Teaching Note: To pivot or persevere? Strategic choices for a social entrepreneur at KRETO Available to Purchase

Shabeena Sultana, founder of the Knowledge Resource Enabled Trade Organization (KRETO), rose from a modest background to establish a social enterprise committed to empowering women through economic inclusion and trade literacy. Since its incorporation in 2021, KRETO has convened international forums, mentored women entrepreneurs and mobilized over ₹1.2 crore in rural investments by 2023. Inspired by a personal encounter with a former domestic worker who was skilled in sericulture, Shabeena envisions setting up a silk-rearing venture in Basaralu, Karnataka – a project that promises rural employment but is constrained by systemic challenges, including entrenched gender norms, limited land access, capital...