Micro-Enterprise
EWI’s micro-enterprise program provides artist and artisan graduates of EWI’s workforce and entrepreneurship training courses with the opportunity to present, exhibit, and sell their work with the organization through EWI’s online store, sponsored events, home parties, community festivals, and partnerships with Whole Foods Market (one of EWI’s retail partners). Participants in the program produce and sell jewelry designs, fashion accessories, home decor, stationary, and fine art.
This program presents our graduates with a way to test and market their products, practice their business, language and communication skills, and generate supplemental income to support their goals and empower their families.
Usually, artists who use their own materials and designs to create products, and only sell them through EWI are paid 50% of the product retail’s price. The other 50% supports our workforce and entrepreneurship training program.
In many instances, EWI provides the know-how, training and materials, and the artists contribute the labor and their own creative thought-process. In this case, the artists are being paid by product or per hour based on terms agreed upon the organization and the artist.
A selected community of non-immigrant artists (supporting artists) sells their works through EWI’s micro-enterprise program as a way to support EWI’s mission, increase its outreach, and build collaboration and cultural exchange between artists and the community.
The micro-enterprise program is self-funded through the sale of products made by our graduates and supporting artists.