International Women’s Day: Meet Kari Masson of Kayoong

International Women’s Day is a chance to celebrate women who are building bold, practical, life-giving work in their communities. This year, we’re marking IWD by launching a four-week series featuring female founders we’re honored to know and work with through Threads by Nomad, the social enterprise that helps fund The Off Ramp’s mission.

Each week, we’ll share a founder interview, tell the story behind her work, and spotlight a small collection of products on the Threads by Nomad website. During each feature week, those products will be discounted 20% to help more people discover and support her work.

We’re beginning the series with someone we’ve admired for a long time: Kari Masson, co-founder of Kayoong.

Kayoong: Sustainable craft, dignified work, scholarships for children

Kayoong is a sustainable social enterprise based in Dakar, Senegal, pioneering a distinctive technique: crocheted wax print. What started as a response to a real, local need has grown into an internationally recognized brand, with products sold across Africa, Europe, and the United States.

But Kayoong’s work has never been only about making beautiful things.

Kayoong exists to provide flexible, dignified employment for women in vulnerable situations, while also funding scholarships for orphans and children of widows. That blend of artistry and impact is exactly why Threads by Nomad is proud to carry Kayoong’s products.

Founder Interview: Kari Masson, Co-Founder of Kayoong

Your story: What are you building, and what first pushed you to start?

I helped build Kayoong, a sustainable social enterprise in Senegal, West Africa, that provides flexible, dignified employment for women in vulnerable situations while funding scholarships for orphans and children of widows. I started after seeing widows and single mothers around me who needed income they could earn from home, and believing that together we could create something that is both beautiful and economically transformative using locally sourced materials.

What matters most: What’s one value you won’t compromise on in your work (and why)?

I won’t take an order or commission whose margins fall short of our goal, because every piece we create must meaningfully contribute to funding scholarships for students as well as providing employment for women in vulnerable situations.

A moment you’re proud of: What’s a win you want to celebrate?

My mind goes to being commissioned by CHANEL to make a very large custom piece for their showroom in Paris, but my heart goes to the scholarships funded by Kayoong, which have already provided more than 130 academic years of education for orphans and children of widows.

What you’ve learned: What’s one lesson you’ve learned the hard way that you’d share with another woman building something?

Innovative designs get copied. Prepare your response before it’s needed.

Just for fun: What’s your go-to snack or tiny ritual that keeps you going?

Lemonade with mint and basil, because it reminds me of my garden in Dakar—and possibly a handful of Fritos because I couldn’t get them easily in Senegal.

This week only: Kayoong is 20% off through Saturday at midnight

To celebrate International Women’s Day, all Kayoong products are 20% off on Threads by Nomad through Saturday night at midnight.

If you’ve been looking for a piece that’s functional, distinctive, and made with deep care—this is a good week to shop. Your purchase supports women artisans in Senegal and helps sustain the scholarship funding that’s central to Kayoong’s mission.

Follow along for the full series

This is Week One of our four-week International Women’s Day founder series. We’ll be publishing a new interview each week, sharing stories of women building meaningful work, and featuring their products in the Threads by Nomad shop.

If you’re part of The Off Ramp community, thank you. When you shop Threads by Nomad, share these stories, and help introduce these founders to others, you are supporting a bigger ecosystem of welcome, dignified work, and real opportunity.

Next week, we’ll introduce the next founder in the series.