By Women, for Women: Area's First Local-Women-Business-Owner Holiday Shop and Social

The Greater-Raleigh community came together to support the area's first local-Women-Business-Owner holiday shop and social. The success stories from the evening highlight why these events are vital for Raleigh's growing entrepreneurial hub—especially an area engaged with supporting gender diversity for entrepreneurs and executives. 

How the community engaged with this NAWBO event: 

Award-winning family-owned boutique Peachy Keen and Joint Family Jewelry — well known in the area, but new to some attendees yesterday— impressed with their clothing, jewelry, shoes, accessories, and one-of-a-kind gifts.

While the Peachy Keen brand is famous for a wide and unique selection, you can also see local goods—like spotting the area's own Headbands for Hope products or AJM Interiors custom wood home decor.    Peachy Keen is always a family affair, with sisters Karly and Jen exposing yesterday, supported by Mom, Donna, and Dad, Lee. The brand is active on Instagram at @thepeachykeen.

Maker studios HappyUnicornStudio and Smiling Elephant Jewelry Studio were on site offering handmade goods. HappyUnicornStudio's shop owner Erika Martinez has offered handcrafted fabric handbags, purses and tote bags, made in Durham since 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smiling Elephant Studio shop owner Kayte Price designs all her jewelry, inspired by the beauty of nature, the spiritual, and old artifacts.

Having shop owners and makers as part of the event helped to highlight the incredible women makers in the Greater Raleigh-Durham area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New brand Grace Homemade was able to invest in this event as a platform for customer discovery. Founder Kelly Griffin brought her new all-natural chicken salad, and she offered puff pastry chicken salad samples to guests. She then followed up with surveys and conversations, gauging public interest in her new product. The way that Kelly's new brand was able to leverage the event as a way to engage with customer discovery—that's the kind of platform organizations like NAWBO are all about.  

 

Two current NAWBO members supported the event with their independent retailer brands, highlighting NAWBO's connected community. Ann Oneal of Kokoon Clothing has been a NAWBO member for the last few years and has also served as a NAWBO Board member. At last night's event, she showcased Kokoon Clothing - clothes made in the USA, machine washable, super stylish, and known for being comfy.  

Ann also showcased her hand-picked jewelry collection, which she curates herself based on her travels across the state and beyond.

 

NAWBO member and current board member Emily Brennan shared her Arbonne business, offering botanically-inspired skincare and plant-powered nutritional products. Emily's Arbonne store is also available online, and Emily shares her business owner and Arbonne journey on Instagram.

Having these local, woman-owned brands in one place was powerful—especially since the one place was Raleigh's historic All Saints Chapel, built in 1875 and renovated in 2008.

Vendors during setup in the chapel.

 

Guests enjoyed both the chapel and reception hall space, with food from Empire Eats and wine donated from the current NAWBO board members. 

The venue was also decorated with beautiful florals from North Raleigh Florist and Cary Florist, thanks to long-time NAWBO member and former board member Janice Cutler.

 

All attendees also received a swag-bag gift with items from Swagger Gifts & Style Boutique in Cary and North Raleigh, from BodyLase Skin Spa in Raleigh and Cary, and from Hummingbird Creative Group in Cary. 

A big thank you to the NAWBO board members who helped to make the event possible with their wine donation:

And a big thank you to our community for championing women business owners - at this event and all year round.

 

More event photos: