About us

True economic empowerment requires that everyone wins—from artisans and their communities to funders, retailers, and the next generation of consumers. The Artisanal Collective harnesses AI to radically cut the cost of traditional development, making empowerment scalable, profitable, and sustainable. In place of outdated aid models that leave no lasting legacy, we offer a future-forward infrastructure powered by storytelling, branding, and digital training. Our dual-brand strategy—premium (Artisanal Collection) and luxury (Artisan Lorvée)—creates direct-to-market revenue, while our nonprofit platform drives engagement and impact through content like Madame Planet™, the Artisan Encounters Challenge™, and Living Artisan Villages™. Every stakeholder gains: artisans grow their earnings and visibility, consumers discover meaningful alternatives to mass production, and former development professionals find new purpose in stewarding a next-generation system built to uplift 300 million artisans—permanently.  

Meet the Founders

Charles Kao

Co-Chair
Expertise: Tourism, Sustainability, Media & Community
Location: France and USA

Founder and lead of a number of multinational travel, technology, green economy, and publishing companies.
Jack Whelan

Expertise: International technical, environmental, and sustainability specialist
Location: Australia

International development and ESG consultant with extensive experience across the UK/EU and Asia-Pacific regions.

Lelei LeLaulu

Co-Chair
Expertise: Development Agencies, Media & Community Empowerment
Location: Washington D.C.

Expert in sustainable development and media, with a strong focus on empowering communities.
Natarajan Ishwaran (Ish)

Expertise: Sustainability, ecological sciences and international environmental policy
Location: France, Paris

Specialist in international organizations and conservation, with significant experience at UNESCO.
1516555636969
Shaun Mann

Expertise: Development Banks & Economic Growth
Location: Washington D.C.

Senior Investment Policy Officer at the IFC/World Bank.  Experience in tourism, retail, and investment climate advisory services.

Founding Advisory Council

Al Merschen

Expertise: Leadership & Management, Communication Innovation
Location: USA, Los Angeles

International tourism marketing and strategic communications entrepreneur focused on innovation and collaboration.

Bevan Springer

Expertise: Media & Journalism, Sustainability Leadership
Location: New York City area

Award-winning journalist and media strategist. Founder of CMEx and contributor to outlets including BBC, UN Radio, and the New York Daily News.

Rajeev Lunkad

Expertise: Artisan Community & Commerce, Business Development and Strategy
Location: India

Multidisciplinary architect and co-founder of DirectCreate.com. Known for integrating design, technology, and heritage — including work on India’s new Parliament. Global speaker and artisan ecosystem strategist.

Sheela Venkatraman Lunkad

Expertise: Artisan Community & Commerce, Business Development and Strategy
Location: India

Visionary architect and co-founder of DirectCreate.com, a pioneering India-based artisan platform with 15,000+ members. Expert in community-based business development and artisan innovation.
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