Bizz Buzz: New and Noteworthy

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Made in Baltimore promo
Photo courtesy of Made in Baltimore

Each month, we keep an eye out for the latest additions and updates in Baltimore’s business scene. Enjoy this teaser, featuring a longtime executive and philanthropist’s new foray into the small business world, a skincare and spa offering from the Black Owned and Operated Storefront Tenancy (BOOST) program’s first cohort and a collective of local makers breaking new ground in an online market.

Stay tuned in August and September for more about each of our “Bizz Buzz” spotlights below.

 

From Executive to Small Business Strong

Nupur headshot
Nupur | Photo courtesy of United Way of Central Maryland

Longtime executive, philanthropist and 47-year Baltimore resident Nupur Parekh Flynn didn’t expect to become a small business owner after retiring in 2019. After a lot of traveling, she decided to create what she could not find—a portable, anti-bacterial “Bagceit” to protect her bag from the floor. Named one of The Maryland Daily Record’s Top 100 Women in 2021, Flynn is actively involved in Baltimore and, above all, wanted her product to be another positive reflection of the city. Created with family-owned Harbor Design, it is a true local collaboration. bagceit.com

Nupur LLC Bagceit
Bagceit | Photo courtesy of NUPUR, LLC

NKVSKIN Opens First Downtown Location

Nikia K. Vaughan opened her first retail and spa location for NKVSKIN in downtown Baltimore this June. Created to support her daughter through a sickle cell disease diagnosis, it also was a dream of Vaughan’s to pursue skin care. She is among the first cohort of Downtown Partnership of Baltimore’s (DPOB) Black Owned and Operated Storefront Tenancy (BOOST) program presented by Fearless. With a focus on natural products and treating appearance problems based on inflammation, Vaughan hopes she can make people feel beautiful in their skin. nkvskin.com

NKVSKIN grand opening | Photo by Downtown Partnership of Baltimore

Baltimore City Makers All in One Place

Made in Baltimore onesie baby clothes
Photo courtesy of Made in Baltimore

Made in Baltimore, a collective of more than 300 local makers recently featured at WTMD’s First Thursday festival series, now has an e-commerce site, making it easier to find businesses that create products in Baltimore City. What started as a pop-up for the Station North community in 2015 led to a business certification program in 2017, and now features hundreds of products from rotating brands online. Executive director Andy Cook says it’s an effort to reinvest in Baltimore and build community wealth—especially with those businesses that produce a living wage. madeinbaltimore.org

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