KAT ENGEL l FOUNDER MAKE COLLECTIVES + MAKERS MART LB

“It became my mission + vision to tell as many people as I could about my little neighborhood in the Arts District. I became inspired to use my space for more than just a place to sell objects but, a place where people could connect. I knew deep in my heart that if I focused on events + community, people would come + fall in love with the neighborhood. If the neighborhood thrived, then MAKE would thrive. I was committed to my hood.”

 

Kat Engel, looking for the right storefront for her vintage collective she sold at Pop Ups for 10 years, fell in love with the East Village and opened MAKE Collectives in April 2012 carrying nothing but one of a kind vintage. Within a year, she brought in local made goods from artists from Long Beach to Los Angeles. So in 2013 Kat launched creative We MAKE workshops and the first MAKERS MART along on the sidewalks along 1st and Linden, packed with independent designers and artists. With sponsorship from the Downtown Long Beach Alliance and others and with the support of the community, MAKERS MART is now held annually for Small Business Saturday on 1st St. and other smaller events and now encourages around 1000 attendees to come and discover independent designers and artists and buy local from Downtown Long Beach small businesses.