Artisans

David is a Mayan descendant, and his native tongue is Quiché, a distinctive language of the Maya.

David is originally from a town known for its large handcraft market and comes from a family of merchants. His parents and grandparents used to sell crafts at the market. At 17, David started working with his family to make bedspreads, jackets and other items using traditional Guatemalan textiles.

Traditionally David worked with leather and textiles separately. Then one year, on a trip to a handcraft fair in Spain, he noticed that other countries were combining mediums, mixing leather and textiles. Inspired, David started his own business and began to do the same.

Currently David employs 12 people who work at his leather workshop. He also works with more than 35 independent weavers and embroiderers. Speaking Quiché has been key in running his business, he says, because some of the artists with whom he works are older, indigenous women that don’t speak (or hardly speak) Spanish.

David finds great satisfaction in seeing his products across all different parts of the world. He pays attention to every little detail of his products, and his motto is “never say no to a client without trying first.”

David is a Mayan descendant, and his native tongue is Quiché, a distinctive language of the Maya.

David is originally from a town known for its large handcraft market and comes from a family of merchants. His parents and grandparents used to sell crafts at the market. At 17, David started working with his family to make bedspreads, jackets and other items using traditional Guatemalan textiles.

Traditionally David worked with leather and textiles separately. Then one year, on a trip to a handcraft fair in Spain, he noticed that other countries were combining mediums, mixing leather and textiles. Inspired, David started his own business and began to do the same.

Currently David employs 12 people who work at his leather workshop. He also works with more than 35 independent weavers and embroiderers. Speaking Quiché has been key in running his business, he says, because some of the artists with whom he works are older, indigenous women that don’t speak (or hardly speak) Spanish.

David finds great satisfaction in seeing his products across all different parts of the world. He pays attention to every little detail of his products, and his motto is “never say no to a client without trying first.”

Manuela’s Artisans is a family business that started back in 1987.

She was born in 1954 in a small village outside Chichicastenango to an impoverished Quiché family. Manuela began working to help support her family at an early age, which prevented her from being able to attend school. When she was 33, she invented a small crochet ball, a product that today is recognized worldwide – the hacky sack. Looking to sell her new products to tourists visiting the lake, Manuela moved to Panajachel where she met a man from the U.S. who bought a dozen hacky sacks. Later he returned, requesting 1,000 more. She turned this challenge into an opportunity to teach the women in her village to make the crochet hacky sacks, as well. Now sold internationally, this venture has empowered more than 300 women. Since, Manuela has been focusing on providing more work opportunities to indigenous women in rural areas of Guatemala.

Nearly 10 years ago, they began working with leather products, developing new designs with a focus on handbags and purses. Currently she has seven direct employees from the villages around Atitlán Lake and indirectly employs about 10 families whose women weave traditional textiles.

Today Manuela’s Artisans creates and sells a diverse range of products, and the business is run by her 12 children. They work in the store in Panajachel, manage relationships with wholesale clients and are involved with operations at the workshop.

Manuela’s Artisans is a family business that started back in 1987.

She was born in 1954 in a small village outside Chichicastenango to an impoverished Quiché family. Manuela began working to help support her family at an early age, which prevented her from being able to attend school. When she was 33, she invented a small crochet ball, a product that today is recognized worldwide – the hacky sack. Looking to sell her new products to tourists visiting the lake, Manuela moved to Panajachel where she met a man from the U.S. who bought a dozen hacky sacks. Later he returned, requesting 1,000 more. She turned this challenge into an opportunity to teach the women in her village to make the crochet hacky sacks, as well. Now sold internationally, this venture has empowered more than 300 women. Since, Manuela has been focusing on providing more work opportunities to indigenous women in rural areas of Guatemala.

Nearly 10 years ago, they began working with leather products, developing new designs with a focus on handbags and purses. Currently she has seven direct employees from the villages around Atitlán Lake and indirectly employs about 10 families whose women weave traditional textiles.

Today Manuela’s Artisans creates and sells a diverse range of products, and the business is run by her 12 children. They work in the store in Panajachel, manage relationships with wholesale clients and are involved with operations at the workshop.

Juan’s family business started in 1987.

Juan is originally from Totonicapán in the Guatemalan Altiplano. When he was a child, his parents taught him the art of weaving woolen carpets and blankets. Even though Juan worked with his parents, education was their family’s first priority. This enabled Juan to finish school and attend college. In 2002 he opened his first store and following its success, opened two more. Juan and his wife, Silvia, also started to make unique, handmade leather goods. This success led them to partner with their siblings, transforming their two-person business into a family enterprise.

Currently Juan employs 10 people, including four of Juan’s siblings and four of Silvia’s siblings. Seasonally they employ an additional 15 to 20 people. They’ve overcome adversity by taking risks, innovating and perfecting their products.

Juan takes pride in saying that he’s been perfecting his products by learning advanced leatherwork techniques from Mexico, Argentina and the U.S. And this makes people outside Guatemala admire his work and products.

Juan’s family business started in 1987.

Juan is originally from Totonicapán in the Guatemalan Altiplano. When he was a child, his parents taught him the art of weaving woolen carpets and blankets. Even though Juan worked with his parents, education was their family’s first priority. This enabled Juan to finish school and attend college. In 2002 he opened his first store and following its success, opened two more. Juan and his wife, Silvia, also started to make unique, handmade leather goods. This success led them to partner with their siblings, transforming their two-person business into a family enterprise.

Currently Juan employs 10 people, including four of Juan’s siblings and four of Silvia’s siblings. Seasonally they employ an additional 15 to 20 people. They’ve overcome adversity by taking risks, innovating and perfecting their products.

Juan takes pride in saying that he’s been perfecting his products by learning advanced leatherwork techniques from Mexico, Argentina and the U.S. And this makes people outside Guatemala admire his work and products.