Leather Heart

Our current economic system see people and Earth as commodities. We believe that we can do better using business as a force of good.

Main problem:

1) Redefine the classic economy, supporting the SDGs that help the main difficulties of every country. 

We became the first certied B-corp in Venezuela in our desire to measure the success by the well-being of individuals, societies and nature.

a) SDGs12: we use textile waste to make beautiful stuffed animals by hand, we encourage the circular economy.

b) SDGs8: we offer quality jobs to women in vulnerable situations, we allow them to grow personally and professionally.

c) SDGs4: we create products with purpose, by buying each stuffed animal we feed children in vulnerable situations.

The consumption patterns are heading to products and services with purpose, this allow organizations to build a healthier economy that allow us to have a better future. 

Traditional companies helped people to get out of poverty, in 1820 94% of population was living in it and in 2015 less than 10% was living in poverty.But is our current economy healthy?

The top 1% rich people control the same share income of the 50% of the world. That disturbing wealth inequality and shortcomings extend beyond people and affect our environment as well, you see in Venezuela and many other countries rivers that were slowed to a crawl with black sludge, the air pollution so thick that you can’t see, you see children on the streets eating from garbage.

Our current economic system see people and Earth as commodities that we can simply consume and then discard just to maximize profit. 

Main problem:

1) Redefine the classic economy, supporting the SDGs that help the main diculties of every country. 

In Venezuela:

a) SDGs12: more than 3000 tons of textile waste are produced daily, and less than 1% is recycled. 

b) SDGs8: 80% of the population is earning less than 10$ per month, that ́s not even 1 dollar a day to live on.

c) SDGs4: The average venezuelan has lost more than 24 pounds in the last year. 

1) Underserved children: Children between 2 and 14 years of age who are in vulnerable areas of Venezuela (mainly Caracas), and who hardly have access to a new toy and nutrition. Within the project it is fundamental to promote the integral childhood, where the child can learn by playing and approaching a change of attitude in front of familiar actions such as throwing away the things that "it doesn ́t work anymore".

At an early age, children often develop a strong emotional bond with what Leather Heart recognizes as a new adventure companion, helping them cope with complex situations and stimulating their imagination.

2) Vulnerable women: we offer quality jobs to women in vulnerable situations, we allow them to grow personally and professionally. Our group of seamstresses is very heterogeneous in age, socioeconomic conditions, with disabilities, gender, we allow everyone to learn and improve.  

Some of them:

- Couldn't find a job, haven't gone to a movie theater in more than 20 years, never eat outside, haven't go out of the town in years, etc.

Now:

- Some are breadwinners, feel empower, have access to credits, spend more time with their families, buy their own sewing machine, etc.  

We became the first certied B-corp in Venezuela in our desire to redefine the meaning of success in economy, being measured by the well-being of individuals, societies and nature.

a) SDGs12, Responsible consumption and production: we use textile waste to make beautiful stuffed animals by hand, and teach the world to see things that already exist with new eyes, they come with a coloring book that tells the story of the characters and has a recycled carboard cover. The industry needs alternative ways to place such waste, and Leather Heart is a project that encourages the circular economy and promotes the use of resources to the fullest.

b) SDGs8, Decent work and economic growth: we offer quality jobs to women in vulnerable situations, we allow them to grow personally and professionally. Our group of seamstresses is very heterogeneous in age, socioeconomic conditions, with disabilities, gender, we allow everyone to learn and improve.

c) SDGs4, Zero hunger: we create products with purpose, by buying each stuffed animal we feed children in vulnerable situations and we gave away playmates (donated stuffed animals). We donate plates of food and stuffed animals through NGOs that share our values and work ethically. 

Two things are innovative about our solution:

1) The triple impact philosophy:

We want to build a economy that works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose. 

This is a new movement foster by B-lab, in which we can help governments and stakeholders make the SDGs a reality.

The basis that cannot be change is the way our products are made by people from underserved communities and with social barriers. But from that point, the project could be adapted to help in any SDG that it is needed. For example, with the sales of Carey the turtle (New Product), a percentage of it profit is going to help endangered turtle species. Also, we are developing textile plants, and for every number of them sold we will plant a tree.

The development of a new line of Leather Hearts that allows us to connect with different projects whose interest is to reduce the ecological footprint but are not yet sustainable, or organizations such as embassies or private companies that they can make corporate purchases linked to collaborate with the fulfillment of the SDGs. 

2) Our products are one of a kind and handmade. Also, we can transform special clothes into unique and new valuable objects, I have an stuffed animal made out by my grandfather's pants, or like some special editions that we have made, we took clothes from celebrities and give them a new purpose.

In Venezuela we are far behind in new techs, our process are mainly manual, we are incorporated things such as the shredding of clothing in a country were it is recycled less than 1% of the textile waste produced.

We want to incorporate different technologies such as:

Our products are made of by 100% textile waste, because we use an industrial shredder machine for the stuffed and recycle clothes for the outside, but we want to do more than upcycling. We want to use new biodegradable fibers and ethically produced textiles, which means the use of new process. We also use recycle paper and cardboard, but at a low scale.

Also, we want to use augmented reality in our coloring book, so kids get more interested in our donation activities, and also want to learn more about new techs and recyclable topics.

We are also developing products with indigenous communities such as Waraos in Monagas state and Piaroas in Bolivar state.

In 2018 we delivered:

1)Quantitative: 

- 13,018 plates of food  

- 504 stuffed animals donated 

- 30 women generating a fair income 

- 1/2 ton of textile waste recycled 

- 100kg of carboard recycled

Qualitative (study carried out by InmersoConsultores):

Profile of the participants (Work history, Project experience) Perception and motivations (Knowledge, relationship and image of Leather Heart) Lifestyle and work (Changes related to their participation in the project, benefits of the project).

In the lifestyle of the participants of the study positive and important changes were found from the inclusion of the project, they range from improvements in the socioeconomic aspects to the emotional conditions that include: having greater concentration, use of the activity to distract and forget for the moment the problems of day to day, forging new interpersonal relationships and friendships, greater satisfaction, having a job in the comfort of home, as well as contributing to the family economy and having economic independence, develop more responsibility and learning a new trade.

The expectations with Leather Heart is to continue working and growing with them, to show the stuffed animals all over the world, to continue growing as a social project,"if they grow, we grow with them". 

We are in the proccess to make qualitative studies about the impact of nutrition and happiness of the children that we benefit. So far, we just have the quantitative elements pointed out before.

1)Underserved children: Children between 2 and 14 years of age who are in vulnerable areas of Venezuela (mainly Caracas), and who hardly have access to a new toy and nutrition. Within the project it is fundamental to promote the integral childhood, where the child can learn by playing and approaching a change of attitude in front of familiar actions such as throwing away the things that "it doesn ́t work anymore". 

At an early age, children often develop a strong emotional bond with what Leather Heart recognizes as a new adventure companion, helping them cope with complex situations and stimulating their imagination.

- 13,018 plates of food  / +20k plates expected this year

- 504 stuffed animals donated / +1000 stuffed animals expected this year

2)Undeserved women: we don't have the amount of people indirectly benefited, such as their families and community.

- 30 women generating a fair income / 50 women expected this year

3)Environment:

- 1/2 ton of textile waste recycled / +1ton expected this year

- 100kg of carboard recycled / + 300kg expected this year

We are growing our brand, strenghtening it, and generating people trust. In a middle term we will be ready to:

2019-2020: Develop new designs and products. To be a reference in Venezuela for triple impact projects (economic, social and environmental). Strenghten the B-corps network. Team growth, new hires. Sale of 5000 stuffed animals, which involves a donation of 1000 stuffed animals to children in underserved communities. To hire more seamstresses, and maybe some tailors who also want to learn, we are inclusive.

2020-2021: Advance toward new textile recycling designs. Testing of new markets in the region. Renew funding. To buy machines (as the fabric shredder) to be more efficient in the manufacturing processes.

2021-2025: Growth of the project as a brand with a physical store with different products with purpose. To incorporate new textile processing machines, we would love to shredder the different types of textiles and build new kind of products with purpose.

P.S: We just launched an special edition of stuffed animals made with the original soccer shirts of 3 national team players, Peñaranda, Santos and Rincón. The campaign was a completely success, we are planning to make something similar but with foreign players by the end of this year. We started with soccer and sports, but imagine what can we do with big brands as Nike, Adidas, etc, the clothing industry is the second biggest polluter in the world.

Venezuela has always stood out for its beautiful beaches, perfect weather, hardworking people and gorgeous women. But this year Venezuela, the country with the largest proven oil reserves in the world, is basically a failed state where young people finds almost impossible to build a decent future.

With a socialist structure, based on a higly centralized government and economy, since 2005 we have seen expropiations, and a war against private sector. Due to this reasons, Venezuela has problems and shortages in almost any sector, and the quality of live has been diminished. The opening of a humanitarian channel is imperative to help alleviate this situation while taking the appropriate measures that end permanently with crisis. 

It is imperative to have access a foreing opportunities to shelter our project with a holding outside, we are registering our company in the USA, but the more important thing is to nurture our desire to have a more inclusive economy with minds like Davis Smith, founder of Cotopaxi, a B-corp where I worked for a month thanks to the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Fellowship of the US Department.

It is necessary to access to worldwide opportunities in different areas, to achieve our big goals.

My partners in Leather Heart are fully committed to keep strengthening our skills, participate in different programs as fellowships, etc, and travel to know the top of the line technologies that are been developing currently.

Mariangel and I went to this fellowship of the US Department of State (YLAI), and we are planning to assist to Encuentro+B Global in Mendoza where B-corps are meeting.

Being the first certified B-corp is opening us to a new network of opportunities, and also the US Embassy is supporting us.

We are a multidisciplinary team that won´t stop until we see a economy where you can measure the success by the well being of people and society.

Full-time staff: 8

Part-time staff: 30

Thirds: 5

Leather heart has working more than 30 people who fulll the mission and vision. Three of them are the partners in charge of the addresses: 

Mariangel Molina is the Co-Founder and COO of Leather heart, she has had experience in logistics and sales in multinational companies. She has a degree in International Studies from the Central University of Venezuela and a Master in Business Management from the UCV. She is a YLAI 2017 fellow and graduated from the EMPRENDE program at IESA.

Andrés Solorzano is Co-Founder and CFO of Leather heart, Graduate in International Studies, graduated from the 5th cohort of LIDERA, first cohort of the VLO program (Venezuela, Leadership and Oil). He is a fellow YLAI 2018. Andrés has more than 5 years of experience in entrepreneurship issues. Launched an app with Professor Herman Rosas from IESA for hotel management, and CLOSETTINE e-commerce for the purchase and sale of second-hand clothes. 

María Emilia Salgado is Director of Strategic Planning at Leather heart, has a degree in Industrial Relations from the Andrés Bello Catholic University and a Specialist in Planning. She has over 8 years of experience in human capital management, specializing in the areas of selection, talent development and organizational climate. 

- Food: Alimenta La Solidaridad is the largest children's dining network in Venezuela, they mobilize communities in poverty to jointly face the threat of child malnutrition. In this way, mothers do volunteer work, develop leadership in communities and prepare food.

- In the game: Fundación LEPO and Doctor Yaso are organizations of humanitarian clowns, who understand the importance of integral childhood and how a child can learn through play.

- Institutional relationship: IESA School of Management, where Aramis Rodríguez and Edwin Ojeda were my thesis tutors and are recognized professors in entrepreneurship issues in Venezuela.

- The Embassy of the United States closely follows the evolution of our project. For December of this year, they gave Leather Hearts to their employees as corporate gifts.

- IDEAS Foundation, where we won in this year's contest two mentions for Ford's eco product and Chevron women's empowerment. 

Our business model is sustainable in both ways, imbricates a business model that seeks profit, but benefiting communities and the environment, is what is defined as win-win.

Buy with purpose: 

 1) What do you want to give to the world today?

Love $30 

Get 1 Leather Heart + coloring book Give 10 meals

Every stuffed animal cost the same, except for Venezuela that we have an special price because our economic crisis. If you give us an special fabric or clothes to personalize your stuffed animal, the price is the same in both cases.

B2C: We sell the same to enterprises, sometimes we give an special price for a big purchase. Also, last year we designed a toucan for Education USA, because they ask us for 2000 units.

We generate income directly through sales of our products, with an enough margin profit to keep investing in innovation. 

We finish our first year with a positive cashflow, our business model is given through the offer of the 3 main stffued animals of the project (Pepe the elephant, Ela the mare and Pancho the bear). 

The B2C audience: Our models attract the attention of adults (men and women from 25 to 60 years old) inside and outside of Venezuela, who want to be part of the impact that is being generated through the purchase of a product with a purpose and that who appreciate a design object that was handmade by meeting high quality standards.

The B2B public: There is also the business segment in which various organizations seek to fulll their responsibility but do not have the time or expertise to do so. Additionally, those companies that generate textile waste and want to do something with them so that their business model contributes to upcycling.

Our first year we sold more than 3000 units of stuffed animals and we were profitable, this year we expect to sell more and generate a bigger impact. 

I am looking forward to share ideas and action plans with other entrepreneurs and experts whose have common objectives to boost the economy of their countries, thus creating valuable alliances from which new investments could come out, and proposals for specific plans to collaborate effectively in the area that concerns us in our countries and the planet.

Through this global program, we can ensure at scaling the impact of successful entrepreneurial solutions that we have, tackling one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Also, we could enable, shape and implement our scaling strategy, working with experienced consultants, sector experts and key partners as is expressed in the web page.

I want to nurture my insights into the SDGs in collaboration with others, and pivoting, modifying, and changing any ideas/solutions that I may contribute. I am committed to trying to find a way to continue contributing my talents towards the SDGs. 

Our purpose: to generate a change of consciousness through innovation and sustainability.

I would love to join MIT-backed network, and receive personalized support with intentional introductions to members of Solve’s cross-sector community. Through these connections, I will build the partnerships needed to accelerate our work, validate the impact and business model, and scale our solution. 

If you want to do something fast do it by yourself, but if you want to generate a deep impact that transcend do it accompanied.

In America there are a few ventures working with textile waste, we wish to work with them because we believe in co- creation. Currently, the technologies to recycle textile are too expensive to work one venture by itself. In Chile, we want to collaborate with ventures like TriCiclos that believes waste is a design error, Karun sunglasses that transform fishing nets into glasses.

Another important characteristic to have in common would be fair trade and b-corps organizations, such as Cotopaxi in Utah, Patagonia, etc.

Or maybe just big clothing brands as Adidas or Nike would be ok, because we can offer them a way to add value using their textile waste.

The apparel industry is the second largest polluter in the world—accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions—the only industry producing more pollution is that of oil. Although the region is far behind in recycling efforts, some countries are moving towards improving structures to achieve a less polluted planet. The appearel and textile industry needs alternative ways to place such waste, and Leather heart is a project that encourages the circular economy and promotes the use of resources to the fullest. We believe that textile waste is a design flaw. 

The price will allows us to invest in an industrial shredder machine that let us to keep using our own textiles, a better machine to produce our own recycled paper, and to invest in researching new ways to make textiles from agro-fibers.

Far than the money, is the possibility to make alliances with organizations that aims the same goals and also came back to Venezuela and show other people that there is a new world of sustainability and innovation. 

I have seen and experienced the face of hunger, misery, lack of love, of opportunities and many other dark sides of civilization. I have learned what is the gap between dierent social classes, and how they reject and fear among them.

I have work with underserved women like Leather Heart seamstresses, that sometimes are single mothers who earn less than 10$ per month or sometimes nothing, women that have experienced the dead of a relative because of medical malpractice, lack of medicine, lack of resources, violence of armed groups in their sector and a sort of things that I saw in movies in far countries with wars. 

Or maybe I could speak for Enma, one of our beloved seamstresses that is a single mom that takes care of his special daughter by herself, and learn how to saw so good and quick that becomes one of the Seamstresses Coordinator of Guarenas Node.

These are awesome people that really want to make the most of their lives and seize any chance to add value to their lifes and beloved ones. I want to offer them the chance to be empower, to have a better an decent life with more oportunities. 

With the prize we can design our current girls a plan which they can have access to a healtcare, education, more credits and a better life quality. And also be able to increase that amount of benefit seamstresses.