We are committed
to the future of craft.

*POD: a team of artisan, business developer and a creative coming together to create a collection. We support each POD with the financial resources for a first collection, a digital product development tool, global marketing and sales expertise and access to the co/rizom distribution network.

We invest in traditional crafts to empower the communities who make them.

Nermina Aliç, coppersmith from Bosnia Herzegovina

Every day, outstanding artisans
make products steeped in tradition
intended to last lifetimes.
But their creators struggle to survive.

Most artisans live in poor rural communities, with no access to finance, business or marketing expertise. They are unable to turn their skills into livelihoods.

Consumer demand for fair and authentic goods is growing. With that demand comes opportunity. That’s why we empower artisans to show the world what they are made of.

We connect artisans with creatives and business professionals to develop collections for a global audience. We call these teams PODs. PODs follow the co/rizom roadmap to produce unique products. We present them to the world.

We create teams of equals

Every POD member has an equal share of responsibility and ownership of the success. We empower each POD with the financial resources to develop a first collection.

The co/rizom roadmap

PODs follow the co/rizom roadmap,
a unique seven-step product development process that gets artisans ready for the global market in 30 weeks.

We bring visibility

We use public relations, curated shows and exhibitions to boost global visibility and international sales. Our worldwide network of galleries, fairs, retailers and publications propel PODs and their collections to a global audience.

Three worlds colliding. Three people with their own skills and experience. One thing in common. The passion to create a fairer world. This is why we founded co/rizom.

co/rizom started in 2018 as a spin-off from an ERSTE Foundation social development program, developing into the incubator for craft – an international programme targeting artisans, designers and business professionals coming together to create collections.

We engaged

60 artisans
from 23 communities
across 13 countries,

including 23 different craft types

and developed over 250 products

into successful collections. We currently work with artisans in Albania, Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Nigeria, Nepal, Portugal, Slovenia and Romania.

Story

Romanian coppersmith Victor Clopotar launches his brand VCR at Homo Faber in Venice, the major exhibition dedicated to the very best in European craftsmanship.

We have pioneering collaborations with non-profit organizations, foundations, design shows, curators, online retailers, and publications around the world.

ERSTE Foundation
Powered by People
Vienna Design Week
Vienna Business Agency
Romanian Design Week
Romanian Cultural Institute
Passa ao Futuro

Artisans
Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro & Mitimeth, Ana Florea & the Zestrea team, Angelică Papaleț, Arnaud and Alexis Brügger, Bakalowits, Carl Auböck V., Eva & Victor Clopotar, Georgeta Mitroiu, Human Ark, Manuel Ferreira, Martin Petermann, MENA FUECO, Nepal Knotcraft Centre, Nebije Qotai, Martin & Wolfgang Hufnagl, Nermina Alic, Terézia Eperjesi & the AMC team, Vasilica Isăcescu, Zaza Gatenashvili

Creatives
Aldo Bakker, Anna Zimmerman, Bram Vanderbeke, Chiara van Praag, Georg Foster, Katharina Mischer & Thomas Traxler, Luca Gruber, MACHEIA (Lucrezia Papillo, Iany Gayo), Maddalena Casadei, Mareike Lienau, Marta Giardini, Nicu Drăgan, Paddy Pike, Radu Abraham, Sara Bologna, Sebastian Pren, Wendy Andreu, Wiener Times

Business Development
Allegra Zanirato, Diapason Consortium, Gabor Nagy, Gilles Massé, Konstantin Schmoelzer, Leana Fischer, Marie Ange Holmgren Sylvain, Marina Weitgasser, Poonam Golani, Rheija Hug, Room 21, Sandro Reginelli, Victor Dulgheru, Wilfried Amanshauser

Photography
Alex Levac, Mark Pock, Matei Pleșa, Nafez Rerhuf, Nick St. Oeger, Pauline Thurn und Taxis

Storytelling
Alexei Korolyov, Ana Berlin, Anne-France Berthelon, Francois Nunez, Giovanna Dunmall, Jasmin Jouhar, Karin Pollack, Kimberley Bradley, Marta Galli, Nissrin Zaptia, Susanna Koeberle

Curators & Advisors
Alice Stori Liechtenstein, Gabriel Roland, Gilles Masse, Francois Leblanc

We are committed to the future of craft.

We invest in traditional crafts to empower the communities who make them.

Story

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We are committed
to the future of craft.