About
OVERVIEW
Founder's story
Novica launched in 1999, soon after its founding by Armenia Nercessian de Oliveira (former United Nations Human Rights officer), her son-in-law Roberto Milk, and mission-driven friends and family members around the world. Novica makes it possible for artisans to receive personal recognition for their talents, and real world prices for their work. Customers purchase direct, likewise benefiting financially, while getting to know the individual people who help beautify their existence. In many regions, this positive exchange is also breathing new life into once-fading artistic traditions, helping to preserve our shared world heritage.
Our mission
Novica's mission is simple: to help change the world! We're busy doing that in the best way we can, by helping transform the exchange between creators and customers around the world. Every day at Novica, we are inspired by the limitless possibilities of peace and understanding that develop when people from distant nations and diverse cultures come together to learn about, appreciate, and support one another, sharing stories about their lives, hopes, dreams, and cultures. The founders of Novica launched the company with the dream of significantly helping change lives around the world.
Our philosophy
Artisans earn more, customers pay less.
The types of products we sell
Novica offers extensive collections of handmade jewelry, apparel, home and garden décor, and original and limited edition fine art, all from artisans in developing nations.
Where the producers live and work
Novica now proudly assists more than 2,000 artisan groups in developing nations including Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Ghana. Our customer base continues to swell internationally in step with our growing roster of participating artisans. Thank you for sharing in this exciting experience, and for encouraging the hopes and dreams of so many wonderful people around the world!
Projects we support
In addition to championing thousands of talented individual artisans in developing nations, Novica works closely with numerous artisan support groups and various nonprofits, helps fundraise for UNICEF and other aid organizations during natural disasters, and partners in ongoing fundraising efforts with small and large educational organizations, including the PTA.
How we select what we sell
Novica's seven regional offices (in Asia, Africa, and Latin America) are staffed by local art and culture experts, photographers, writers, and technicians, who work directly with each region's most talented and creative artisans, to help get images of their offerings on the Internet, available for sale, and their stories told.
What makes us unique
Novica makes it possible for artisans to earn both personal recognition and real world prices for their talents. This is also actively helping to preserve traditional cultures by making time-honored crafts a viable financial endeavor for artisans.
More information about us
Novica, part of the National Geographic Family, is an online, fair-trade marketplace based in Los Angeles, with sourcing and direct-shipping offices in seven developing nations. At any given time, Novica features more than 30,000 limited edition and one-of-a-kind handmade works of art, ranging from artisan-crafted jewelry to handmade apparel to world-style home decor. Launched in 1999, Novica has helped change the lives of 50,000 people in developing nations, including artisans and their dependents, uniquely helping each artisan earn personal recognition and real-world prices for their work.
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