Idobro.com : An Online Forum for NGOs and Green Producers to Connect With Consumers and Corporates

MUMBAI, India - Empaower, which was presented the “Most Inspiring Social Entrepreneurship Plan” award by eminent academic and strategist CK Prahlad and S Ramadorai of TCS at the Pan-IIT conference in 2008, is ready to roll! Idobro.com, a unique initiative of Empaower was launched at The Orchid, Mumbai on 9th September, 2009 for a marketplace ready for social change.

Karon Shaiva, social entrepreneur par excellence, recently with the Gemological Institute of America - India, has been associated with National Citicorp (US), Apple Computers and Wipro. She quit the corporate world to answer her inner calling and joined the Kherwadi Social Welfare Association (KSWA) as Operations Director. That is when she realized how tough it is for an NGO to raise funds through sustainable enterprises, and noticed the public opinion that products from NGOs are not of the best quality or that eco-friendly products are expensive.

Hence she formed Empaower, a marketing services firm that promotes social and green products and provides a bridge that channels the revenue back to the bottom of the pyramid (BoP); where the real need exists.

“Products from NGOs need to enter the normal business eco-system and not be sidelined. There needs to be professional supply-chain management and these products should be available through malls and retail stores, where people are in the frame of mind to buy. Unless they integrate seamlessly with the existing mainstream spaces, they will not flourish,” says Karon.

Anish Kumar - Finance & Programme Director for Pradhan, one of the oldest and largest NGOs in India working with over 200,000 families from tribal and other marginalised communities across 7 states in India, says, “Empaower and Idobro.com will help our Satpuda mushroom initiative to reach new markets.” Nuzhat, another member of Empaower and a student of ADAPT (formerly Spastics Society of India) learned jewellery making as a livelihood. Her mother, Meena Hanif, added, “We would never had been able to get our own website and product catalogue, if not for this wonderful team.”

Empaower also helps producers and service providers participate in numerous online and offline promotional activities to spread awareness and build interest. “To truly empower someone, It takes Action, the extra ‘A’ in our name,” explained Karon.

Idobro.com is the first e-commerce portal of its kind in India - one that is exclusively for social and green products. Producers are mainly women, senior citizens and green and other micro entrepreneurs. Idobro.com links buyers with suppliers, ensuring the best interests of both are met.

“This will also be a distinctive platform for corporate organisations to reach out to social and eco-conscious consumers, achieve their diversity goals and even reach new markets for suppliers,” signed off Shaiva.

About Empaower & Idobro

Empaower.com is a “for-benefit” enterprise with a triple bottom-line impact (social, environmental and economic). It provides market access to social and green producers through a variety of media and marketing services and was formed in the belief that to truly empower, we need to take Action (the extra ‘A’ in our name) that enables the empowering process.

Idobro.com - The Marketplace for Impact - is a global trading portal and marketing platform for socially and environmentally relevant products. Its goals are to:

- provide a free marketing tool for producers at the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) to receive fair compensation for their products by getting direct access to buyers in domestic and international markets - enable corporates to tap into new markets at the BOP via new channels including rural and cause related marketing. - serve as an interactive platform with appropriate tools and resources to connect BOP producers and mainstream consumers and businesses to build profitable relationships - reduce the information divide that exists between mainstream economy and the fragmented social sector by harnessing the power of technology to create economic and social value for the underprivileged at the BOP - facilitate sustainable livelihood for rural micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing a network of partners (finance, supply chain, fulfillment) that will help support and scale the businesses, thereby arresting migration to urban areas.

Karon Miranda Shaiva - Founder

Karon Miranda Shaiva, a social entrepreneur, set up Empaower and Idobro.com after quitting as the Head of Business Development for the Gemological Institute of America in India. She was also Operations Director at Kherwadi Social Welfare Association, a 79-year-old NGO. She is a certified management professional (CMC) with over 16 years experience in marketing, quality, training and development, business consulting and management in the IT, education, finance and development sectors. Her qualifications include a Masters in Marketing Management, a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Diploma in Training and development and Business Finance. She has received training as a Green Belt in Six Sigma methodologies at KPMG and is a certified Internal Auditor for ISO 9001:2000.

Her previous business experience was as Partner in a computer hardware and software firm. She has been involved with a number of social initiatives and has been a past and present member of various boards and committees (professional and social) in India and the USA. A qualified entrepreneur with a comprehensive skill set and deep social commitment, she believes that it takes Action to truly empower people.

To become a member of Empaower or associate with Idobro.com, logon to www.empaower.com and www.idobro.com or email info@empaower.com

Media Contact: Vinitha Nandkumar: +91-9821233278

Source: Empaower Distributors

Media Contact: Vinitha Nandkumar : +91-9821233278