Embedding authorship, origin, and value directly into every handmade piece.

At XTANT 2026 in Mallorca, We Are Legacy brings the power of the hand to the forefront- revealing the skill, time, and knowledge behind each piece. Through a new digital identity, every piece becomes directly connected to its maker, its materials, and its story.

Founded by Lesley Pennington, Robert Meeder, and Ma Steinsvik, We Are Legacy operates at the intersection of craft, technology, and cultural value. The platform assigns each handmade piece a Digital Product Identity- a structured and verifiable record that lives with the product itself.

At a time when global markets struggle to distinguish between mass production and genuine craft, We Are Legacy addresses a critical gap: the absence of visibility, traceability, and trust in handmade work.

“For too long, the work of the hand has been undervalued because it has been invisible,” says CEO Lesley Pennington. “This is about redefining how value is understood- placing artisans at the centre and making their work visible, verifiable, and trusted. In doing so, we recognise handmade work for what it truly is: sustainable, ethical, and shaped by time, care, and intention.”

Each product is embedded with a digital tag using NFC technology. Through a simple tap, users can access verified information across six areas: materials, maker, process, production context, value distribution, and impact. This is not storytelling layered on top, but structured data that travels with the piece.

The pilot

The initial pilot brings together ten studios from India, South Africa, Laos, Guatemala, Armenia, and Sri Lanka: Morii, Paiwand Studios, Aikyamatya Luxury, RaasLeela, Jaipur Rugs, Frances VH Mohair, Lao Textiles by Carol Cassidy, Que Onda Vos, The Rug Code, and Sonali Dharmawardena. Together, they demonstrate how digital identity can strengthen visibility, trust, and market access without compromising cultural integrity.

“In handmade work, as in art, the value lies in knowing who made it and why” says Frances VH, from Frances VH Mohair “ These digital tags ensure that the provenance, intention, and the people behind each piece are never lost, giving everyone involved a voice and a way to be seen.”

At XTANT, the works are presented in a physical installation where visitors can interact directly with objects and their digital identities, exploring the journey behind each piece.

Following the pilot, We Are Legacy will expand its network, refine its verification model, and explore integration with emerging frameworks such as the Digital Product Passport. The ambition is not to replace existing systems, but to strengthen them by ensuring that craft, culture, and human labour remain visible within increasingly digital supply chains.

We Are Legacy proposes a shift from anonymous production to visible authorship. When products and makers can speak for themselves, the market starts to listen differently.

Background

About We Are Legacy

The global value of the hand

We Are Legacy founded in Stockholm Sweden 2024, is a digital platform that assigns a verified identity to handmade products, creating a structured and traceable link between object, maker, and process. Through a simple tap or scan, each product reveals key information about its origin, production context, and the people behind it.

The platform is designed to strengthen visibility and recognition within the handmade sector by embedding this information directly into the object itself. It supports a clearer understanding of how value is created across craft ecosystems, particularly in decentralised production environments where that value is often fragmented or obscured.

Handmade production is not niche, it is a global economic system that supports millions of livelihoods, particularly for women in developing economies. When we recognise the true value of handmade work, we are not only preserving culture, we are strengthening local economies, enabling income generation, and creating more resilient, distributed forms of production that can adapt to global change.

According to UNESCO, cultural and creative industries account for around 3 percent of global GDP and employ over 30 million people worldwide, many within craft-based sectors. In countries such as India, handicrafts alone support more than 7 million artisans, while across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, craft remains a key source of income in informal and home-based economies. As highlighted by the World Bank, informal work represents over 60 percent of global employment, underscoring the role of handmade production in sustaining livelihoods, preserving cultural knowledge, and enabling participation in global markets.

System and application

We Are Legacy operates through a lightweight tagging system using NFC technology, connected to a custom mobile-accessible interface. The system is designed to be adaptable across different craft sectors and production scales, requiring minimal technical infrastructure from participating studios.

Its structure allows for consistent data capture and presentation, while remaining flexible enough to reflect diverse cultural contexts and production methods. This makes it applicable across a wide range of handmade goods, from textiles to object-based craft.

Positioning

We Are Legacy is positioned as a value-driven layer within the broader shift toward product transparency. While it can align with emerging frameworks such as the Digital Product Passport, its focus is on authorship, clarity, and the visibility of production, rather than compliance.

It introduces a model where information is not external to the product, but embedded within it, enabling a direct and continuous connection between maker, object, and user.

The platform is currently in an active development phase, with ongoing refinement of its data structure, onboarding processes, and user interface. Future work focuses on improving scalability, strengthening verification methods, and expanding its application across additional geographies and craft sectors