Money alone might improve extreme poverty; economic justice requires more. When Upaya looks for companies that create dignified jobs for the poor, we evaluate questions of reliability, safety, and fundamental respect in addition to the economic benefits.
Since 2017, Upaya Social Ventures has been at the forefront of this work to empower early-stage entrepreneurs through its Dignified Jobs Accelerator, equipping them with tools and knowledge to become investment ready for impact investors. The accelerator builds on Upaya’s ongoing work to provide investment and support to entrepreneurs creating dignified jobs for people in extreme poverty.
The Tribal Hermit is a social impact venture that works closely with 130+ Dhokra craft artisans from Kondagaon, Bastar, and Raigarh districts of Chhattisgarh to design, create, and sell their products.
Check out our conversation with the founders Karghewale about their goal to support wage-weavers as they transition to weaver-entrepreneurs, in addition to building agency and ability in artisans.
Bimal Lakra founded Gangpur Ventures in Rourkela, Odisha to create livelihood opportunities for tribal communities by addressing the acute shortage of fodder in the dairy farming industry.
MoneyBin Resources is a dry waste management company addressing the issue of improper waste segregation by employing unskilled women laborers to collect and segregate it into multiple categories and selling it to recycling factories.
In 2018, Varun Raheja founded Raheja Solar Food Processing Pvt. Ltd. in Indore, Madhya Pradesh with the aim of helping Indian farmers increase the shelf life of their produce, thereby allowing them to derive greater value from it. Raheja Solar provides farmers with an affordable and foldable solar dryer that can be installed even in the remotest of farms. The dryers dehydrate produce in a way that preserves its color, taste, fragrance, and nutrients.
Farmology is an app-based platform which assists farmers by providing integrated crop advisory in real time. They manufacture agri inputs and also partner with other agri input companies to provide farmers with access to seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides — all of which is available on the Farmology app.
Upaya announced the nine early-stage Indian companies selected to participate in the Dignified Jobs Accelerator 2023. The six-month program will unite industry experts, business leaders, and investors to equip the cohort participants with the knowledge and tools to access investment and grow their ventures.
Upaya Social Ventures today announced its exit from its longstanding equity position in Tamul Plates, an Assam-based social enterprise that produces and markets high-quality, all-natural disposable plates and bowls made from arecanut (palm) tree leaves, all while creating jobs throughout a sustainable value chain.
Upaya Social Ventures is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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