1124: PRESERVING CULTURE through entrepreneurship (and a fully-funded Kickstarter campaign!) w/ Nadine Zaza

What if entrepreneurship could be a tool for preserving cultural heritage? That’s exactly what Nadine Zaza, founder of Culture Crate, is doing. With a background in architecture, human-centered design, and cultural strategy, Nadine has built a mission-driven business that brings intangible cultural heritage to life through experiential learning kits.

In this episode, Nadine shares her journey from working with refugee educators to building a business that safeguards cultural traditions—all while successfully launching a crowdfunded Kickstarter campaign. Whether you’re passionate about mission-driven business, crowdfunding, or education, you’ll walk away inspired by her insights on building a purpose-driven brand that makes a lasting impact.

💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business

🔹 How to turn your passion for social impact into a business model
🔹 What it takes to run a successful Kickstarter campaign (and why it validates your idea)
🔹 The power of human-centered design in product creation and how to use it
🔹 Why storytelling is your most valuable marketing asset (and how Nadine leveraged it)
🔹 How to ethically source materials and build a values-aligned supply chain
🔹 The importance of co-designing with the communities you serve

📝 About Nadine Zaza

Nadine Zaza is a designer, entrepreneur, and cultural strategist dedicated to preserving and celebrating global heritage through experiential learning. She founded Culture Crate in 2021, drawing from her experiences working with refugees, using design as a tool for social and cultural engagement, and her time at MIT, where she earned a Master of Science in Engineering and Management with a focus on human-centered design, entrepreneurship, and cultural preservation. With a background in Architecture and Design from RISD, she merges design thinking, storytelling, and business strategy to create impactful ways for people to engage with intangible cultural heritage. As an MIT-trained entrepreneur, she has built a mission-driven business, secured funding, and navigated the complexities of launching a social enterprise. She has pitched Culture Crate at SXSW EDU and successfully reached her Kickstarter funding goal, further solidifying her vision of making cultural traditions more accessible, interactive, and sustainable for future generations.

🎯 Nadine’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs

"The greatest power and impact you can have is through listening. Put your product down, put your vision down, and just listen."

📢 Memorable Quotes

🗣️ “Mission-driven entrepreneurship isn’t just a buzzword—it’s about co-designing with the communities you serve.” – Nadine Zaza

🗣️ “Education and tradition can coexist—our role as entrepreneurs is to make that connection tangible and accessible.” – Nadine Zaza

🗣️ “We don’t want to wait until cultural traditions are extinct to start preserving them.” – Nadine Zaza

💡 Actionable Takeaways

✅ Thinking of launching a product? Crowdfunding is a powerful way to validate market demand
✅ Want to build a mission-driven brand? Co-create with the communities you serve
✅ Struggling with marketing? Use storytelling to make your mission resonate
✅ Looking to make an impact? Find ways to make tradition relevant and accessible for modern audiences

🔗 Links & Resources

• Make a Pledge for Culture Crate in Kickstarter
• Follow Culture Crate on Instagram
• Visit Culture Crate’s Website