Not able to organize physical workshops for its business partners in India, Women on Wings is using its recently launched online community platform to connect partners and experts. Also, online workshops are being organized, like on Friday April 17, 2020 when forty three participants found each other in an online CEO Summit, a first of its kind.
Sharing challenges and solutions
Participants to the online CEO Summit comprised social entrepreneurs, experts and the Women on Wings team. They discussed challenges, ideas and first successes with regards to COVID-19, and jointly looked for solutions and synergy. Many of the Women on Wings business partners that operate in the textiles and handicrafts sector, have now shifted to making personal protection equipment (PPE) like face masks, gloves and body suits.
Crisis management learnings
Women on Wings is well aware of the challenges its partners in India are facing due to lockdown. Many are similar, like cash flow, loss of business, supply chain disruptions, etc.. The Women on Wings’ experts who joined in the online CEO Summit are all entrepreneurs themselves and they could share a number of solutions that had helped their businesses and could also work for most business partners in India. Like how to support staff that is tested positive for corona virus, or request suppliers or landlords to relax payments.
Sharing orders
Other challenges and ideas came from specific topics, like logistics and organic food products. During the CEO Summit it was decided to create two closed group at Women on Wings’ online community platform for those partners making PPE and for those in organic food sector and to continue the discussions there. The PPE making partners already have a lot of information available and they will use the closed group to share instructions on how to make gloves, masks, 3D shields and body suits and also to share orders and source for fabrics amongst the partners.
