These Two Malaysian Women Created A Digital Mall To Help Local Artisans & Small Businesses

Jade Lee and Rosalie Lin coined the term 'Handmade is Heartmade' as they worked to transform the lives of local artisans and small businesses, the majority of whom are women, by providing them an online shopping platform. 

Recently retired from AmBank as Managing Director, Retail Banking, Jade Lee started a blog to share business success stories and tips. Through her pet project, she discovered talented local artisans who were struggling to market their crafts, especially during the early stages of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Rosalie Lin is the CEO of DCR Marketing and runs various e-commerce platforms. Together, the women founded The Artisans Haven, working pro bono to provide a digital mall for local artisans to showcase, market, and sell their craft. 

Starting with only 30 online tenants in 2020, the site is now home to more than 120 artisans, of which 70% are women. In addition to having an online space to sell their goods, these artisans are also supported in the areas of digital marketing and business consulting.

Besides supporting local artisans, The Artisans Haven also promotes #ShopforGood where a portion of sales from the digital mall is channeled to support five selected NGOs namely Beautiful Gate, Community Excel Services (CES), Autistic training, Deaf community, and Penan Healing Hands.

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