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Valentina Pinzón
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Bogota, Colombia - Vancouver
Art by Emily Honderich
Valentina Pinzón story
Valentina Pinzón is from Bogota, Colombia, and has been in Canada for the past 11 years. She is passionate about culture, art, fashion, and Indigenous Affairs. Valentina considers herself a dreamer and believes that a company can do good and be profitable. She hopes for her social enterprise IndiArts Collective to become sustainable to continue to support indigenous artisans in South America.
We Are In This Together
I came to Canada 11 years ago. In 2017 I started a business called IndiArts Collective to provide a platform for South American artisans to share their amazing handmade creations and culture with the global market. This venture makes me happy as I give back and stay connected to my roots.
We generate most of our business at events and stores, so when the pandemic began, I realized that I had no choice but to adapt by focusing on my online store and presence.
I feel very fortunate to live in British Columbia with the way the government has managed this pandemic. But even though I'm glad to be here, I cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in Colombia. Besides my family still living there, the artisans I work with are suffering.
In contrast to Canada, Colombia has had the longest mandatory quarantine in the world with minimal governmental help, which increased violence and crime.
I had to help. So IndiArts Collective created a GoFundMe campaign, donated 20% of sales to our artisans, and prepaid all the year's orders so they can access funds now that they need them the most.
Seeing the positive impact of these actions has reiterated the importance of what we do and motivates me to continue.
"I had to help. So IndiArts Collective created a GoFundMe campaign, donated 20% of sales to our artisans, and prepaid all the year’s orders so they can access funds now that they need them the most."