to local economic changes, and with little working capital, tons of artisan talent and capacity go to waste. SOKO realized that there were four main barriers that prevent artisans from accessing the international market. These are: trend-forward designs, production quality, access to global market platforms and access to working capital. All of these reasons prevent them from being able to cater to international orders, trends, quality and consistency.

What is your solution?

Our manufacturing platform built using mobile technology and supply chain innovation to connect independent artisans directly to our business and the global marketplace. Our technology suite organizes over 2300 independent, distributed artisans effectively creating an efficient and demand-responsive “virtual factory”. Our ethical and sustainable jewelry brand SOKO is the proof point.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

SOKO's solution impacts Nairobi’s undeserved communities, primarily in Kibera, Dandora and Rongai.

Kibera is the largest urban slum on the African continent where residents live in extreme poverty, earn less than $1.00 per day and where unemployment rates are extremely high.

By working with SOKO, our artisans make an average 5 times more than the average artisan in Nairobi and as a result are able to provide for their families and grow their business. Many are now able to send their children to school and move outside of the slums.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Equip workers with technological and digital literacy as well as the durable skills needed to stay apace with the changing job market

Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population relate to the Challenge and your selected dimension.

Artisans lack formal training and only rely on their technical capabilities to earn a living. The artisans in Kibera are primarily youth who use heritage techniques to produce jewelry for the local market. SOKO provides hands on training on production techniques and use of precision tools to achieve international standards. In this way, they are able to access global markets. In addition, SOKO incorporates technology into the production process, easing the burden of more time consuming tasks such as cutting and shaping, to not only save time but ensure maximization of material use and reducing waste generated in these processes.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Nairobi, Kenya

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth

Who is the primary delegate for your solution?

Joanne Calabrese- CEO

About Your Team

Your Business Model & Funding

Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities