Ivan Božić is a Cooperative Manager of Humana Nova, a pioneering Croatian non-profit, eco-social enterprise that merges business success with social and environmental impact. Through his leadership, Humana Nova has become a national model for work integration and circular economy — by promoting responsible production and turning discarded textiles into valuable new products while creating dignified jobs for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Before joining Humana Nova, Ivan managed operations in two textile companies, gaining expertise in the private sector. He later applied this experience to social innovation, redesigning Humana Nova, and utilizing his knowledge and experience to develop businesses with multiple impacts. He also secured waste-management permits, built municipal partnerships, and developed collaborations with major brands.
His cooperative leadership style is rooted in transparency, persistence, shared ownership, and patient mentorship, empowering a diverse workforce to grow both professionally and personally.
He believes sustainability is not a competition but a shared journey — one that requires knowledge, empathy, and collaboration across different sectors. By bridging industrial discipline with community purpose, Ivan demonstrates how integration, circularity, innovation, and economics can move forward together, create a better quality of life, and ensure sustainable development of the community.
