The Founders

After seeing the talent and abundance of artisan crafts in Nicaragua, and understanding that it is not only an art but very much a livelihood, Alessandra Plasa and Vanesa Natale started a fair trade and environmentally friendly business.  Alessandra now runs the business with a focus on sustainable wood jewelry among other accessories and works directly with artisans and women owned co-ops in Nicaragua.

Bio

Alessandra graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in interior design from Pratt Institute in June 2004.  Alessandra Plasa was employed at various architectural firms where she was given the opportunity to work on several diverse projects, from designing exhibition spaces to building scale models of a retail experience and amusement park.

In 2005 & 2006 She traveled through Latin America, and discovered Nicaragua; a country bursting with potential and talent, yet totally unrecognized throughout the world.  She volunteered for eight months at an NGO in Managua, assisting in the redesign and building of two clinics and schools. She also wrote syllabi and taught a class on AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for architects at the University of Engineering in Managua.  Alessandra currently volunteers with the NYC Fair Trade Coalition and is involved in other fair trade businesses and projects soon to be revealed…