Responsibility begins when people are given an opportunity

What does responsible entrepreneurship actually mean today?
For us at KoKoTé, it means far more than just sustainable materials or local production. Responsibility is evident where business, humanity, and future prospects come together.

KoKoTé is part of Association Equilibre —an organization dedicated to promoting employment and education for people with refugee backgrounds. The focus is particularly on women over the age of 26, who often lack access to recognized training or the Swiss job market. The goal is to create opportunities through education, practical work experience, and personalized support. That’s why our workshop produces not only bags and accessories, but also new opportunities. Here, people don’t just learn a craft; they also regain confidence in their own abilities. For us, responsibility means bringing potential to light—regardless of where someone comes from.

Beatriz is a great example of this. She came to Switzerland as a refugee from Colombia in 2020—without her family, but with a big dream and the hope of a new life. Suddenly, she found herself in a foreign country, facing linguistic, cultural, and personal challenges. She not only had to learn German and find her way in a new society, but also had to find a way to become self-reliant and independent.

With a great deal of dedication, perseverance, and craftsmanship, she successfully completed her training as a textile technician (EBA). Today, Beatriz is the assistant production manager at our factory in Schattdorf and the assistant manager of our studio at the Kaiserhaus. Her story is a powerful illustration of how important genuine opportunities, personalized support, and trust are.

This philosophy is particularly evident at Kaiserhaus Bern: a place where sustainable design, circular thinking, craftsmanship, and social responsibility come together. Here, not only are products with character created, but also encounters, exchanges, and new approaches. And so it was a logical step for the Association Equilibre, together with the CircularLAB association, to work toward bringing the women’s empowerment project to Bern and further developing it. And it has been a success: At the Kaiserhaus Bern, too, women over the age of 26 with refugee backgrounds are given the opportunity to gain practical experience at KoKoTé and with other partners and to begin vocational training. Two suitable women with refugee backgrounds are already being evaluated. One of the women is expected to begin vocational training as early as August 2026. The second participant will complete a part-time internship while simultaneously improving her German language skills, with the goal of also starting vocational training in retail at the Kaiserhaus in 2027.

We are very pleased that the success story that began in the canton of Uri can now continue in Bern as well.