DANIELA GUSMAN
Rise international
SAY IT LOUD - NOW Exhibitor
Lesotho Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Empowering local social entrepreneurs who are able to implement projects that bring about positive social change, increasing dignity to vulnerable communities. Reducing dependency on international aid and increasing community driven development.
DANIELA GUSMAN
Bio:
The great designer, Daniela is a seeker of social impact justice through entrepreneurship. She is the founder of rise International, a social enterprise focusing on youth employment through entrepreneurship and architecture. She is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in the private sector as well as the international development sector. She has also served on various NGO boards and worked extensively worldwide in International Sales & Marketing, Business Development and Social Entrepreneurship.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
It first came into my life in 2009, when I was working in Lesotho for Kick4Life a non-profit. They were selected by FIFA to develop one of the Football for Hope Centres. From that day on, social enterprise and architecture became embodied in my life.
What do you do?
We focus on economic development through job creation, skills development and entrepreneurship specifically in the built environment by linking aspiring local entrepreneurs with essential resources needed in order for their enterprises to flourish.
What excites you in the work you do?
Seeing the transformation of young entrepreneurs, witnessing the change of vulnerable communities thanks to the infrastructure we design and build, observing the change in design & construction methodologies in communities through positive deviance.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Empowering local social entrepreneurs who are able to implement projects that bring about positive social change, increasing dignity to vulnerable communities. Reducing dependency on international aid and increasing community driven development.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
Launching rise International and seeing the positive impact on young African entrepreneurs and our partner communities. We are now starting to get enquiries from other low income countries interested in us replicating our model in their communities.
Featured Project Name:
Rise
Featured Project Location:
Lesotho
Featured Project Completion Date:
On going
Role in Featured Project:
Founder
Featured Project Description:
Our flagship program is a ‘learning by doing’ program called in loco, a practical design, build and entrepreneurship fellowship program. Some Projects that we have embarked on have included: the design & build of: Residence & Social Enterprise Centre for Orphaned, a centre for Intellectual Disabilities and Autism, an inclusive HQ for LNFOD, low cost improvements for DCCs for low income earners, WASH facilities, kitchens, food gardens and rainwater harvesting in Schools.
