Panelist
speaker
Moderator
conference Team

Joanna Maiden

Founder / CEO, SOKO Kenya Collective
Joanna Maiden

Joanna Maiden is the founder of SOKO Kenya, a sustainable and ethical clothing manufacturer established in 2009. Committed to ethical fashion, she has built SOKO into a global partner for designers, delivering high-quality, sustainably produced garments while challenging industry norms.

In 2013, she founded the Kujuwa Initiative, a social enterprise addressing period poverty by upcycling factory fabric waste into reusable sanitary pads, distributed alongside menstrual health education. The initiative also launched the Stitching Academy, equipping young women with skills for sustainable livelihoods.

Joanna's leadership continues to shape ethical fashion and drive systemic change in communities across Kenya and beyond.

Agenda

More Info
Breakout 1
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Saturday
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9:00 am
Aldrich 112
Weaving the Future: Creating Africa’s Fashion Blueprint from Within
African fashion thrives locally but struggles globally. This panel explores a resilient, uniquely African ecosystem beyond Western norms
More Info

Weaving the Future: Creating Africa’s Fashion Blueprint from Within

Despite flashes of global attention, African fashion brands often struggle to achieve lasting prominence. Too often, Africa’s fashion industry is measured against Western frameworks - fashion houses, fashion weeks, and global runways - that fail to align with the continent’s unique resources, market dynamics, and strengths like sustainability and local artisanship. This panel will challenge these conventions, exploring how African brands can forge a resilient and distinctly African fashion ecosystem by harnessing the talent, traditions, and opportunities already present within the continent, to create a model that thrives locally and competes globally.

America/New_York
Feb 15, 2025 9:00 AM
Aldrich 112