Revitalizing Ukrainian Textiles: Kateryna Banfi, Co-founder of Hereco

Welcome to the 5th edition of CheckPod, our weekly newsletter brought to you by Fitcheck. Here; we will engage with industry pioneers, startup founders, venture capitalists, and corporate executives in discussions about innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and much more.

At?Fitcheck, our goal is to build a superapp for sustainable fashion. We empower fashion resellers with social media-like features for promoting their products. Resellers can earn points by reducing carbon emissions, which are redeemable for cultural activities or donations to NGOs. We're backed by?Draper University,??Tü ?ekirdek, and?Microsoft for Startups.

In this edition, we're featuring Kateryna B. , co-founder of HERECO . With a focus on sustainability, she's using Ukrainian hemp to create a new way in the textile industry. Learn about Kateryna's journey and how HERECO is making a difference while supporting communities affected by war.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born in Ukraine but moved to the UK at the age of 16 and currently reside in Barcelona.

With a background in communication, I have spent the past 10 years focusing on operations, strategic partnerships, and supply chains.

As a sustainability consultant, I collaborate with fashion brands and textile manufacturers, developing strategies to minimize the negative environmental impact of the industry.

What’s Hereco?

Hereco stands for Hemp, Recovery, and Community.

Our mission is to address various challenges faced by the European textile industry by preserving and modernizing traditional hemp textile craft from Ukraine.

Currently, our focus is on repurposing ancient hand-loomed hemp stocks to establish a garment production in Ukraine, providing support to women affected by war.

Our ultimate goal is to create a holistic fair trade hemp textile production process from seed to final garment in Ukraine.

What inspired the idea behind Hereco?

When the war in Ukraine began, we, Ukrainians, found ourselves in a very dark and hopeless place.

The anger and hate were overwhelming, and each day it felt more helpless.

My work with brand-clients didn't seem to have a meaning any more.

When we discovered this incredible hand weaving techniques and the old stocks of the regenerative Ukrainian hemp, we felt inspired to tell the story about our women and about our ancient textile craft.

As professionals in the textile field, we understood the great value and uniqueness of this material and the resources that our home country represents.

The project embodies all the values and positive intentions of our team, making it a meaningful endeavor.

What was your biggest challenge in creating a sustainable supply chain for Hereco, and how did you overcome it?

Our most significant challenge was maintaining a fair trade approach, a core value of our business.

Ensuring fair compensation for the material and garment workers often made our project less competitive compared to market prices.

To address this, we choose radical transparency in pricing, openly disclosing our direct expenses and commissions. We believe this honesty and commitment to our values helps us overcome the challenge.

For individuals or businesses that want to shift to a more sustainable model, what advice or first steps would you suggest????

I usually advise my clients to really think and understand what motivates them besides money.

Sustainability is a broad term that tends to be widely misinterpreted. Therefore, shifting towards a sustainable model requires prioritization based on the company's/individual's core values.

We naturally tend to be more concerned over the subjects that affect us personally. Identifying those areas of interest proves to be the most effective way to “shift the boat”.?

Our generations tend to be very distanced from the struggles of the world, comfortably convinced by “it’s not me, it’s them” and “it won’t make any difference” approach.

It is crucial that an individual and/or business accepts that every action has consequences, and that there’s always someone/something down the line that pays the price. With that, taking deliberate and gradual steps while evaluating each decision based on its impact can lead to successful and sustainable transformation.

Who or what inspires you the most?

My biggest inspiration is my mother. She single-handedly raised my brother and I, meanwhile working in labs, writing her PHD thesis.

She fought against pharmaceutical companies for fair medical treatment of HIV positive people, qualified as psychologist, helped hundreds of people with therapy, became a published writer, artist and even today continue to evolve and learn new things every day.

Her infinite curiosity and positive outlook on life serve as a constant source of motivation for me.

What are you listening to these days??

DakhaBrakha?

What are you watching these days??

I enjoy DW documentaries and Great Art Explained youtube channel.?

What’s one habit that improves your productivity??

I make it a point to avoid work during the weekends and spend time in nature, away from devices. This allows me to recharge and start the new week with renewed energy and determination.

How do you incorporate sustainability in your daily life?

I practice "active choice" as a consumer, evaluating every decision to differentiate between "wants" and "needs."

For instance, I have not consumed meat for more than half of my life, and I've learned to sew and stopped buying new clothes.

I prioritize local consumption and make thoughtful decisions when it comes to travel.

Quote that you love?

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” by William Morris?