Kiva borrowers to thriving business people: The retail edition

Many of our Kiva borrowers are entrepreneurs who need Kiva microloans to pursue their passions, whether it’s to expand their current business or create a new one. Here at Kiva, we love supporting our past borrowers who have successfully established their businesses thanks to Kiva loans. Read on to learn about all of the ways lenders can continue supporting our borrowers even after they’ve repaid their loans!

Apothecary Muse

Eryn of Pittsburgh considers herself a “first-generation city woman, with nature in her heart.” Influenced by both urban and rural lifestyles as she grew up and into adulthood, Eryn became focused on “deconstructing and disassembling” cultural expectations for women in leadership, sports and health. With this foundation and with the financial help of a Kiva loan, Apothecary Muse was born. Her store sells more than soap; the Apothecary Muse focuses on a variety of handcrafted and environmentally-friendly body products for outdoor adventurers.

Skincare by Feleciai

Celebrate diversity with Feleciai's special skincare line.

This Bay Area native grew up learning the value of hard work from her minority parents. After spending time “in the trenches of corporate America,” Feleciai decided to take a leap of faith and pursue her true passion in the beauty industry. Growing up in one of two African-American families in her neighborhood, Feleciai struggled with "fitting into the mold" of what others considered beautiful. Now, with the help of Kiva loans to get business off the ground, Feleciai’s beauty line celebrates diversity and “the beauty of all women” with handcrafted and all-natural products.

Scented Designs by Kate

Three years of thriving!

A handcrafting fiend since the beginning, Kate left her teaching job in 2016 to create beautiful, scented soy candles in San Jose, California. A Kiva loan helped fund bulk purchases of raw supplies and boost advertising, and now Scented Designs has been thriving for three years! Kate’s goal is to expand the online business and her presence in local shops so that she can spend more time on the weekends with her family.

Anasa Bath and Beauty Emporium

Experience true "anasa" with this line of products.

Anasa is the Swahili word for “luxury”, which is exactly what Sabrina from New York was going for when she started her brand of homemade, organic skincare products. The Kiva borrower, proprietor and chief artisan for Anasa is passionate about using only the best ingredients for her products, as she was tired of all the chemicals in today’s brand name skincare. Thanks to Kiva lenders, Sabrina was able to move into a brand new storefront in 2017!

Pip and Lola’s Everything Homemade

These cute designs will have you in the bath for hours!

Nine children, two cats and a dog made financial stability a lofty goal to achieve for Bruce and Samantha in Pennsylvania. After their stints as an elementary school teacher and a real estate agent, the couple decided to follow their dreams together with the help of a Kiva loan. Now they run a boutique soap shop with barely-scented vegan soaps. Find everything from “The Nudie Bar” to “Fight Scrub” soaps on their website! Fun fact: Bruce and Samantha are huge fans of the barter economy and have traded their soap for everything from babysitting to coffee makers.