Meet the founders

NILA TANZIL

Nila left behind her corporate career to follow her passion for helping the children of Indonesia reach their maximum potential. As the founder of Taman Bacaan Pelangi (Rainbow Reading Garden), she has spent much of her career visiting off-the-grid villages without access to electricity or the Internet, and she has connected with the citizens of these villages personally.

Tanatenun serves as the culmination of years of travel and hours of conversation with locals in remote villages throughout Indonesia. By creating an opportunity for the women of Indonesia to create their own pathway to financial security, Nila believes that she can do her part to build a stronger future for generations to come.

Through her many initiatives, Nila was named amongst Forbes Indonesia’s 10 Inspiring Women, “The Kartini Next Generation 2013: Inspiring Woman in ICT for Community Development” by the Ministry of Woman Empowerment & Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia, and was named both an Eisenhower Fellow and an Atlantic Fellow.

Nila holds an M.A. in European Communication Studies from University of Amsterdam, and a B.A. in International Relations from Parahyangan University, Indonesia. She is an author of three books and enjoys reading bedtime stories to her 5-year-old daughter every night.

MELWITA MAHADI

Wita grew up among her proud, strong, and impassioned Minangkabau family, the West Sumatra indigenous tribe. She spent time with her activist family, promoting and protecting their traditional knowledge. Over time, this has developed to become a drive to support and honor the women of Indonesia.

From a young age, influenced by her community and family, Wita was driven to preserve the traditions she was raised with, all while sharing the beauty and resiliency of her culture with the entire world. To this day, she continues to immerse herself in an atmosphere aimed to elevate forgotten local traditions and to improve the livelihood of local families.

With 15 years of experience in consulting and supply chain at companies such as Apple and Deloitte, Wita understands the importance of attention to details, delivering high-quality products, and customer experience. Today, Wita strives to use her knowledge to provide Indonesian women a vehicle to showcase their talents, passions, and creations globally.

Wita holds a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech and proudly shares her passion for culture with her two children.