NOVICA.com, the Premier Online Marketplace for WorldArt, Announces Major Expansion, Humanitarian...

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2000

NOVICA.com, the online global marketplace linking customers directly to extraordinary artists and artisans for authentic hand-crafted goods, announced its expansion to ten regions worldwide today and launched The Wander

The company plans to continue its growth by adding seven new regions per year.

"We always dreamed of creating a bridge between artisans and consumers around the world," said Roberto Milk, the company's president. "Now, through NOVICA, thousands of artisans from remote areas are able to sell their works internationally, earning much more than they would locally. At the same time, visitors to the site can learn about these individual artists and purchase beautiful handmade objects directly from the people who created them -- and pay much less than typical retail import prices."

NOVICA.com was founded in 1998 to empower artists in developing countries by providing them with a global marketplace -- helping to cultivate a resurgence in traditional cultures and art forms by making it economically feasible, in many cases, for artisans to return to their native crafts. NOVICA.com artists set their own prices and each have their own Web page on the site. Visitors can purchase thousands of exotic items, including hand-thrown ceramic vases from Venezuela, alpaca tapestries and flutes from the Andes, hand-dyed linens and cushions from Indonesia, exotic carvings from Brazil, hand-woven clove baskets from Bali, wire art from Zimbabwe, original oil paintings and djembe drums from Ghana, and hand-woven traditional clothing from around the world.

"Our goal was to create a revolutionary system," said Milena Nercessian, co-founder and general manager of NOVICA. "We want to change the world -- to do something really powerful to improve people's lives -- in a big way. Growing up with a mother who worked in human rights, I was exposed to many different social and economic conflicts. Yet I saw few real, permanent solutions. That is why we founded NOVICA -- to provide business opportunities, rather than handouts, to artists worldwide."

THE WANDER WOMAN'S ADVENTURES

More than an e-commerce site, NOVICA leads customers on a cultural journey into the lives of the artists and their countries. In addition to meeting the artists and viewing their respective Web pages on the NOVICA site, visitors to the site now also escape into a world of exotic travel adventures. Each month, NOVICA.com's mysterious Wander Woman, a world traveler who has explored 39 countries to date, takes visitors on new adventures into remote regions throughout the world. NOVICA visitors follow The Wander Woman's expeditions deep into the Amazon, wine and dine with her in the homes of Ghanaian artists and international political figures, sail with her beside Balinese fishermen, and each month explore a new territory -- and its peoples, cultures, histories, and politics.

ABOUT THE FOUNDERS

Armenia Nercessian de Oliveira, Co-founder and President of International Operations

Before co-founding NOVICA, Armenia Nercessian de Oliveira worked to resolve conflicts and defend human rights as a United Nations Officer -- serving in war-torn countries around the world. During her 16 years with the U.N., Armenia was recognized as the ideal person for hardship posts and difficult peace missions. Her often life-threatening work included mediating tense standoffs between governments and armed rebel groups. As president of international operations, Armenia lives "on the road," spearheading NOVICA's development of new regional offices worldwide.

Milena Nercessian, Co-founder and General Manager

Before co-founding NOVICA, Milena Nercessian worked as a professional stage and screen actress in Brazil and El Salvador. Brazilian by birth and a U.S. citizen by marriage, Milena grew up as an "international," living in Brazil, Switzerland, El Salvador, and the United States. As the daughter of a U.N. human rights officer, Milena lived a childhood filled with beauty, drama, death threats -- and plenty of politics. Milena speaks four languages -- and serves as an outstanding role model for young women worldwide.

Roberto Milk, Co-founder and President

Prior to co-founding NOVICA, Roberto Milk worked as a strategic planning consultant for the entertainment industry and as an investment banker for Prudential Securities, helping raise over $1 billion in capital markets transactions, M&A transactions, and venture capital financing. Milk has founded several companies, including Wall Street Advisors LLC, and has worked for the National Tax Department of Peru and the International Relations Department of San Antonio, Texas. Peruvian-American Milk grew up immersed in two cultures across two continents. An avid traveler and writer, Milk has written about and dreamed of creating an economic development model for artisans in Peru and other developing nations around the world. He received his bachelor of arts in international relations with honors from Stanford University.

NOVICA.com

NOVICA.com, headquartered in Los Angeles, has offices in El Salvador, Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, and is continuously opening offices in new regions. The company expects to work with more than 2,500 artisans by August of 2000. The NOVICA.com Web site currently displays thousands of items, all of which are 100% satisfaction guaranteed and shipped directly from the region of origin to customers around the world.