Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Viola Sutanto. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Viola, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

From home studios to co-working spaces… to airports and school pick-ups. We are all modern nomads. And we need functional tools to help us navigate the hectic. This was the inspiration for MAIKA.
I come from a family with over 4 decades of global experience in the luxury bags and lifestyle industry. While I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the beauty and quality of high-end craftsmanship and materials, the price points of these beautiful goods felt elusive. My vision is to bring well-designed, sustainably-made products that are used everyday to the marketplace. As a working professional, multi-tasking mom and avid athlete, I wanted products that could seamlessly fit into my busy lifestyle. After speaking to countless of our customers, it was clear that they too wanted the same: tools that are functional without forsaking style, utility without excess.

But what truly crystalized this vision was an unexpected turning point: our daughter’s battle with a life-threatening illness. During the months of her hospitalization, I was blown away by how she took on the biggest fight of her life. Instead of wallowing in the situation, she managed to find joy everyday in the most challenging time of her life.

It made me realize the power of finding big joy in small moments. Imagine a universe imbued with optimism. This is our mission: spreading small joys everyday.

We make good design accessible for everyone by translating them into useful, delightful everyday goods. This is the soul of MAIKA, where luxury meets everyday life, and where every day is a playground for spreading small joys.

Viola, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the founder and designer behind MAIKA, a stylish and sustainable bag and accessories brand inspired by delightful travel and everyday living. Coming from a long line of product entrepreneurs in my family, I always knew I wanted to own my own creative business. However, like many things in life, it took a few detours before MAIKA was born.

As a working professional, multi-tasking mom and avid athlete, I wanted tools that could seamlessly fit into my busy lifestyle. Tools that are both functional and stylish. Affordable and not too precious. With that mission in mind, I designed my first MAIKA bag— delightful, hand drawn patterns, thoughtfully designed details and sustainably made.

Today, we are primarily a soft goods brand, but our mission really is about spreading small joys everyday. How? Making good design accessible for everyone by translating them into useful, delightful everyday goods.

One of the proudest moments in the history of MAIKA is our partnership with Make-a-Wish with the launch of the “Maika’s Wish” collection. This collection was inspired by our daughter, Maika and her wish. When she was diagnosed with aplastic anemia (bone marrow failure) in 2019, Maika was connected to Make-a-Wish. Her wish was to create a giant mural with an inspiring quote so that, in her words, “… anyone walking by would be lifted by it.”

With the help of Make-A-Wish, Maika and I designed her mural and enlisted the help of our community to paint it together. Today, Maika’s mural lives in our hometown of Oakland. But the story doesn’t end there.

As a brand, we got inspired to design an exclusive collection for Make-A-Wish and launched a national partnership with them. And now, with every purchase you make from that collection, we make a direct donation back to MAW so they can continue to grant more wishes to more sick kids.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The E-myth, Michael Gerber Company of One, Paul Jarvis
Atomic Habits, James Clear
The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maikagoods.com
• Instagram: @maikagoods
• Facebook: @maikagoods