Our latest cohort of MWBC’s Shop Local Retail Incubator graduates TODAY! We are so proud of these amazing businesswomen as they have completed an important step in their entrepreneurial journey.
Throughout the course of the year, these local, women-owned businesses operated their retail enterprises out of Shop Local, located in Rockville Town Square. While running their businesses, these women entrepreneurs also received incredible amounts of free support including:
- valuable business training
- coaching and guidance from MWBC business consultants
- sales and business growth strategies
- networking opportunities
- access to investors, and in some cases, working capital in the form of a loan or grant from local resources
- recognition and marketing from MWBC and its partners.
The business owners organized seasonal sales and community events to attract customers and raise visibility of their businesses and the MWBC program. These businesses were also featured in the 2021 Holiday Gift Guide, in partnership with the Latino Economic Development Center.
We wish them tremendous success as they begin their next chapter. We also look forward to welcoming the next Shop Local cohort on July 1. Stay tuned for next month’s blog post where we will introduce the newest Shop Local sellers.
We invite you to continue to show your support of Maryland’s women-owned small businesses by supporting these graduates as they move into new spaces and phases of their business growth. Visit their new locations or purchase their products online. You can also follow all of MWBC’s Shop Local activities on Instagram.
Here’s what’s next for each of these businesses:
Chocolicious—Owner Silvia Oriani—will have a presence in three pop ups in the Washington, D.C. metro area. It will also have a permanent presence in the Bon JuJu Boutique located in the Kentlands at 212 Main Street, Gaithersburg, MD. Follow Chocolicious on Instagram
Amaya Accessories—Owner Monica Amaya—is traveling to Los Angeles and New York this year to participate in special events. Amaya Accessories will also be featured in several fair markets held around the Washington, D.C. metro area. Follow Amaya Accessories on Instagram
Lamimi Boutique—Owner Mariale Bonilla—just rented a space in La Cosecha, which is a contemporary market celebrating Latin American culture and conversation. Visit them at Union Market, located at 1280 4th St NE, Washington, D.C. or Lamimi Boutique on Facebook.
Costa Cosmetics—Owner Emöke Gaidosh—has formalized her business by creating a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) and opened Fullfillery, located at 7006 Carrol Street, Suite 204, in Takoma Park, MD. Costa Cosmetics can also be found at the Chevy Chase Farmers Market on Saturdays from 9a-1p. Follow Costa Cosmetics on Instagram
Yul d’UZ by Yulya Semchenko will continue to design women’s outerwear and accessories using traditional, handmade material from Central Asia called ikat while she builds her e-commerce strategy to reach clients nationwide. Follow Yul d’UZ on Instagram
