Good and Green
The Good and Green Podcast, hosted by sustainability advocate Chit Juan, was created for the purpose of helping social entrepreneurs overcome challenges and grow impactful ventures that drive meaningful change. Each week, we share the tools, strategies, and stories that empower changemakers to build businesses with purpose. Whether you're launching your dream social enterprise or looking for fresh inspiration, this podcast is your go-to space for practical insights and uplifting conversations. Let's create a brighter, more sustainable future together!
Good and Green
Episode 27: The Quest To Bring Filipino Weaves To The World Stage with Anya Lim
Chit Juan speaks with Anya Lim, co-founder of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery, about how she’s preserving Filipino weaving traditions through sustainable fashion and community enterprise. Anya shares how ANTHILL empowers artisans—especially women—by providing market access, entrepreneurial training, and circular design opportunities. She also opens up about the challenges of running a social enterprise, including navigating the pandemic and addressing issues like fabric counterfeiting, while staying rooted in cultural heritage and purpose-driven work.
GUEST BIO:
Anya Lim is the co-founder of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery, a pioneering social enterprise that champions Filipino weaving traditions and empowers craft communities through sustainable livelihood and community enterprise building. With a Master’s in Communications for Social Change from the University of Queensland, Anya merges contemporary and circular design with grassroots impact. Her work focuses on women’s economic empowerment and market access for artisans, earning her numerous accolades including the 2016 Young Entrepreneur of Cebu, a 2020 GSBI-Miller Center Fellowship, and the 2023 Ramon V. Del Rosario Siklab Award for Impact Entrepreneurship. Anya is a recognized leader in the intersection of fashion, sustainability, and social change.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- The origin of ANTHILL and its mission to preserve Philippine weaving.
- How cultural exposure, family legacy, and volunteerism inspired Anya’s path.
- The challenges and breakthroughs of introducing weaves to the fashion mainstream.
- Community-based innovations like the Master and Apprentice Program.
- The impact of technology on indigenous textiles.
- How ANTHILL survived the pandemic by putting people before profit.
- Anya’s three wishes for the future of circular fashion and cultural continuity.
QUOTES:
- Our living tradition of weaving is dying, and a lot of those who weave are already in their elder years. — Anya Lim
- Anthill became one of the pioneer brands that really used weaves for contemporary wear that was accessible to everyday wear. — Anya Lim
- We call them our business partners because we don't just procure fabrics from them. — Anya Lim
- It's the right time to be doing this because there's a lot of people also who are wanting to wear weaves. — Anya Lim
- The good thing is people are already accepting native weaves as everyday wear. — Chit Juan
- We want to bring our weaves to the world. — Anya Lim
LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Connect with Anya Lim:
- ANTHILL Fabrics Website - https://anthillfabrics.com
- ANTHILL Fabrics on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthillfabric
- Anya Lim on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joyanyalim/
- ANTHILL Fabrics on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AnthillFabricGallery
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