ENTREPRENEURS: Alia Mahmoud & Lamia Hatira

& Hassine Lebaied , Managing Director of Nsija

Alia is the co-founder and CEO of Fouta Harissa, she is also the Director of Leadership Development at Radical Partners, a social impact accelerator dedicated to mobilizing leaders and locals to solve South Florida’s most pressing issues. Passionate about the intersection of business and social good, she came to Miami by way of Tunisia where she served as the Regional Citizenship Manager for Microsoft in the Middle East and North African region. She is also the co-founder of Aminta Ventures, a coalition of women working to cultivate the next generation of female angel investors and “Le15,” a seed fund and accelerator program for innovative startups in Tunisia. She is a graduate of New York University with a Master of Science in International Business and Economic Development.

Lamia is the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Fouta Harissa, she comes from a sustainability and communications background. She previously worked as consultant to private and development sectors on multiple projects related to research, supply chain systems and corporate social responsibility, and excels at consultative processes and strategic business development. She earned a master’s degree in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainable Development from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Seattle University.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: 

With a commitment to sustainability and impassioned design, Fouta Harissa creates beautifully functional Tunisian handwoven textiles for the beach and the home. We dream and design from our studios in São Paulo, Brazil to bring to the world a modern take on traditional Foutas that also supports fair labor practices and contributes to artisanal job creation and economic development in Tunisia.

BUSINESS MODEL: 

Manufacture: Design products in Brazil Work closely with partner in Tunisia to produce our collections to export

Business to business: Sell to carefully selected high-end stores in designated markets via direct sale or consignment

Business to consumer: E-Commerce US/Global E-Commerce Brazil Select fairs & events Pop-up.

SOCIAL IMPACT MODEL:

Fouta Harissa and Nsija work together to create and produce the highest quality traditional handwoven textiles, and positively impact Tunisia through job creation opportunities and preservation of artisanal weaving skills, all while exposing the world to the country’s crafts.