TETA ISIBO

Creative designer reinventing traditional crafts

Founder of Inzuki Designs

Country: Rwanda

Sector: Jewellery, Accessories and Interior Decor

Teta Isibo is the founder and creative force behind Inzuki Designs a young Rwandan brand specializing in jewelry, accessories and interior decor. Teta's creations are hand-made using local craft skills and materials - she works with numerous local women's cooperatives to create vibrant, quality pieces. With no background in fashion or business, Teta quit her job as an urban planner in Kigali to launch Inzuki, which means 'bees' in the local language. This has grown into a popular Rwandan brand with a boutique located in the Heart of Kigali City. Teta is now targeting international markets including the rest of Africa, Europe, Asia and North America through distributors and an online store.

Teta is proudly part of an ever growing Rwandan cultural renaissance that is seeing growing innovation and an increasing number of young entrepreneurs and trendsetters propelling the country to the next level.

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Teta's Startup Story

Twenty-nine-year old Teta Isibo is a self-taught designer and the founder of Inzuki. The young Rwandan brand specializes in handmade jewellery, accessories and interior decor made from local materials. Based in Kigali, Inzuki Designs works with various nearby women’s cooperatives to create products that fuse craftsmanship and contemporary style.

Inzuki Designs is a new, fast growing Rwandan brand specialising in African-inspired jewellery, accessories and interior décor, all handmade from local materials.

Inzuki Designs specializes in Jewellery, Accesories and interior decor. It is hand made Rwandan design with a global appeal, using local organic materials. Teta is in charge of the design, while members of women-cooperatives around the country are in charge of manufacturing the products.

Teta's story is one that could inspire many other young aspirant women entrepreneurs in Africa. She had a dream not only to build a business and a brand that was African inspired, but to also take it to the global marketplace and build a loyal client following. The Inzuki brand is definitely going places and is one to watch for the future. --- Melanie Hawken, LoA founder & editor-in-chief

What's the inspiration behind the name 'Inzuki'?

"Inzuki means bees," says Isibo, explaining the inspiration behind the company's name. "It's an attitude, like a sweet but fierce attitude; the way bees give honey so they have that sweet aspect, but then you can't really mess with them because they would sting you."

“Inzuki represents Bold, Authentic and Colorful Design…Where Traditional Craft Meets Contemporary Style. We achieve that through our collaboration with numerous local cooperatives that use their skills to translate our authentic designs into vibrant quality pieces that are African inspired and globally loved”

“Why do we always dwell on the challenges? I think that Rwandan women have a lot of opportunities. We have equal rights to land, education and employment. I am not saying that there are no challenges but we tend to focus too much on them while the opportunities are right there staring us in the face. The men come and grab those opportunities while we are too busy complaining about the challenges”

Featured

Follow Teta making news

Jul 23, 2014

Radio Netherlands Worldwide Africa interviews Teta Isibo the self-taught designer and founder of Inzuki Designs

Jul 23, 2014

Radio Netherlands Worldwide Africa recently conducted an interview with Twenty-nine-year old Teta Isibo, a self-taught designer and the founder of Inzuki Designs. This young Rwandan brand specializes in handmade jewellery, accessories and interior decor made from local materials.

Jul 23, 2014

CNN features young Rwandan entrepreneur Teta Isibo on African Start-Up

Jul 23, 2014

(CNN) -- Teta Isibo had always had a flair for design but she didn't realize she could make a career out of it until the time she asked an artisan to craft a pair of earrings she'd drawn.

Jul 23, 2014

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Jul 23, 2014

SEV Magazine interviews Rwanda's young design star Teta Isibo

Jul 23, 2014

SEV Magazine recently interviewed Teta Isibo, the creative mind behind Inzuki Design a dynamic young Rwandan brand specializing in jewelry, accessories and interior decor hand-made primarily from local materials.

Jul 23, 2014

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Jul 23, 2014

WAAFRIKA Online profile Teta Isibo and her Kigali based startup Inzuki Designs

Jul 23, 2014

Inzuki Designs is a company based in Kigali, Rwanda founded by the creative, Teta Isibo, specialising in African beaded accessories like earrings, bungles, clutches, and interior decor which is hand-made from primarily local material.

Jul 23, 2014

Entrepreneur Advice

Learn from Teta's entrepreneur playbook

Don't try to be a perfectionist....

"The problem with so many aspirant women entrepreneurs in Africa is that they are perfectionists and they are afraid of failure or starting too small. So instead they keep endlessly planning and striving for perfection but never actually get around to starting. So the advice is to just start, with baby steps at first, and then grow organically from there - but, ultimately, just start."

Teta Isibo founder of Inzuki (Rwanda)

Get the ball rolling immediately....

"Set a concrete deadline for when to start and begin working toward that deadline. We tend to keep procrastinating because we think we are not yet ready, but it’s very rare to get to that point where you feel you are 100% ready. So just plan well and start with what you’ve got."

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki (Rwanda)

Dream big and don't be scared....

“Never stifle your dreams and aspirations; if they don’t scare you, they are not big enough.”

- Teta Isibo is the creative mind behind Inzuki a dynamic young Rwandan brand specializing in jewelry, accessories and interior decor hand-made primarily from local materials. With no background in fashion or business, Teta quit her job as an urban planner with the city of Kigali to start her own business. Today Inzuki (bees in the local language) is part of a wider Rwandan cultural Renaissance. The company’s product design philosophy is a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary style, which has helped Teta gain a pool of clients from South Africa to the USA.

Planning is important, but be flexible....

"Plan before you start and always leave room for change because things will most likely not go exactly the way you want them to."

- Teta Isibo is the creative mind behind Inzuki a dynamic young Rwandan brand specializing in jewelry, accessories and interior decor hand-made primarily from local materials. With no background in fashion or business, Teta quit her job as an urban planner with the city of Kigali to start her own business. Today Inzuki (bees in the local language) is part of a wider Rwandan cultural Renaissance.

Do something you love, or are good at....

"Do something that you either really love or you are really good at (or both) otherwise it’s easy to just give up when things get hard which they usually do."

Don't get hung up on failure....

"Failure would be if I stopped trying, otherwise, it’s just a mistake which I learn from and try again…It’s a trial and error learning process."

Videos

Essential videos featuring Teta

Video: Teta Isibo featured on CNN African Start-Up

Video: CNN African Start-Up, June 27, 2014

Featuring Teta Isibo the founder of Inzuki Designs, a Kigali-based startup that specializes in jewelry, accessories and interior decor.

Every week, African Start-Up follows entrepreneurs in various countries across the continent to see how they are working to make their business dreams become reality.

Video: Teta Isibo

Published on May 8, 2013

Teta Isibo introduces the products of Inzuki Design which was one of the businesses represented at Rwanda Day Boston.

Video: Teta Isibo

Video published on September 21, 2013

Teta Isibo is the the founder of Inzuki Designs based in Kigali Rwanda. She a retail store and online design business selling her own designs made by local women cooperatives, including vases, earrings, shoes and bags. Grow Movement placed her with a volunteer consultant in the USA called Mimi NG. Together they have worked on building the model for Teta's export to the USA business. They had the opportunity to meet in the USA when Teta was sponsored as the Rwandan entrepreneur of the year.

Video: Teta Isibo

Video: Teta Isibo talks about inspiration & challenges of starting her business - Inzuki Designs

In this video published on Nov 7, 2012 as part of 'GEW Rwanda Video Series' Teta Isibo talks about inspiration & challenges of starting her business, Inzuki Designs!

Quotes

Be inspired by Teta's words

"Sometimes you just have to take the leap, start with whatever you have and use it resourcefully."

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki (Rwanda)

“I am doing something that I chose to do, something I am passionate about and naturally good at. To me, that’s a blessing because many people go through life with no idea of what they want to do, or if they have the idea, they simply do not have the courage to do it!"

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki (Rwanda)

“It’s really rewarding when you can manage to turn a passion into a profitable business, and inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs along the way.”

- Teta Isibo is the creative mind behind Inzuki a dynamic young Rwandan brand specializing in jewellery, accessories and interior decor hand-made from local materials by local crafters. With no background in fashion or business, Teta quit her job as an urban planner with the city of Kigali to start her own business. Today Inzuki (bees in the local language) is part of a wider Rwandan cultural Renaissance.

Awards & Accolades

Teta's recent awards and honours include:

Winner of the REAL Business Accelerator and The REAL-Banque Populaire Entrepreneurship Award 2012

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki Designs, creator of jewellery & accessories brand, Rwanda

TETA ISIBO

Creative designer reinventing traditional crafts

Founder of Inzuki Designs

Country: Rwanda

Sector: Jewellery, Accessories and Interior Decor

Follow Teta:

Teta's Startup Story

What's the inspiration behind the name 'Inzuki'?

"Inzuki means bees," says Isibo, explaining the inspiration behind the company's name. "It's an attitude, like a sweet but fierce attitude; the way bees give honey so they have that sweet aspect, but then you can't really mess with them because they would sting you."

Featured

Entrepreneur Advice

"Set a concrete deadline for when to start and begin working toward that deadline. We tend to keep procrastinating because we think we are not yet ready, but it’s very rare to get to that point where you feel you are 100% ready. So just plan well and start with what you’ve got."

“Never stifle your dreams and aspirations; if they don’t scare you, they are not big enough.”

"Plan before you start and always leave room for change because things will most likely not go exactly the way you want them to."

"Do something that you either really love or you are really good at (or both) otherwise it’s easy to just give up when things get hard which they usually do."

"Failure would be if I stopped trying, otherwise, it’s just a mistake which I learn from and try again…It’s a trial and error learning process."

Videos

Quotes

"Sometimes you just have to take the leap, start with whatever you have and use it resourcefully."

“I am doing something that I chose to do, something I am passionate about and naturally good at. To me, that’s a blessing because many people go through life with no idea of what they want to do, or if they have the idea, they simply do not have the courage to do it!"

“It’s really rewarding when you can manage to turn a passion into a profitable business, and inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs along the way.”

Awards & Accolades