Ornella Paz
Rising Star
Peru and Ecuador
Quranteby
In 2015 I started promoting sustainable fashion (SF) in Peru from my first venture, an NGO. SF was a very new proposal in my country and few people understood it. I had to work with my team on research, education, and awareness of fashion production and consumption habits, both in companies and in ordinary citizens. Since then I have brought the best of sustainable Peruvian fashion made by Peruvian artisans and entrepreneurs who, based on responsible production practices, use natural inputs, ancestral and circular techniques, and capture the stories and culture of their communities in each garment and accessory. During the pandemic I experienced the limitations that this modality presents, so I understood the relevance of technology to continue connecting the stories and products of Peruvian women entrepreneurs to more people, but also, the importance of technology to scale our businesses and purposes. For this reason, in 2018 I founded Quranteby (formerly BEE VERSA), a platform that democratizes the access of Peruvian artisans and entrepreneurs to new markets through collective, inclusive marketing and technology. The learning process of building an e-commerce is constant. I am not a technology specialist, but my Communicator background and having previously interacted with other digital platforms, in addition to my drive as an entrepreneur, have made me a self-taught person. Currently, our MVP is an e-commerce on Shopify and it will shortly be our first year, The plan for the second year is to obtain funds to develop version 2 of its own e-commerce and with Artificial Intelligence applications that help with marketing. Likewise, we seek to start exporting together with our ally DHL.
About the industry and my career
Technology has infinite value. It will allow us to continue generating a positive impact on Peruvian women entrepreneurs, their families, and communities.
At Quranteby we identify that one of the greatest challenges for artisans and entrepreneurs with businesses at an early age is that they do not have access to and have never learned to use technology to boost their businesses, so they are losing great opportunities to connect and sell their products to citizens all around the world.
For this to change, Quranteby seeks to boost its business in exchange for an inclusive payment model and to achieve this, technology is everything. It is our main tool to connect with more people, sell the products of our commercial partners, reach other countries without moving, offer wide options of payment methods, and above all, fulfill our promise of value to our beneficiaries, which is to connect them with new and more consumers.
At Quranteby we identify that one of the greatest challenges for artisans and entrepreneurs with businesses at an early age is that they do not have access to and have never learned to use technology to boost their businesses, so they are losing great opportunities to connect and sell their products to citizens all around the world.
For this to change, Quranteby seeks to boost its business in exchange for an inclusive payment model and to achieve this, technology is everything. It is our main tool to connect with more people, sell the products of our commercial partners, reach other countries without moving, offer wide options of payment methods, and above all, fulfill our promise of value to our beneficiaries, which is to connect them with new and more consumers.
About a Women that Build values
I believe that a Woman that Builds should be how she really wants to be. That is, that she always feels free to dream, think, work, and choose the best for herself and the people she impacts. A Woman that builds sometimes doubts her choices but after analysis and reflection, and considering her intuition, she knows what to choose and when. She is also very empathetic, aware that her actions have an impact on others and the planet. She is passionate about her projects and endeavors, she is courageous, responsible, and honest, but she has a small weakness, she sometimes doubts her ability until her own achievements prove otherwise. Regarding hard skills, she has a high level of effective communication with work teams and different profiles of people to work with in adverse situations or not, excellent non-verbal communication skills, knows how to negotiate, knows about communication strategies, social media and email marketing, and manages projects that generate a positive impact on the world, using technology to do so.
About my future
I will focus on my personal and professional purpose to continue promoting projects that contribute to the development and growth of more people. I dream together with women entrepreneurs helping each other grow, making Peruvian sustainable fashion known to the world, our culture, their stories, and their successes. For a few years now, I provided free mentoring, taking time with university students who are doing their thesis, entrepreneurs, and artisans, to whom I share a little of my experience, knowledge, and the importance of technology so that they can evaluate applying it in their businesses. Information, small circle spaces, and success stories are a great formula to motivate more women.