Klockar Maria Johansson: The face behind Re:wake Design

In 2010, Klockar Maria Johansson quit her job in Sweden to follow her dream of volunteering in Africa. In 2012, she founded re:wake design and is linking upcoming female designers in Kenya with the Swedish market and providing them with entrepreneurship training.

What inspired you to start re:wake design?

I had a successful career in Stockholm where I worked with Human Resources in an investment bank. I started to ask myself what true difference I actually made in my job. I knew deep inside that I could have a larger impact in society and I resigned. I decided to follow my dream of working as a volunteer in Africa. Destiny brought me to Kenya where I trained youth in the slum in entrepreneurship. I noticed that very few women applied to the entrepreneurship programme and at the same time they were the ones working very hard to bring in money to ensure that the children went to school. I also noticed that many women were very talented in jewellery design and created unique pieces from recycled material. But they were facing many challenges and one was access to market. That's when the idea for my social business re:wake design was born. By giving female jewellery designers access to the international market and coaching them in their business, we aim to empower women through entrepreneurship that contributes to a sustainable community.

 

Why did you choose Kenya?

The organisation facilitating my volunteer work matched me with a job in Kenya. I was open to other countries but I believe destiny brought me to Nairobi.

Where do you sell your products?

Online through our website www.rewakedesign.com, at pop up shops and at fairs in Sweden. The designers also sell their jewellery locally in Nairobi.

How do you decide what you want to create?

I usually let the ladies I work with come up with the pieces. I only give input to ensure the jewellery fits the Scandinavian market.

Beyond applying basic techniques, how do you evoke an emotional response to their jewellery?

The emotional response from our customers is created from the story of your business, the designer and the material. Our customers are not looking for pieces that are created in multiple copies. They want something unique, something that carries a story and something that is made in an ethical way so that it's aligned with their values. They feel proud and unique wearing our jewellery.

What advice can you give others about developing their entrepreneurial skills?

Learn by doing. Dare to try new ideas, reflect on the result and learn from your successes and mistakes. Too often we are afraid to give crazy ideas a chance. Also gather learnings from other entrepreneurs by listening to seminars, podcasts, TedTalks or join networks. There are plenty of great entrepreneurship programmes and events. A good network is key.

How can people support and learn more about you or your organisation?

Visit our website www.rewakedesign.com and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We will soon start fundraising for our new workshop and we welcome you to help us spread our campaign.

What are your plans for the future?

Our plan is to influence Scandinavian jewelry fashion so that people are more conscious of what type of jewellery they are buying. We should be the first choice for ethical jewellery. We also aim to grow our presence among jewelry designers in Kenya and increase the impact by being able to offer high quality entrepreneurship coaching with focus on sustainability.

FACEBOOK: Re:wake Design

INSTAGRAM: @rewakedesign

PHOTOGRAPHER: Phocus Photography and Michel Kolijn.