In 2020, Rawan Hudaifa, the Syrian migrant and entrepreneur behind Tina Zita (TZ), found her social enterprise in dire circumstances amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to public fear, a ban on gatherings, decreased job security, and concerns around food hygiene and safety, Hudaifa’s catering business quickly became threatened as the demand for catered events in Ankara, Turkey, declined. Hudaifa now has to decide how to adjust her business model to align with the new, uncertain reality. This case illustrates the concept of pivoting, i.e., changing an organization’s core strategy. As a social entrepreneur, Hudaifa is faced with the challenge of covering TZ’s costs during the COVID-19 pandemic while also continuing to fulfill its mission of promoting economic empowerment for migrant women, and connecting migrants and the Turkish community to one another.
This case is part of a four-case collection, each about a real entrepreneur with a business operating in the Turkish food and agriculture sector. Other cases in the collection include:
- Following the Scent to Success to Grow her Rose Water Business: The Case of Zeina Wazzan (WDI # 2-945-000)
- A Cheese Producer Pursues a New Market through E-commerce: The Case of Mohamed Bakkar (WDI # 3-090-835)
- An Artisanal Bread Baker Diversifies her Product Line: The Case of Devrim Mumcuogullari (WDI # 1-121-143)