Casa Bonita means Beautiful Home, beauty from Colombian Artisans hands to the heart of your Home.
Casa Bonita is an innovative Colombian-Australian social enterprise that empowers Latin American, migrant and local women to achieve financial independence, create thriving businesses and feel more connected to culture and community.
Casa Bonita aligns its practices with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is involved with 6 of these goals:
Casa Bonita sources and delivers products and services that create social, cultural and economic impact for women in South America and Australia through three strategies:
🧶 ARTISAN AND INDIGENOUS MADE PRODUCTS
To trade sustainable handmade products from South American Artisans and Indigenous women traditional and independent businesses
🫶 SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS EVENTS
To connect migrant women with the local community by celebrate culture, diversity and women empowerment
📋 BUSINESS COACHING PROGRAMS
To facilitate new opportunities for CALD women through learning, practice, and connections. Our programs help them access retail, wholesale, and corporate markets, paving the way to financial independence.
Our Collection
Our sustainable curated collection is artisanally handcrafted using traditional techniques and native South American materials
Our contemporary designs celebrate organic textures and natural tones to create unique Artisan pieces for a modern luxe aesthetic
Our collection includes Fashion, Homewares and Celebration Décor
Our Artisans
Our Colombian Artisan partners are highly skilled craftspeople, who have learned their skills and techniques at home from their family traditions
Most Artisans have had little education, which results in limited employment opportunities
However, they proudly operate their traditional handcrafted businesses to create an income stream to support their families
Our Commitment
The Casa Bonita collection is built upon a foundation of ethical and sustainable practices, quality handcrafted products and respect for the Artisans and Indigenous women and their cultural identity
We are committed to our progressive partnerships with 250+ South American Artisans and Indigenous women, our customers, community and the environment
Your Impact
Your purchase from Casa Bonita:
- provides financial security to artisans and Indigenous tribes and their families
- empowers women’s economical independence
- evokes self value and quality of life for the artisans
- creates legitimate employment opportunities for their communities
- supports environmentally friendly business practices
- encourages creativity, and a sense of personal and group pride
- acknowledges cultural identity and traditions
- preserves and shares ancestral and Indigenous techniques for future generations
Our Founder
Liliana Bravo founded Casa Bonita in 2019
She is a Colombian born migrant women and lives in Melbourne with her family
Casa Bonita is a reflection of her heart and her passion for empowering South American women
This devotion inspired her to open several pop ups and retail outlets in order to support Artisans and Indigenous women-led businesses, by selling their products to empower them and improve their quality of life
The Casa Bonita team is proud to have evolved into Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing Managers who connect businesses with socially conscious events and business coaching programs to empower Latin American, migrant and local women to achieve financial independence, create thriving businesses and feel more connected to culture and community
Learn more about Sustainability Hub, events and programs here
Keep connected with Liliana via Linkedin
OUR STORY
Liliana Bravo
Founder of Casa Bonita's Social Enterprise and Empowerment Hub
Social Leader and Entrepreneur
Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing and Delivering Artisan wholesale products, socially conscious events and business coaching programs
✅ Multicultural Excellence in Business Award 2021 Recipient
✅ Maribyrnong City Council Business Awards 2022 Nominee
As a Colombian Australian, Liliana is an authentic and powerful voice for the Latin American and migrant women in Australia. She has designed and delivered recognised and innovative events and programs that have created cultural, social and economic impact.
Liliana founded and self funded the Casa Bonita Empowerment Hub in Seddon in 2020.
This was a multicultural retail shop, showcasing authentic Artisan products and the most unique empowerment hub in the inner west of Melbourne, where the local community learned about culture and the impact that a purchase can create for a migrant woman's life.
Liliana developed an award winning and innovative business model which economically empowers more than 250 Artisan led businesses in South America and local migrant women's microbusinesses to access the retail sector.
As a social entrepreneur, Liliana has created alliances, events, programs and procedures to break down barriers for Latin American and migrant women to access commercial opportunities to achieve financial independence through their thriving businesses.
Liliana’s community engagement skills have allowed her to effectively collaborate with both the private and public sectors to coordinate medium to large events and business coaching programs. This has resulted in fostering women’s empowerment, social cohesion, cultural diversity, sense of belonging, and inclusion for Latin American, migrant and local Australian women.
It was a major achievement that Liliana launched this Cultural and Empowerment Hub just as Covid restrictions were starting. Within three years she managed to achieve 29 events bringing together and impacting 1,030 attendees plus a business program to economically empower 100+ local migrant women.
Core to the design and implementation of these events and programs, it encompassed frameworks that removed barriers for migrant Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women and communities to participate. This included women from Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, Somalia, Australia and the UK.
The events and programs proved to be highly successful with participants meeting their new business partners and establishing three new retail businesses, after attending a Casa Bonita event or program.
This progressive and inclusive approach, fills a gap in the retail landscape for local migrant women. This business model was a first, unique and it integrated participants and communities by nurturing and celebrating all heritages and culture.
📺 Media Appearances
👉 The Good People Podcast
I May 2023
Having experienced first hand the challenges faced by Culturally And Linguistically Diverse women (CALD), Liliana has now made it her mission to help other migrant women to become successful in business, creating an empowerment hub, and running educational courses and training, plus retail and wholesale channels for them to sell their craft and creations.
📽️ Watch Interview here
👉 Multicultural Awards for Excellence recipients I December 2021
👉 SBS Interview
I April 2021
Migrant businesswomen are showcasing their talents at a unique Melbourne enterprise Despite their talents and skills, many migrant and refugee women encounter barriers to entrepreneurship when they come to Australia. But efforts are underway to level the playing field.
📽️ Watch Interview here 🔗 Read the article here
👉 Maribyrnong City Council
I March 2021
Recipient of the 2021 Business Award, recognising businesses that deliver exceptional service to multicultural communities in Victoria and champion diversity in the workplace..
🔗 Read the award detail here
👉 WestSider
I Local Newspaper
Making business work, when English is your second language.
🔗 Read the article here
👉 Latin Stories Australia I March 2021
Liliana Bravo Quiroz – ‘It is through the challenges I experienced as a working migrant mum in Australia that I developed my business idea’
🔗 Read the article here