Aida Maldonado

Revitalized Andean textile traditions while creating economic opportunities for indigenous women in Peru

Aida Maldonado is a Peruvian social entrepreneur who founded Mishky Peru, an ethical fashion brand that empowers Quechua and Aymara women through traditional weaving techniques. Starting in 2015, she established a cooperative system connecting over 300 artisans from remote highland communities with global markets. Mishky Peru's signature chulli hats and alpaca wool garments have appeared in Vogue and been worn by celebrities like Emma Watson. Maldonado developed a unique payment model that guarantees 60% of final sales go directly to artisans, significantly above industry standards. Her initiative also includes a women's leadership academy teaching financial literacy and design innovation. By 2019, Mishky had enabled artisans to increase their average income by 300%, while preserving endangered weaving patterns like the q'ente technique. Maldonado's work was honored with the Earth Hour Hero Award and featured in National Geographic. She currently advocates for UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work) through her Threads of Change initiative.