Founder, Earth Heir
Sasibai Kimis, the founder of social enterprise Earth Heir, gave up a successful career in finance to make a difference in Malaysia. In her early career she worked in Ghana with the UN, as an investment banking analyst at Lehman Brothers in New York and headed a private-equity team at First Avenue Partners LLP in London. She then returned to Malaysia to work at Khazanah Nasional as vice-president in the investments division.
In 2013, Kimis founded Earth Heir, creating a Malaysian luxury craftsmanship brand that produced contemporary bags, accessories and lifestyle products. The brand aimed to establish sustainable livelihoods to support traditional artisans and marginalised communities, while showcasing and preserving heritage craftmanship. Today, Earth Heir has impacted more than 500 artisans across six states in Malaysia and is fair-trade certified.
For her commendable efforts, Sasi, as she is affectionately known, was recognised as one of Wharton’s 40 Under 40 and was awarded an Eishenhower Fellowship in 2015.
Awards
2015
Entrepreneur for Good—British Council & Arthur Guinness Project
2015
Eisenhower Fellow
Did You Know?
Kimis left Malaysia when she was 13 and didn’t return until she was 29. An economics graduate from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA, she also holds a Master’s in Environment and Development from Cambridge University, UK.