Tomatokind's 2024 Little Album of Small Business Adventures...Is Here!
39 Reader-Nominated Small Business Gems for the '24 Winter Season
Close your eyes. Imagine your most whimsical, magical moment.
Perhaps, it is a late night walk with a friend under the starlit street lamps of a bustling city. Or, maybe it is strolling in a new country and exploring what breakfast looks and smells like there.
Maybe you are in the middle of a park meeting strangers in your local lingo (or with the help of your favorite translation app). Or, it is a quiet afternoon and you are curled up with a used book (with the previous reader’s favorite sections dog-eared and tea-stained).
Tomatokind is a celebration of small-businesses everywhere because we believe that they make our lives and neighborhoods whole. Small shops (and the things they make) are quite literally the livelihoods of others (building dreams through thick and thin) and the story-filled experiences that make a place and thing unlike any other on this planet.
So, as our community looks back on 2024, we reflect on the small yet profound moments in each of our lives and turn attention to our greatest passion: spotlighting makers, small-business owners, entrepreneurs, creators, artists, and community-gatherers of all kinds that this community loves so that we can spread stories and wonderful experiences far and wide - from the shores of California and the streets of Toronto, to the hills of London, UK and isles of Lagos, Nigeria!
This album includes 39 reader-nominated small-business adventures in the following sections:
NATURE & CULINARY ADVENTURES
ARTS, GIFTS, & MARKETPLACES
APPAREL, FABRICS, & ACCESSORIES
PERSONAL CARE & MOVEMENT
BOOKS, PAPER, & MUSIC
Enjoy! :)
NATURE & CULINARY AVENTURES
Forays with Cindy Lee (San Francisco Bay Area, CA. USA)
Cindy Lee is a forager of edible and medicinal plants who offers foraging walking tours and forays (a guided nature walk to learn about plant and fungal life) around the SF Bay Area. She grew up in Los Angeles, searching around her neighborhood with her mother and learning a very practical kid of skill foraging. Through her social media and her forays, she shares her understanding of foraging from both a natural and a historical perspective (foraging is mostly white-dominated and is rooted in disenfranchisement of indigenous communities and anti-foraging laws). Join the waitlist here!
Flowerland (Albany, CA, USA)
Flowerland is a horticultural wonderland. It is an urban nursery filled with plants that celebrate and change with the seasons and rely on sustainable and local ecosystems, biodiversity, healthy soil, and a community of tireless growers, farmers, and creative horticulturalists. It has journeyed through the decades under the hands of many stewards since its birth in 1947.
Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA, USA)
Spinnaker Chocolate is a “bean-to-bar”, family-run chocolate company. They sustainably source the beans (transparent and mostly direct-trade), sort them tirelessly (removing those that are too flat, punctured, too large, too small, and poorly-fermented), roast the beans without the shell (helps with consistency and flavor), stone-grind the beans to the ideal micron size, temper the chocolate’s six crystal structures to perfection, and then wrap each bar in ocean-friendy packaging. Why the name Spinnaker? The shop’s family of artisans are all sailors, snorkelers, divers, and paddleboarders (a “spinnaker” is a large three-cornered sail).
Mangosay (San Francisco Bay Area, CA)
Mangosay is a mobile mango card that offers mango smoothies, juice, parfaits, and a ton of seasonal mango treats all year long! The cart travels all around the San Francisco Bay Area and also makes the weekly San Francisco Ferry Terminal Farmers Market its regular home. The owner, Sierra Young, is a bubbly, health-conscious, and creative food entrepreneur who brings her mango goodies to businesses, residential communities, low-income schools, and a variety of community events nearly every day of the week. Check out our story of Sierra!
Kuali (Oakland, CA, USA)
Husband and wife duo Janeen and Rodrigo Cruz met over a shared passion for food and their Mexican heritage. Janeen, daughter of Mexican immigrants, grew up in Baja California; Rodrigo grew up in Mexico City. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the two felt called to create something soulful - and that would blend and honor their unique life stories. So, in their home kitchen in Oakland, CA, Kuali was born. At Kuali, you will find the “salsa is life” motto shine. On their site, you can buy their Salsa Macha as well as learn to make all the delicious foods they include in their recipe collection.
Mad Vegan Collective (Oakland, CA, USA)
Taya Marroquin (“vegan mad scientist”) grew up the daughter of Salvardorian and Mexican parents, and has fond memories of visiting local panaderias in the Greater Los Angeles Area (traveling from her hometown of Bakersfield, CA). When she was 21,Taya made the decision to stop eating animal products. However, there were very limited vegan options in her area. When she moved from Bakersfield, CA to Oakland in 2020, though, she was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of vegan foods in the Bay Area. Since she had been baking since she was 7, she also thought: “maybe I can open a bakery too!” This is how Mad Vegan Collective started. Today, she is known for her vegan cakes, cookies, and pastries!
Bakesum (Oakland, CA, USA)
The word “Sum” in Cantonese Chinese means “heart.” In English, it also represents the addition of two or more things. At Bakesum, pastry chefs Joyce, Ari, and Vanessa share their love of the craft through blending their cultural upbringings and flavors with the most exquisite pastry techniques. All three of them came to invest in their passion for pastry after careers in Silicon Valley, music and philosophy, and marketing consulting.
Papa Cafe & Pastry (Toronto, Canada)
With two locations (one in North York and the other in Richmond Hill), Papa Cafe & Pastry is an Iranian family business specializing in custom layered cakes, roll cakes, and pastries. They are a joyful, sweet addition to family functions and community events alike.
Jungle Jim’s International Market (Fairfield, OH, USA)
Jungle Jim’s International Market is guaranteed unlike any other grocery store you have ever stepped foot into. It is an experience! With two locations now and selling products from 70+ countries, Jungle Jim’s used to be an amalgamation of a roadside produce stand and a garage on wheels. Now, from regular shoppers to foodies and international travelers, Jungle Jim’s International Market is a revolving door of curiosity, delicacies, larger-than-life personality, and the amusement park of every chef and home cook’s dream.
ART, GIFTS, & MARKETPLACES
The Gift Spot (Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria)
The Gift Spot is a beloved gift shop in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria that caters unique gifts for individuals and hampers for corporate clients ranging from food and wine, perfume, and home goods, to glassware, plants, flowers, and coffee.
Shop Made in DC (Washington DC, CA, USA)
Shop Made in DC is a retail initiative dedicated to growing the DC maker community. It is dedicated to products made in DC, and includes nearly 200 makers selling nearly 5,000 products including apparel, art, furniture, jewelry, home decor, stationary, and apothecary.
Umami Home + Gift (Albany, CA, USA)
Umami Home + Gift (est. Nov 2019) is the creation of Melanie Goldberg, a treasure-hunter, curator, and designer who started the store as a companion to her design studio focused mostly on window coverings and upholstery. From intricate metal art to antique jewelry boxes, handmade children’s slippers made of alpaca wool, and a variety of jewelry and home goods from local makers, everything in the store is sustainably and ethically sourced.
Artisans Cooperative (Online-Only)
Artisans Cooperative is a 100% handmade online marketplace and artists-owned cooperative that sells arts and crafts, home and garden, clothing, accessories, books and other media, and leisure goods. Its origin story began in 2022 when many craftspeople who sold handmade goods on Etsy were feeling the pain and loss of the site’s trend towards faster production, cheaper goods, and lower quality. After many artists and makers went on strike against Etsy, this platform was born ion October 2023 just in the knick of time for the holiday season. To this day, what makes the marketplace unique is that it is member-owned (a.k.a owned by the collective’s 200+ artisans, and counting) and dedicated to verified handmade goods (goods that are crafted with “the workmanship of risk” - meaning, at some point in the process, the artisan experiences some risk of ruining the work).
Little Van Gogh’s (Austin, TX)
Little Van Gogh’s is a collective of designers, illustrators, and digital artists trying to solve the universal problem of not having good art on their walls by printing beautiful and affordable high-quality prints. In addition to creating works of art in house, Little Van Gogh’s has a partnership program where external artists submit their work to be offered on the platform. Each piece of artwork is offered in print, framed print, canvas, and framed canvas.
Min’na Shop (Berkeley, CA, USA)
Min’na means “All of you” or Everyone” in Japanese. Its owner is Elena Fong, a Down syndrome and disability advocate, wife, and mother of two. The shop is an intentional collection of high-quality, ethically-made, and inclusive clothing and toys for children (3-10 years old) of all abilities, neurodiversity, racial and cultural backgrounds, and sensory needs.
Scatterbrain (Boston, MA, USA)
Scatterbrain is a collection of plush toys specifically designed with sensory therapy in mind (via texture, color, weight, and heat). Its founder, Lisamarie, started Scatterbrained from her mom’s home - while battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2011. While recovering and staying indoors, Lisamarie tried to connect with her grandmother (who had recently passed from Leukemia) by sewing toys using her grandmother’s fabric scraps. Today, Scatterbrain is a beloved brand with countless seasonal designs and custom work.
Eighth Generation (Seattle, WA, USA)
Founded by artist and activist Louie Gong (Nooksack) in 2008, Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based arts and goods store owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. At the core of the business is supporting local cultural artists, selling 100% Native-designed products, and intentionally flipping the narrative on big box “Native-inspired” products that culturally appropriate (rather than uplift) the Native community.
Koraa (Berkeley and Oakland, CA, USA)
Koraa, in Tibetan, means “to circumambulate”. The shop (previously Old Yak Bazaar) started off as a pop-up store in 2014, but has since grown into a curation of goods from all over the world (as well as the proud owner of their in-house accessories brand called “Rover & Kin”). Koraa also recently celebrated the opening of its second location in Oakland! The store’s owners have traveled across continents and cultures to be here today, enduring many entrepreneurial twists and turns along the way, so Koraa’s eternal knot logo represents this interconnected path that they hope to share with everyone who visits the store.
Renegade Craft (Multiple Cities)
Founded in 2003, Renegade Craft is a traveling showcase of independent crafters, artists, designers, and makers. Its mission is to “create vibrant platforms for the creative community to gather, grow, and thrive,” and it does so through nurturing a collective of artists and hosting events from San Francisco, to Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
Stash Candle Co. (Online & Mobile Services)
Stash Candle Company is a Black woman-owned business with a “simple yet profound passion for crafting scents that evoke memories and create atmospheres of comfort and tranquility.” The shop is serious about sustainable practices, and is committing to helping the community come together and create. The shops is a mobile service that will “come to you” - fully equipped with all the candle-making fun: a hands-on experience that is creative and relaxing, custom, and memorable.
APPAREL, FABRICS, & ACCESSORIES
Textile Arts Center of Madison (Madison, WI, USA)
The Textile Arts Center of Madison offers fiber arts workshops, exhibitions, maker nights and meetups, supply donations, reselling events, youth programs and community resources, and classes for makers and enthusiasts of all ages. It is a creative hub that welcomes the fiber arts community to learn, grow, and commune! Workshops include tapestry crochet, block-printing, screenprinting, abstract art quilting, knitting, dyeing, feltwork, wool appliques, and how to work with earth pigments.
Saville & Quinn (London, UK)
Saville & Quinn specializes in handmade silk garments and accessories from flowing dresses, embroidered silk scarves, tailored blouses, silk clutches, and silk kimono robes. In addition to silk wears, the shop also offers a variety of leather, velvet, and straw totes and bags.
Mira Flores (Oakland, CA, USA)
Mira Flores is a 3-in-1 fashion line, embroidery service shop, and vintage store. Its owner, Sam Saavedra, grew up in Peru and continues to work with the community there to realize Mira Flores’ designs. The physical shop offers everything from denim tailoring, to eclectic handcrafted items, custom embroidery, poppy accessories, vintage clothing, workshops, and more.
Resurrect (Oakland, CA, USA)
Located on the lively shopping lane of Piedmont Avenue, Resurrect is a shop that showcases a wide variety of locally, U.S.-made, and Fair Trade goods ranging from clothing, jewelry, accessories, home, and apothecary items. Shop Owner Kate Morrow is a seamstress and designer who began sewing in the 5th grade and had hoped to open a clothing store of her own since high school. She even held art and fashion shows as a little girl in her childhood home, so being able to partner with artists and designers from all over the world and share her love for “playing dress up” at her brick-and-mortar shop (of 12 years) is a dream come true.
Cotton and Chocolate Quilt Company (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA)
The owners are Marilyn and Jerry Peterson, and this is their dream shop. Originally known as Mary’s Quilt Inn, the shop reopened in August 2004 and has since offered many beginner and advanced quilting classes, a large selection of fabric, as well as textile related gifts and accessories. They have been featured in quilting magazines, and continue to bring joy to crafters through intentional community-building and treating each customer like a friend. As it signals in the name, the owners also offer a sampling of their favorite chocolate goodies at the shop (in fact, a chocolate “kiss” is always available at the front counter). Another way to sit down with a sweet treat, share stories, and work on projects with other crafting friends - old and new!
Stacey Hsu (Seattle, WA, USA)
Stacy Hsu is a Seattle-based illustrator and surface pattern designer who crafts beautiful fine art prints, silk scarfs, customized paintings, greeting cards, and tote bags - all with her nature-inspired watercolors! Much of her work is whimsical and inspired by the flora, fauna, botanicals, and wildlife she encounters on her travels. Not only can you shop Stacy’s work, but you can license her art and also commission new illustrations and custom home decor collections!
Harper the Label (Online-Only)
Claire Harper started her leather bag label in 2019, and has shared 8 beautiful lookbooks with the world since (wallets, folded backpack, pleated clutch, everyday crossbody bag, offset sling bag, loop bag, and more). Her brand is centered on the feeling of hope - “hope to help other people make decisions they feel right about”...”hope to shed light on the leather industry”....and “hope to slow down the fashion calendar and bring intentionality back into the design process.”
PERSONAL CARE & MOVEMENT
Florra (Campbell, CA)
After years of living on autopilot and burnout, and struggling with physical and mental health issues (and just a “deep inner knowing” that something was off), Thuy Ha chose to take her life in a completely new direction. She turned completely to holistic healing modalities, became a certified Reiki practitioner, and eventually opened Florra. Florra is a brick-and-mortar manifestation of all things beauty, wellness, self-care and harmony. The store offers everything from books and journals to bath and body products, personal care, sexual wellness accessories, incense and smudges, soaps, grooming products, and gift sets. Bring a friend and check out the scent bar where you can make your own perfume!
Blissful Moves (Erie, CO, USA)
Blissful Moves is a Nepali dance school offering youth and adult dance classes that explore the richness of Nepali culture, music, and a variety of dance styles! Every class is designed to optimize fun and laughter, and creates opportunities to celebrate Nepali holidays and traditions. In addition to classes, Blissful Moves also offers event choreographies, private dance lessons, and custom event performances.
Yoni Temple (Oakland, CA, USA)
Yoni Temple is a brazilian waxing service with signature treatments include organic topical CBD treatment and Radiant Skin Treatment. As a woman-owned, women-run business, the place is truly a temple - rooted in “trust, communication, health, and enjoyment of life.” The Yoni Temple also sends out a regular newsletter with nourishing recipes, health education, and self-care tips.
IBX Fitness (Albany, CA, USA)
IBX first started at the gymnasium of Booker T. Anderson Community Center in Richmond, CA. Since then, it has evolved into one of the most fun and sought-after gyms in the East Bay. Focused on strength training, IBX guides clients through “Iron Flow,” a seamless flow of exercises that help folks work several muscle groups simultaneously in a fluid motion. The gym has a very thoughtful culture with every class feeling like you are going for a meetup with friends. Check out our story on the owner, Ian Birnam!
Supple Skincare (Albany, CA, USA)
Supple Skincare offers a variety of treatments including facials, microdermabrasion, massage, waxing, and enhancements - in addition to hands-on creative workshops. It is created for people to come and discover their self-care rituals, as well as a sanctuary of holistic treatments. Its current owner, Fiona, is a Bay Area native and Bio-Therapeutic Therapist, Skincare Advocate for Impact Melanoma, and certified Gua Sha facial massage and Dermaplaning specialist.
BOOKS, PAPER, & MUSIC
91 Magazine (Online, Worldwide)
91 Magazine is the brainchild of long-time magazine lover and publisher Caroline Rowland. While she began her career in photo editing, Caroline found a deep love for interiors and began blogging about all things design and creative living. In pursuit of her dream of making a beautiful, tangible print magazine, she founded 91 Magazine as a channel for not only luxurious interior designs but also attainable (and still inspiring) narratives featuring small, independent brands and makers. Once an online-only publication, 91 Magazine was relaunched in 2016 as a biannual print magazine (with twice-weekly posts on their award-winning blog, and quarterly e-zines and online workshops). Volume 19 is out now!
Asbury Book Cooperative (Asbury Park, NJ)
Walking into the Cooperative is like a literary paradise. The space is vibrant and it especially comes alive during book club meetings, author readings, various community events, and local performances by musicians and artists. At the heart of Asbury Park, this is a volunteer-run community hub that is truly a fun and safe space for all.
Project Memory (Online-Only)
Project Memory came about when three college friends were searching for a meaningful, non-digital way to document their experiences and memories closest to their hearts. In a world where social media and our smartphones takeover the narrative of capturing moments in our lives, these college graduates looked to make something that could help them cherish photos in a physical album. Project Memory a modern twist on hands-on storytelling that evolves outdated, clunky photo albums into beautiful journals. The founders Sammy, Aneri, and Rylee spoke to countless artists, travelers, parents, students, and friends to learn how Project Memory could create something that truly filled a gap and could bring magic back into photo journaling in our digital age.
Exile in Bookville (Chicago, IL, USA)
Exile in Bookville (reference to Liz Phair’s 1993 debut album Exile in Guyville) is an indie bookstore in the historic Fine Arts Building on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. It quirkily celebrates books and music in one through the store’s collection and immersive events.
After-words (Chicago, IL, USA)
As one of the few independent bookstores left in Downtown Chicago, After-words offers 2 floors of hand-curated new and used books. Its staff are committed to helping customers find out-of-print copies and special editions. Any book here can be shipped anywhere in the world in 5 days!
Me2/ Orchestra (Boston, MA, USA; Burlington, VT, USA; Manchester, NH, USA)
The Me2/ Orchestra, “the world’s only orchestra for people living with mental illness”, was founded by Music Director Ronald Braunstein and Executive Director (and french horn player) Caroline Whiddon. The husband-and-wife duo created Me2/ because of their deep commitment to destigmatizing mental health in music and the arts. Ronald is a world-acclaimed conductor who spent decades touring across the globe. And, at the age of 55 (having struggled with bipolar disorder all his life), he realized he was uniquely positioned to create a stigma-free creative space for music-making. Today, Me2/ has 160+ musicians across three orchestras, chamber music ensembles, and a flute choir. Check out the beautiful documentary on Me2/ “Orchestrating Change”!
And…that’s a wrap!
The best moments in our lives have been those that are touched by the very intentional, thoughtful, and creative gestures and endeavors of others - and we are thrilled that many of you have shared with us the places, organizations, and makers around the world who continue to beautify and enrich your lives.
Thanks for reading, and happy community-gathering!