Wakao Foods
Famous for its native ‘Jackfruit meat’, Wakao Foods is a sustainable Goa based company that has introduced plant based, ethically sourced, ‘Ready to Cook’ and ‘Ready to Eat’ products in India.
COVER
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STORY
Famous for its native ‘Jackfruit meat’, Wakao Foods is a sustainable company based in Goa that has introduced plant based, ethically sourced, ‘Ready to Cook’ and ‘Ready to Eat’ products in India. Inspired by rising trends of veganism across the world and in India as well, Wakao has brought in a new and disruptive approach with a sustainable focus.
Launched in 2020, just before the pandemic hit Indian shores, Wakao has shown a 25% month on month growth since its inception. Wakao’s jackfruit meat is ethically sourced and hand-picked from farms, hygienically manufactured and brought to the customer’s dining table. Their products include:
Wakao BBQ Jack | 100% Natural Mock Meat
Wakao Butter Jack | 100% Plant Based | Gluten Free
Wakao Jackfruit Burger Patty | 100% Plant-Based | Gluten Free
Wakao Raw Jack | Plant-Based & Gluten Free
Wakao Teriyaki Jack | 100% Natural & Vegan Meat
On the professional front
At the helm of affairs of Wakao Foods is Mr. Sairaj Dhond, a criminal lawyer by qualification and an entrepreneur by passion. Hailing from a lineage of business experts, Sairaj had a natural inclination towards entrepreneurship from a very young age.
After a year long stint as a lawyer, Sairaj joined his family’s business in 2014. He started a venture under the banner of Dhond Group Green Infra LLP which specialised in lighting and solar solutions. He later on successfully ventured into real estate.
However, his businesses nearly came to a standstill during the pandemic. This is when he thought of trying out something new. After a series of brainstorming sessions, he decided to enter the F&B space with his debut food project “WAKAO FOODS”.
He has been awarded the Young Entrepreneurs Award at BW Disrupt YEA 2021. He also participated in the first season of Shark Tank India where he succeeded in receiving a funding of Rs. 75 lakhs in return for a 21% equity share in his company.
Inception
The idea of starting Wakao Foods came in Sairaj’s mind after he read an article which said ‘Jackfruit is the superfood of the world.’ According to Sairaj, jackfruit is one of the most ignored fruits in India. Almost 75% of the jackfruits in India go to waste and that is around 1.4 million tonnes grown in a year.
Says Sairaj, “I thought not only is it a great business opportunity but also my duty as an Indian, having eaten jackfruit all my life, to promote and bring this fruit to the public and make it world famous.” He feels jackfruit is the future for meat alternatives and for people who want to adopt a healthier lifestyle without compromising on taste and texture.
“It was nothing less than an invention for us as no one else was doing this. But, we were confident enough because the movement was catching up. People were moving towards mock meats or plantbased meats globally and we speculated that India will soon follow the trend. And as luck would have had it, it happened and we are doing very well”, he says.
“Jackfruit is the most easily available fruit in India. It is locally available and locally sourced” he says. “It’s just that no one ever paid attention to it, or bothered experimenting with it and ignored the potential it has.” All Wakao products are made without using any preservatives. They have a shelf life of 1 year and require no refrigeration.
Goals
Sairaj’s idea was to reach out to consumers and educate them first about what Wakao ‘Jack Meat’ was all about; its nutritional values, benefits, and the new varieties that can be explored with jackfruit. From their pricing strategy to combos, selecting the target market to being very specific on the communication front on how to run ads, all checkpoints were pre-decided by the Wakao team. They were very sure about which category of customers they wanted to target, and what the brand positioning was to look like. The idea was to position Wakao Foods as a premium category brand and tap the newly converted vegan consumer audience, along with changing perceptions of the vegetarian and non-vegetarian audience, and introduce them to the health benefits of jackfruit.
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Company Values
The values of Wakao Foods include supporting indigenous agri-practices, fair prices for farmers, prioritizing top quality natural produce, and bringing it at the best available value to their customers. Wakao ensures the highest standards of safety and eco-friendly practices in all aspects of their business. Going forward, Wakao intends to keep sourcing alternative foods that are good for both people as well as the planet. Every time you buy something from Wakao Foods, 1% of the sales proceeds go to local farmers around India who are working to feed the country.
Sales and The Indian Market
In India, the preservative-free, ready to cook food market holds a lot of potential, partly owing to the pandemic that changed a lot of beliefs, not only in the physical and surrounding environment, but also in people’s mindsets. People moved to an alternative source of meat, a more natural source of protein. Therefore, Wakao Foods, like all other faux-meat companies around the world, grabbed this opportunity to present their ideas and their products in a more open environment for consumers who are ready to change, listen, learn, adapt and embrace the conscious eating method. “We have sold our products to more than 10,000 direct consumers over the last 10 months and it is only growing”, says Sairaj.
“Our products are currently available Pan-India through various D2C online channels and market places. We are also on Amazon and have already sold
products in 24 states in India through the channel. We also sell a lot through our website and other market places”, he adds.
Wakao Foods has an offline presence in Goa and has distributors in cities like Chennai, Bombay and Pune. They are looking at appointing at least another 7-10 distributors over the next three months across different cities in the country. They have already exported their products to Dubai, Norway and the Netherlands and will soon be exporting to the USA, Canada, and Mexico. They are also in the process of closing a deal with another 10 countries for export.
On the Expansion Front
As of now, expanding via D2C (direct to consumer) channels is the primary focus for Wakao Foods. “Meat and plant based alternatives are just the tip of the iceberg in India and will explode very soon”, says Sairaj. “On the D2C front, we are looking at pushing strongly with our online presence and having a wider reach to a wider audience and getting more people to try our products. The sky's the limit!” says Sairaj. “We have huge opportunities in the global market because people are already aware of the product and therefore, we are putting more efforts on exports.” The company wants to build a very robust istribution network across India. They aim to have distributors in most of the major cities across the country so that they can reach out to more and more people, retail outlets and modern trade outlets. “Also, the HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, Catering) segment is really very big. They need a product like Wakao and our aim is to reach each one of them. Currently, we are supplying to a lot of chains of hotels, and restaurants, but we want to centralize it and have more teams across the country. We are also thinking on the lines of QSR service (Quick Restaurant Service), which we probably may launch sometime later, but it is something that is there in our expansion plans.” he adds.
Challenges Faced
The main challenge which Sairaj and his team at Wakao Foods faced when they just started off was educating people on the concept of mock-meat, because a majority of people did not understand what mock meat was all about and what all could be made out of a jackfruit. “People in India need to be educated on the versatility of the fruit and the extent of its usage”.
The other major challenge that Sairaj currently faces is bringing down the cost. As of now, jack meat does not have a mass appeal. It is more of a metro or a Tier-1/Tier-2 city kind of product. “For it to become a mass product, we need to have a better scale and once that happens, we will be able to reach out to more people” says Sairaj.
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Shark Tank India Opportunity
Being a person who grew up watching Shark Tank, to be featured on the globally acclaimed television show and qualify for funding has been a great achievement for Sairaj and his team. It has helped his company to gain national prominence and has helped them to reach out to a much larger audience. “This further solidifies our belief and efforts to introduce innovative, disruptive F&B product categories that will change how consumers perceive plant based meat. We are looking forward to aggressively expanding our footprint in the next few months and acquiring a bigger clientele in the industry”, he says.
Being Goan
The Goan market has always been very special for Wakao Foods. It was their test market where they launched their products and started their journey. The restaurants and hotels based in Goa were the first to try out their products. “The valuable feedback which restaurants and hotels gave us after trying out our products helped us to grow and build our brand”, says Sairaj. “It helped us in identifying areas that needed improvement and helped us to get Wakao Foods to the level where it is today.“
Wakao Foods is gradually becoming synonymous with jackfruit and is spreading across the country as Goa’s own brand. Sairaj says that the two key mantras for entrepreneurs to succeed are passion and perseverance. “Never give up and keep rising after every failure till you achieve your goal. Never chase success. Aim for excellence instead. If you achieve excellence, success will come chasing you”.
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AFRAN SAYED A 22 year old media and culture entrepreneur, an aspiring Creative Director, a full time Creative Lead and Strategist and a Freelance Director. YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa
Afran Sayed is a 22 year old media and culture entrepreneur, an aspiring Creative Director, a full time Creative Lead and Strategist and a Freelance Director. He presently chairs a cross-platform community of 2000+ young and aspiring artists from across the country called ‘CRIO’. Using multiple imperative online and offline tools, he curates content, events and workshops that aid the members in boosting their knowledge in certain areas and provides them with the required push to grow as an artist.
His dedication to work and motivation to grow has led him to exceptional projects and experiences. He has worked with many big media houses before starting ‘CRIO’. He worked as an intern cinematographer for a Netflix Original production entitled ‘Betal’. He also worked as a Head Cinematographer for Sunburn Campus Pune, an Outreach Ambassador for Casa Bacardi (Homegrown) and for various other agencies as a director and scriptwriter.
In a brief tete-a-tete with Its Goa, Afran shared a lot of insights into his life, his career, the journey of ‘Crio Connect’, and lots more…
Tell us a bit about yourself...
I am Afran Sayed. I am 22 years old. I live in MarlemBorda. I am a media and culture entrepreneur. I have done my BBA in Communication and Media Studies from Ajeenkya D. Y Patil University in Pune.
What was that one moment that changed everything?
I was doing my BBA in Pune which felt like a natural hub of artists to me. It was a place where I could meet and interact with people from various backgrounds and art fields. It was like an art and culture house. When I came back to Goa in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was devastated to not know many artists in Goa or even find a community of artists as such. The coronavirus pandemic had changed the way everyone in the world was working and living their daily lives. Artists too were learning to adapt to a “new normal”.
That's when I decided to form a small group for artists from Goa to learn, connect and grow with the help of each other. On our first day, we had just 20 people, most of them being close friends.
However, the next day, after I shared it on my social media handles, we grew from 20 people to 260 people in a span of just 48 hours. Today, we have grown to more than 2000 artists and creators from different fields across India. It’s no surprise that artists are getting creative with new ways to support themselves in these tough times. Many people from different parts of India have relocated to Goa to pursue their careers. However, Goa has yet to explore several verticals. Because the state is rich with talent, Crio Connect would be very beneficial to the Goan community, allowing them to connect with like-minded people from all over the world.
Who are your role models? The ones you seek inspiration from?
I seek a lot of inspiration for design and innovation from the Late Steve Jobs. I also look up with great admiration to my mother, Adv. Ashma Sayed, for her dedication and commitment towards long-term goals.
What role did family and friends play? Any stories of support you recall?
My family expected me to get a job or continue my education because I had recently graduated. But I was so immersed in the process of helping others and growing the Crio Connect community that I decided to keep my career on the sidelines in order to proceed with Crio Connect. They were cautious at first, but once they saw the results of our work and how others recognised it, they were very supportive of what I was doing.
What advice would you give yourself if you went back in time?
“Don’t attach yourself to an idea or a project and hold yourself back. Keep moving forward and look for more opportunities to grow.”
Anyone from the past or present you'd want to meet? Why?
I'd like to meet Steve Jobs. To think outside the box and not let the noise of other people's opinions drown out your own inner voice and vision is something I've always admired about him.
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is difficult to manage time and routine. We've been working non-stop without taking a dime from any artist. And I won't be able to do or manage all of this on my own; I have a team of four people who work with me to help us achieve our goals. Getting people to work with you and convincing them of your vision has been a difficult journey. Even when no one would move a finger without charging you, I have people who believe in my vision, and it is only because of this team that I am motivated to do more and help more people join the community.There are times when most of your efforts go unnoticed, which can have an impact on your mental health and make you feel unmotivated to help others. However, there are also times when people reach out to you and tell you that you've been doing amazing work and have helped them to grow better as individuals, which motivates you to do even more for them.
innumerable times, Goans are portrayed as “susegad''. The country is unaware of the potential Goans possess. I want to be remembered for the work I do in the field of the creator economy. I want to make sure that we build the largest self-sufficient community, where you can learn, connect and grow with fellow artists and creators.
My advice to others would be to keep your creative brain active and healthy. Take care of yourself to be in a headspace where you will be able to work and create. Make sure that despite the craziness around us, that you are kind to yourself and that you are making sure your needs are met. Do not give up and trust the process. Soon, everyone will acknowledge you and your work.
Website:
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ReckRute The Trusted Name For All Your Manpower Needs START-UPS Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa
“ReckRute”, as the name suggests, is a recruitment services firm based in Goa. They hire personnel for clients in both IT as well as Non-IT verticals across various industries. ReckRute began in March 2022 and started hiring initially only within the state of Goa. They recently hired staff for a hotel in the UK, Ireland and have done a recruitment project in Qatar as well. They are also hiring for a hospitality company across a few other states in India. And this is just the beginning…
A Brief Profile about the Founder
At the helm of affairs of ReckRute is its founder, Mr. Stedwick Fernandes. Stedwick is a Dale Carnegie certified trainer, with 22 years of work experience in the hospitality, BPO outsourcing and human resources verticals. “I’ve always held people management and training as my core strength, which fits in perfectly with ReckRute. I have worked with comapnies like the Taj Group, Delta Services (a subsidiary of 3i Infotech), Altius Customer Services, to name a few and have imparted training for employees of organisations like the Reliance Group, HSBC, eFunds Mumbai amongst others”, says Stedwick. ReckRute does have investors on board who also bring to the table their experience in management that has been very crucial in taking ReckRute to where it is at today.
The Idea Was Born
Stedwick moved to Goa in 2014 and has worked for three different organisations since then. As a leader in all three businesses, one of the biggest challenges he faced was finding good talent to complete the team. Internal HR teams had limited capabilities while the recruitment agencies he interacted with were either very unprofessional or most of the time simply followed job descriptions, but never spent time understanding the business’ actual requirements. “This gap is the reason why I started ReckRute and like the banner of our website and all of our social media handles say, ‘we match the ideal candidate to the perfect job’. It's what we strive to do everyday at ReckRute”, he says.
The USP of ReckRute
Stedwick says that the hiring process of ReckRute is written in stone and they will not alter it under any circumstances. They match the ideal candidate to the perfect job.
To understand the ideal candidate, Stedwick and his team spend sufficient time understanding not just the educational qualifications and work experience of the candidate, but also their EQ.
EQ, which stands for Emotional Quotient, ensures that the candidate is a cultural fit for the business they are hiring for. The only method to understand the perfect job is by meeting with the business and understanding their requirements, the job description and most importantly the culture of the organisation. This may take a little bit of time, but it not only serves the candidate and the business but also ReckRute because they have very few rejects at the interview stage and almost no drops out within the retention period of 3 months that they provide with every hire.
Well Received and Appreciated
Because of their incredible hiring process, candidates appreciate the kind of roles ReckRute suggests and sends them for. Also, many of the small and medium businesses they have worked with have selected the very first candidate that they have sent them, which is quite rare in the recruitment industry, says Stedwick.
Market Presence
Having started with Goa, which still forms a large majority of the business they do, ReckRute is currently hiring for a hospitality business in Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Surat. They have also done projects in the UK, Ireland and very recently in Qatar.
Major Challenges
One of the major challenges that ReckRute faces is that a majority of their clients are small and medium businesses and, in most cases, their own internal processes aren’t very robust, which causes delays in them providing timely feedback regarding the interviews held. This doesn’t go down well with candidates who are anxious to know the outcomes of their interviews. “We constantly work with our clients to reduce this time,” says Stedwick.
Also, unlike the more common theory that Goa doesn’t have sufficient jobs, ReckRute for one, has loads of openings. However, not many willing and / or capable candidates take up these roles. Most of the candidates either want government jobs or have unrealistic salary and role expectations.
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Goa, being a Tier 3 city, doesn't offer very attractive salaries and employer expectations are always very high; this gap needs constant sorting out and this is another thing that Stedwick and his team try to achieve with their clients.
Future Plans
Stedwick’s ultimate goal is to make ReckRute become synonymous with recruitment in Goa. Any business thinking of hiring, recruitment, and staff should think and connect with ReckRute. “It’s a long way there, miles to go before we rest” says Stedwick.
ReckRute is a BNI member and they are working on an employment conclave that they intend to organise twice a year to promote alternative career choices and bring to the working segment, a large number of openings in small and medium businesses within Goa itself.
ReckRute is also in the midst of creating a coaching / training programme for school and college students which will assist them in becoming better prepared when making the move from campus to the corporate world. “We still see this as a huge gap today in the state of Goa.”
Advice to Job Seekers and Small/ Medium Size Business Owners
For Job Seekers: “Choose a job that you are going to want to go to everyday. Like what you do and you won’t go to work another day in your life.”
For Small/ Medium sized business owners: “There's no point in hiring a smart candidate and then constantly telling them what to do and how to do it. Hire smart candidates and let them tell you how to do it. Give people who deserve their due and grow together.”
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Planet Aquem’s Favourite Hangout Spot For A Game Of Pool, Snacks And Much More… SMALL BUSINESSES Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa
Pool
Located at the Paulino Business Hub near the Maruti Mandir in Aquem lies one of Margao’s most popular indoor recreational hubs called “Pool Planet''. The centre was started in 1999 by the Late Mr. Sebastian Rodrigues along with his two sons Savio Rodrigues and Allwyn Rodrigues. Pool Planet was originally located in Comba-Margao. However, due to the high number of foot falls that it received, it had to shift to its present day location in Aquem.
In a brief chat with Its Goa, Mr. Savio Rodrigues, coowner of Pool Planet, provided a much deeper insight into his venture, the various facilities it provides, his expansion plans and much more…
Excerpts
Give us a brief description about the founders of Pool Planet.
We come from a business family which deals in natural stones. The business was established in 1907. Pool Planet is just another business venture we got into. My grandfather, the late Mr. Paulin Rodrigues, apart from having a drive for business, was also very passionate about sports and recreation. It was in his memory that my father Mr. Sebastian decided to start Pool Planet.
What prompted /inspired you to start Pool Planet?
What was the idea that you had in mind when you decided to start this venture?
As I mentioned, it was established in remembrance of my grandfather and his love for sports. In addition, it is also a nice way of entertaining the youth and keeping them engaged in a nice indoor game during the monsoons. Currently, we see around 1000 new players every year. Thanks to my grandfather's love for sports, we hear a lot of our regulars telling us that what started off as a hobby has turned into a full time passion for them.
What are the rates for using the pool tables? Do you have any membership scheme for people who are regular visitors of Pool Planet?
At present, the rates are Rs.100 per hour for billiard tables and Rs.150 for the snooker table . As of now, we don't have a membership scheme but we do plan to start a membership and group scheme very soon.
What are the few things offered at Pool Planet that makes it stand out from other pool parlours? Do you have an on-site cafe and music at your pool parlour?
We have an on-site music system along with a privately owned restaurant and superstore in the Pauline Business Hub, which do entertain the needs of our clientele. I think what makes us stand out from our competitors would be the fact that we have 4 pool tables and 1 snooker table, making us the only establishment in Goa catering to so many clients at once. Apart from this, we also run seasonal tournaments so individuals can show their skills and even enhance them further.
What was the response from the public like when Pool Planet just started off?
We all know the effect the pandemic had on us. Having Pool Planet shift to a new location with ample parking and in the heart of the city was really an advantage, we’ve been told. Another important feature I'd like to highlight is that we have kept our premises a no smoking, no drinking premises, so we can play a small part in looking after the health of our Goan youth and create an experience you'd always remember.
Do you plan to open more branches of Pool Planet in other parts of Goa?
Yes. We are doing very well right now, so we definitely plan to conquer the rest of Goa in due course of time.
Finally, any message that you would like to share with our readers?
Come visit us, enjoy the experience, develop a new hobby and find a passion.
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Ashley fernandes
A Niche For Himself In The World Of Fruit Decoration ENTREPRENEUR Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa
Carving
In our quest for creative Goans, ItsGoa caught up with Ash (Ashley) Agnelo Fernandes who is an artist par excellence. His art is not with paint but with fruits, vegetables and ice. He is the proprietor of ‘Fruit Deco.’ Born in Carmo Gracias Hospital, Margao to Luis Gonzago and Sofia Fernandes, Ash studied in Our Lady of Lourdes School, Utorda and later completed his higher education in Food & Beverage Service from Fr. Basilio Andrade Higher Secondary School, Majorda. He finally did a hotel management course from Fr. Agnel Ashram, Verna. He is currently residing in Houston, Texas.
Latent Talent and the Journey Forward
As a child, Ash loved to draw, paint, sing and carve fruits and ice. Though his childhood ambition was to become a model or an actor, the handsome lad's career took a different turn. During his stint as a parttimer with a catering company in Goa, Ash watched fruit carving displays which fascinated him. He decided to give it a try on his own. Practicing fruit carvings by himself helped hone his skills. He was good at drawing, so shapes and forms came naturally to him. Says Ash, “I met a well-known caterer named Xavier Pereira who is the owner of Pereira Caterers at San Jose De Areal. He not only appreciated my carvings, but I also got a chance to learn different styles and techniques of carving.”
Competitions
Ash participated in several competitions for Drawing, Painting, Wealth out of Waste, Christmas Star making and Fruit carving in Goa. While in the US, he also participated in several competitions such as fruit carvings, Halloween party costume making and star competitions for which he usually won the first prizes. “I was hired twice for fruit display by the organizing company of the famous ‘America’s Biggest Rodeo Festival’ for which I was felicitated”, he says. “I was also selected for the US Food Art Festival, but unfortunately, I could not participate in the same due to travel restrictions during the pandemic and lack of partners since it was a group competition”, he adds.
Experience that led to Business
Ashley says that his mom used to often wonder where the watermelons disappeared from their farm as he used to get his hands on a few to practice carving. Beginning at the age of 13, while he was working as a part time waiter for a catering service, Ashley started practicing carving on fruits, vegetables
and ice. He has not received any formal education in fruit and vegetable carving, but his creations are magical and awe-inspiring.
After completing his hotel management course, Ashley joined Holiday Inn Resort at Cavelossim in 2005, initially as an assistant. After working there for a couple of years, he was promoted to Pantry Chef and served in that position until 2008. He used to do carvings at parties held at the resort and also for catering services as a side income. Owing to his skill in carving, Ashley was selected as a kitchen help on the Princess Cruiseliner in 2008 when he was 21. “I worked on the cruiseliner until 2010. This gave me the chance to experience how top chefs carve”, he says.
After moving to the United States in 2010, Ashley used to do fruit carvings at his workplace in stores where customers were impressed and appreciated his carvings. This inspired him to continue doing the same on a bigger platform.
‘Fruit Deco’ was born
Ash began his business career right from the time he set foot in the US. Going by the name ‘Fruit Deco’, Ash took orders for parties, events etc. He used to get hired by companies or individuals to carve displays for events or functions. He was hired quiet often by a Houston based company called ‘Brothers Produce’, for whom he put up some of the most amazing displays.
He charges anywhere between $60 to $80 for a watermelon carving. depending on the size. For bigger events, he earns anywhere between $2000 to
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$3000, but those displays are very big. “I already take party orders for fruit displays and other decorations. Hopefully, I may open up a retail outlet in Texas very soon”, he says.
His Challenges, Goals and Advice
According to Ashley, one of the major challenges faced by him is the “selection of right fruits for carvings.” His inspiration and role model he says is Xavier Pereira, the proprietor of Pereira Caterers. “If I went back in time, I would learn from every opportunity I get”, he says. The one famous person that he would like to meet someday is Olivier
Herbomel, the world famous fruit and vegetable carver. “It would be a great opportunity not just to meet him, but also to learn from him.”
Ashley says that in Goa, one can opt for fruit carving as a part time business as opportunity strikes only during the season of occasions. He also says that one must pursue their dreams, no matter how hard you have to work for it.
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The Go To Place For All Things Sustainable And Handcrafted SMALL BUSINESSES Paper Boat Collective Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa
Paper Boat Collective is a unique homegrown concept store nestled in Sangolda village in North Goa. The collective curates and carries a wide range of products, from clothing and footwear for women, men and children to homeware, lighting and jewellery. The store showcases the work of Indian designers bound by the ethics of creating handcrafted products that are intrinsically organic in nature and have a stylish yet simple presence. Their philosophy of slow living and simplicity is echoed in their store and in everything they do. Meandering through their space will have all your senses tickled since you will never know what to expect. They put free flow over defined spaces, so that no two visits to the store are ever the same.
The founder of this unique concept store is Bhagyashree Patwardhan, an artist and a curator who studied at the National Institute of Design. Bhagyashree started her journey teaching environmental studies at the age of 16 and went on to work with various mediums like ceramics and fabrics. Her passion - along with her experience in visual merchandising, film work, and space design - took her through the depths of India and enabled unique collaborations with artisans aiming to preserve and showcase the small scale, handcrafted, natural, and the sustainable side that lifestyle products have to offer.
Curating meaningful and conscious collections, empowering local artisans, having in-depth knowledge of their products, being honest about the quality of their products, educating their customers, having the flexibility to adapt to their stakeholders’ changing needs, being transparent in their communications with suppliers, promoting fair trade practices, creating an environment of love and warmth, and building lasting and mutually beneficial relationships – are just some of the few core founding pillars that Paper Boat Collective strives to abide by every single day.
Although it wasn’t intended to be one, Paper Boat Collective has organically become a women-led organization. Their entire store-staff is made up of amazing young women who have now become an integral part of the brand. Their in-house cafe is
also owned and run by a woman who embodies the ethos of the collective. Wherever possible, Paper Boat Collective has also tried to tie-up with social enterprises and NGOs that are women-led and women-run.
Paper Boat Collective
H.No. 248, Bella Vista,
Chogm Road, Sangolda
Bardez, Goa 403511
Phone: 075074 70248 Website: www.itsgoa.com
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Yves Property Care Services Your One Stop Solution
For All Your Property
Care Needs
START-UPS Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa
Yves Property Care Services is a fairly new enterprise based in Porvorim in North Goa. It was founded in February 2022 by Mrs. Yvonne Goncalves. It aims to provide the finest care and maintenance services for properties in the absence of their owners. Yvonne has worked in many hotels and other organizations in departments like Housekeeping, Accounts, Stores & Purchase, and Administration for more than 25 years. Her years of experience in the hotel industry have helped her to hone her skills in maintenance, housekeeping and administration.
Many people from other states buy their second homes in Goa, but have no one to take care of them. Also, there are many people who have their property closed and are either working abroad or are out of Goa living with their families. Yves Property Care Services offers services to such owners who would like someone to take care of their property in their absence. It offers all services that would be required to maintain such properties in good condition with a personal touch to it. It offers services for electrical work, plumbing, re-roofing, painting, gardening, payment of bills, payments of house tax, premonsoon maintenance, renting out of the premises (Airbnb rentals) etc.
When asked what prompted her to start this unique venture, Yvonne told us that she had come across many property owners who had handed over their properties to caretakers only to realize that their properties have either been grabbed or sold. “This is when I decided to get into this business of property management. “I assure all my clients that I am reliable and can be trusted to take care of their properties with utmost sincerity and without any worries or hassles”, she says.
“I incorporate my personal touch, my honesty and my sincerity in all the services which I provide to all property owners who entrust Yves Property Care Services my firm to take care of their properties in their absence” she adds.
Yves Property Care Services received a very good response from the public when it just started off, primarily due to the trust and the good reputation that Yvonee holds among many people in the hospitality sector in Goa.
Yvonne is supported by a close network of like-minded colleagues who help her brainstorm for solutions whenever she faces any challenges while running the business. Presently, Yves Property Care Services provides its services only in North Goa, but will extend their services to other parts of Goa very soon.
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