The Rising Strategy

To Promote Women-Owned Businesses, Globally and Locally

Globally: Women-Owned Handicraft Businesses in Developing Countries

Research indicates that when women from developing nations own businesses, birth rates decrease, infant mortality decreases, family health improves, loans are repaid, business grows and economic benefit spreads. Rising believes that, over time, targeting the development of women-owned businesses will create a significant global decrease in poverty, hunger and disease in the countries and regions where this strategy is employed. Furthermore, Rising International's model will lead to wealth creation in impoverished areas on a village-by-village, city-by-city basis. This will occur as each self-sustaining business-owner becomes a consumer of services and goods in her own community.

Although the majority of women in the developing world are illiterate, they do have remarkable skills: All over the world, the poorest women in the world create exquisite crafts, whether they are traditional or contemporary, decorative or practical. Rising provides market access for selling these crafts by tapping into one of the world's most successful business models – the home party model.

Locally: Women-Owned Rising Businesses

Rising Representatives have the unique opportunity to promote and sell beautiful handicrafts made by the poorest women in the world, while earning extra income from craft sales as independent contractors. Anyone can become a Rising Representative and earn extra income while changing the world and helping women from across the globe.

Rising has developed a special program to train low-income individuals, especially women and teens, living in the U.S. to become Rising Representatives. This program is about women helping women rise of out poverty. Currently, 74% of our Rising representatives come from low income backgrounds.

To Create Opportunity For Cross-Cultural Connections

We believe one of the most powerful ways to help someone is to get to know them. At each home party, guests hear the remarkable life stories of the craftswomen and their families. In addition, Rising Home Parties often feature a guest speaker from an area of the world where the crafts are produced who shares personal stories about his or her homeland, daily life, and the particular crafts featured for sale.

To Support Poverty Reduction Programs

Proceeds from home party events support the most innovative and effective programs designed to change the face of poverty. We support programs in the following areas:

•  Poverty Reduction/Alleviation

•  Gender Equality

•  Sustainable Development

•  Health and Population

•  Education

•  Global Community

•  Equal Access to Technology

•  Women's Empowerment

•  Micro Lending

To Create A Global Network For Ending Poverty

The home party business model allows Rising to create a powerful and enormous network of people joined together for a common goal. In 2002, Pampered Chef held more than 1 million home parties in the United States alone. If just five people attended Rising parties and each person were educated about global poverty, 5 million Americans per year could help make the end of poverty a reality. In just 5 years of operation, Rising will have educated 25 million people (just in the United States). Rising has plans to operate in at least as many countries as Avon (145 countries).