William Bissell is a distinguished entrepreneur and social innovator who currently serves as the Chairman of Fabindia, a company he transformed into India’s largest private retail platform for craft-based and lifestyle products. His career is rooted in a mission to foster sustainable economic development in rural India, creating a market-driven link between traditional craft-based producers and contemporary urban consumers.
After graduating from Wesleyan University, Bissell immediately returned to India to set up and head the Bhadrajun Artisans Trust (BAT), an Artisans Cooperative of leatherworkers and weavers in Rajasthan, experimenting with various forms of community ownership for nearly a decade. He took over as Managing Director of Fabindia in 1999, scaling the company from a handful of stores to over 260 stores across 98 cities in India and 11 outlets abroad, ensuring rural livelihoods and emphasizing an alternative to the mass-produced.
His commitment to social impact is internationally recognized. In 2012, he was awarded the Entrepreneur with Social Impact award by Forbes. He is the author of Making India Work, a book that provides a rigorous, necessary re-think on the issues facing the country, drawing from his experience of working directly with over 40,000 rural craftspeople. He also acquired Organic India and is an active angel investor in the startup ecosystem.
As a speaker, William Bissell draws on his decades of experience in community development and corporate strategy to provide profound insights into social entrepreneurship, market-based development, and leadership. He inspires audiences by demonstrating how organizations can be both commercially successful and structurally committed to creating viable market access and ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods.
