LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Videeko Vanilla, a business growing and exporting the highest quality premium Vanilla in Madagascar and creating economic opportunities for local women
Zebeline Ertance is the founder and managing partner of Videeko Vanilla ZP in Madagascar. Videeko Vanilla is a licensed exporter in Madagascar that grows, cures, and exports premium vanilla beans from its farms, it’s family-owned farms, and its cooperative in the Mananara Madagascar. Videeko support the local community in Mananara by employing over 100 local families, specifically woman, with high paying wages. Zebeline founded Videeko in 2019 and now employs over 100 people, many of them women from local communities. She has 20 years of experience in the vanilla industry.
Lioness Weekender spoke to the inspirational Zebeline Ertance about her unique business, her personal entrepreneurial journey, and her vision for the future.
What does your company do?
Videeko Vanilla has been committed to providing the highest quality premium Vanilla directly from our farms, our family-owned farms, and our cooperative in the Mananara Madagascar. Videeko Vanilla is a licensed exporter in Madagascar that grows, cures, and exports premium vanilla beans. Videeko remains one of the only direct from Farm source of Organic Madagascar Vanilla and other Malagasy spices like Cloves and Black Peppercorns. We focus on Sustainability, Traceability, Regenerative Agriculture, Environmental, Social, and Economic Viability. Videeko’s mission is to empower farmers to continue to produce natural agricultural products that guarantee the health of the consumer. In addition, advancing Education, Healthcare, and Community Development to foster a stronger and brighter future for the community of Mananara.
What inspired you to start your company?
There was no one specifically, but living in the village surrounded by the forest I wanted to do better and achieve something different and great. I wanted to get out of the village and do great things and start a company that could be successful and go back to the community to help everyone. Witnessing the life I grew up in and struggling in the forest and smallest village, there were no jobs, no healthcare, and I felt like I needed to do something bigger and help my family and the community with a better life. My brother, Riel, had a major impact on my life and was inspirational to me. He owned multiple companies, and his success inspired me to start a vanilla company to be as successful as him. He was a role model to me and I will never ever forget what he did for me.
What makes your business, service or product special?
Videeko thinks differently from other vanilla suppliers. No matter what issue or challenge, we are always ready and willing to do whatever it takes to improve the process and customer satisfaction. We work from our hearts. We do this not only for Videeko but for our community and for our employees. Videeko’s rigorous certifications ensure the highest quality products and ethical standards. We have quality products you can trust. Our certifications reflect our commitment to excellence and ethical practices. We use sustainable, fair trade, farming agricultural practices that help protect the unique rainforest biodiversity in and around the Mananara region while supporting fair wages for our farmers. Videeko recognized that the health and strength of Videeko is linked to the health and strength of our community.
Tell us a little about your team
Videeko has an incredible team. They love what they are doing from their hearts. This is a dream for them because they recognize the benefits, and they work incredibly hard to support the growth of the company. Videeko’s success is a result of all the people working at Videeko, from the farmers, to the transportation employees, to the warehouse staff, all the way up to the operations and logics managers. During the hard times they stuck by us and supported us with full commitment. Not only during good times but hard times, they pulled through and helped make us a leading exporter and supplier of Madagascar vanilla. My team is made up of mostly single parent women who are struggling to survive and provide for their children. My family play a key role in the management of my company and farms, including my mother, father, sister and brothers. My partner was critical to the success of Videeko and without them I don’t know where Videeko would be.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Our journey began with a dream. As a 10-year-old working on my parents' farm, I envisioned a business centered on the exquisite vanilla beans of Madagascar. Over 20 years of dedication and expertise have brought this dream to life.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Free Healthcare and Free Education to our community. We would like to grow Videeko Vanilla sales of Organic, FairTrade and Regenerative Vanilla. We would like to continue to advance our Philanthropic activities by advancing Education, Healthcare, and Community Development to foster a stronger and brighter future for the community of Mananara. Videeko Vanilla has been giving back to the community since the beginning and as Videeko has grown we have expanded our philanthropic work. I founded the Nosy Foundation organization, a not-for-profit, to expand the philanthropic activities and give back to the community of Mananara. Videeko Vanilla ZP, in collaboration with the Nosy Foundation, a Non-Profit Corporation, are committed to collaborating with community leaders and residents across the Mananara region to identify areas of special needs in education, food supply, infrastructure and religion, with special focus on underserved populations. Videeko Vanilla ZP has been in the Mananara region since the beginning and recognizes that the health and strength of Videeko Vanilla is linked to the health and strength of its community. Videeko currently supports a number of educational and outreach initiatives and continues to work, expand and identify further means to improving the quality of life in the community.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
I’m able to support my family and community that I was born and grow up in. Seeing how people lives have changed and are so happy with what I have been able to accomplish and help change in their lives.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Don’t be afraid to take risks. As a woman, don’t let your emotions dictate your actions and decision making.
To find out more, send an email to Zebeline at ertance@videekovanilla.com or visit the company’s website and social media platforms.
Website: http://videekovanilla.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/videekovanilla/
YouTube or Vimeo Video: https://www.youtube.com/@VideekoVanilla
https://www.linkedin.com/company/videekovanilla
