Celebrating Growth
Nuflours turned 10 years old this February! As we take a moment to celebrate the occasion, we reflect on our very humble beginnings and the exciting journey that we have been on. Phebe Rossi began this company as a small farmer’s market stand before later opening a brick-and-mortar bakery, and eventually launching products into grocery and natural food stores and our online store here. Under her leadership, we’ve built an incredible team and enjoyed so much growth (and so much cake!).
In honor of our ten-year anniversary last month and International Women’s Day this month, we wanted to shine a spotlight on ten other women-led businesses in the Puget Sound region. These are all women who inspire us, many of whom have stories similar to our own. Let’s show them some love!
Laura Clise of Intentionalist
Intentionalist is an online guide to intentional spending that supports small businesses and diverse local communities. They make it easy to find local restaurants, bars, gyms, shops, and more owned by women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ, families, and disabled people.
Laura founded her company in 2017 following a career in the corporate world, in roles leading sustainability, corporate responsibility, supplier diversity, and external communications. We love how those skills and values made their way into her start-up, and how she has developed such a widespread online directory that continues to grow and bring more businesses and shoppers into the fold. Here’s to spending like it matters!
Learn more about Intentionalist.
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
Dani Cone of Cone & Steiner General
Cone & Steiner is a general store with locations on Seattle’s Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square neighborhoods. They are a one-stop shop brimming indoors and out with fresh flowers and produce, dry goods, ice cream, and a curated selection of fresh, local foods. In their unique twist on the corner store, they feature specialty, local, and staple goods, a robust selection of craft beers and fine wines, and much more.
Dani opened her stores in 2017, inspired by her great-grandfather’s store of the same name founded 100 years earlier. Since then, she has developed a reputation for building community and giving a place at the table to smaller brands trying to get their foot in the door. Her store heavily features other brands that are women-owned and allergen-friendly, making it one of our favorite local places to shop!
Learn more about Cone & Steiner General.
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
Roz Edison and Kamala Saxton of Marination
Marination serves up Hawaiian-Korean cuisine that melts delicate heat and the flavors of aloha together in your mouth. Their unique fast-casual Asian fusion has been a Seattle favorite since the company’s launch in 2009. And this team has certainly seen some growth! As they say, it started with a truck, some exquisite marinades, and a lotta love.
Roz and Kamala got into the game with a single food truck, one of the first on the scene in Seattle. Today, they continue to operate the food truck, in addition to four brick-and-mortar locations and a catering service. We love their sunshine-y outlook and their delicious made-from-scratch food, including gluten-free tacos. Plus, you can shop online for their Nunya Sauce, caramel sauce and candy, and awesome merch!
Learn more about Marination.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Erin Andrews of Indi Chocolate
Indi Chocolate sources cacao beans directly from farmers and cooperatives to make small batch, single origin, dark chocolate. They make a wide range of cacao based products including teas, spice rubs, mixology kits and body care products made from cocoa butter. (You might recall their wine-mulling kit from our holiday gifting guide.)
Erin has been very creative in the ways she uses the cacao bean, starting off initially with her amazing cocoa butter lotions. Since then, her storefront in Pike Place Market has earned its reputation for a wide variety of products, fun after-hours classes, and wonderful, friendly team. Everything is set up so that their entire bean-to-bar chocolate-making process can be watched right from their cafe. Many of their products are also sold in their online shop, so check it out!
Learn more about Indi Chocolate.
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Jeanette Macias and Lyz Bartolome of Seeking Kombucha
Seeking Kombucha is a fast-growing brand of kombucha that is taking the region by storm. With 12+ kombucha flavors and other beverages now available, they are selling through their online store, several farmer’s markets, and their new taproom in Seattle. In addition to that, their bottles can be found in a wide range of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and grocery stores throughout the area.
Much like Phebe, Jeanette and Lyz started making kombucha to meet their own dietary needs, but found that everyone else enjoyed their recipes, too! We are big fans of them and their commitment to making products that love your body as much as you love them.
Learn more about Seeking Kombucha.
Follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
Audra Lawlor of Girl Meets Dirt
Hailing from further out, Girl Meets Dirt is a brand of award-winning fruit preserves, shrubs, and bitters handmade with heritage fruit on Orcas Island. They also have a line of sparkling wines coming soon that we can’t wait to try! If you haven’t seen this brand around, you haven’t been looking hard enough; they have products in groceries and natural foods stores across the country.
Audra has done a truly impressive thing by founding a company in the San Juan Islands that is committed to locally-sourced and sustainable ingredients, as well as local production, and has still been able to grow into such a beast. We are so inspired by their growth, and by the incredible flavor profiles and delectable products that they make.
Learn more about Girl Meets Dirt.
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
Donna Moodie of Miss Marjorie’s
Miss Marjorie’s Steel Drum Plantains have long been a popular appetizer on the menu of Donna Moodie’s Seattle restaurant, Marjorie. Now they are available in stores in ten states, as well as online through a number of sites, in two different size boxes for snacking on the go!
Growing up in Jamaica, Donna was inspired by her mom’s passion for cooking from scratch using only the highest quality ingredients. So it’s a fitting tribute that both Donna’s popular Seattle restaurant and signature appetizer are named after Marjorie. She also absorbed her mom’s ability to nurture a diverse mix of friends, family, and guests with her unique brand of gracious hospitality. Today she continues to see to it that Marjorie’s passion for entertaining informs every detail of the restaurant and products named lovingly in her honor.
Learn more about Miss Marjorie's.
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Friday Elliott of Friday Afternoon Tea
Friday Afternoon is a small, geeky-themed tea company based in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. Here you will find loose leaf tea, custom blends, tea wares and accessories, and educational tastings. They supply the loose-leaf tea for our own Seattle storefront, so obviously we are fans!
Owner Friday’s unique take on blending stems from a neurological oddity known as Lexical-Gustatory Synesthesia. Due to this condition, she experiences language and abstract concepts as distinct flavor profiles. In short, she literally tastes words and ideas. This "superpower" allows Friday to create blends with a completely unique approach. Try out Friday’s tea at their storefront, order online, and grab a cup the next time you stop in for some gluten-free pastries.
Learn more about Friday Afternoon Tea.
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Wazhma Samizay of Retail Therapy and Bobojan
Retail Therapy is a wonderfully quirky boutique in Seattle’s Capitol Hill, specializing in clothing, gifts, jewelry, cards, art, and accessories made by small independent artists and designers. The store also carries Wazhma’s own original line of locally-designed and ethically-produced apparel, including dresses, underwear, and more.
Wazhma had the unique experience of growing up in Afghanistan, Paris, and the both the east and west coasts of the U.S., before finally settling in Seattle as a young adult. For 20 years she has owned & operated Retail Therapy, where customers delight in finding something fun for themselves or a friend among the eclectic mix of offerings. The store has also served as an art gallery and gathering space, making it a fixture in our community.
Learn more about Retail Therapy and Bobojan.
Follow Retail Therapy on Instagram or Facebook.
Teresa Remple of Texture Clothing
Texture Clothing is an affordable line of eco-friendly hemp and organic cotton basics made for women with curves. For 19 years, they have been perfecting the art of eco-conscious and sustainable clothing made from organic fabrics. Their clothes are available to buy in stores and online throughout the U.S. and internationally.
Teresa got her first sewing machine at the age of twelve to make clothing for her Barbie dolls, and never stopped. Today, she is all about sustainability, constructive consumption, and positive body image. Texture was born out of a need for clothes to fit her own body, and from there, she intuitively found a gap in the market and ran with it!
Learn more about Texture Clothing.
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.