Sasha Titchkosky is one of those rare people who emits the most radiant, positive energy. Our conversation was so brilliant, and I left feeling completely inspired about the incredible opportunities that come when companies embed social impact into their business.
After originally training as a lawyer and accountant, in the year 2000, Sasha left the corporate world behind to launch Koskela with her husband, Russell.
From those humble beginnings almost 20 years ago, the company has grown to a nationally recognised brand, with a team of 30 staff, a huge 2000 square metre showroom in Sydney’s Rosebery, and a strong customer base across both commercial and residential interiors, and more recently, the education sector.
Koskela believes that great design can be used to effect social change, and have demonstrated this, with their decade-long commitment to collaborating with Indigenous Australian craftspeople. This wide-reaching commitment has seen Sasha and her team travel to some of the most remote parts of Australia, working to develop handwoven lighting and homewares with Indigenous communities.
This month, Koskela are celebrating ten years of social impact, with the release of ‘Ngalya’, a spectacular new lighting range that brings together artists from six art centres around the country. Each piece combines ancient craftsmanship techniques with contemporary design, all whilst creating real income earning opportunities for Indigenous creatives.
It was an absolute joy to speak with Sasha, and to hear first hand about how Koskela has been able to develop longterm, meaningful and profitable social impact projects. Truly inspiring stuff!
