It all started with a beach. When Almira worked in Wakatobi, she was struck by what she saw: beautiful, clear water on the surface, but underneath, a sea of trash. “It just feels wrong!” she says. That moment changed her path, pushing her to find better ways to package things without harming the environment.
Long before Wakatobi, Almira’s path to sustainable entrepreneurship was rooted in design and problem-solving. While studying at ITB, she focused on waste management and developed innovations like charcoal water purifiers from bamboo production waste. Her passion for sustainability led her to collaborate with SMEs in remote areas, helping them create products from local materials or materials that would otherwise go to waste.
In 2019, Almira and her friends founded Plépah—a company that transforms discarded areca palm leaves into biodegradable packaging. Instead of changing people’s behaviour in throwing plastics/packaging irresponsibly, why not change what they throw away instead.
Her idea was straightforward: help farmers earn money from things they usually burn away, without adding to their workload. “I wanted to make sure we could help them earn more without adding too much to their plate,” she explains.
Almira’s journey with Plépah was not without its challenges. She faced numerous obstacles, from sourcing raw materials to managing logistics and educating the market. Despite support from various accelerator programs and media coverage exposure, price sensitivity remained a major hurdle. On top of that, her experiences with commercial investors highlighted another challenge. Many focused on exponential growth rather than long-term impact, making it difficult for her to stay true to her mission.
At the same time, Almira’s experience as a woman co-founder led her to recognize the specific challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. She realized that businesses like Plépah needed more than just funding. They needed mentorship, strategic guidance, and patient capital.
This realization ultimately led Almira to Terratai. She was assigned to manage Terratai’s initiative with Investing in Women, which provides not only funding access but also business strategies for women-led businesses. “I’ve always been curious about how a business model like Terratai’s could truly help social entrepreneurs succeed,” she says.
Having walked the challenging path of building a social enterprise, Almira understands how rare it is to find investors who truly understand the complexities. “Running a social business can be isolating. You don’t always have people to talk to, and many investors expects exponential growth without fully understanding or being actively involved in the process. What Terratai does is exactly what so many ventures need.”
“And knowing that we’re providing them with the tools, resources, and support to scale effectively, it’s fulfilling in a way I couldn’t have imagined before joining Terratai!” Almira says.
Today, as a Venture Portfolio Manager at Terratai, Almira uses her experiences to help other social enterprises succeed. In her current role, she brings not just expertise but deep empathy in supporting other founders. For Almira, seeing new ideas grow into impactful businesses isn’t just work. It’s the continuation of that pivotal moment on a Wakatobi beach, where she first decided to turn environmental challenges into opportunities for positive change.
Terratai is thrilled to have Almira on board. Her deep understanding of the challenges faced by social enterprises, combined with her passion for solving real-world problems, enables her to empathize with and effectively support the ventures in our portfolio.
