STATEN ISLAND, NY — Hard work, dedication and a global mindset were just some of the principles that guided the first-ever Staten Island Women in Business Expo, held Saturday on the North Shore.
The kick-off meeting saw more than 240 attendees and dozens of vendors inside the Pavilion on the Terrace. The event focused on highlighting women-owned businesses on Staten Island and was hosted by North Shore Councilmember Kamillah M. Hanks.
A panel of women entrepreneurs kicked off the exhibit, followed by an exhibit of nearly 60 vendors who shared stories of how they opened their stores, who inspired them and what they did to make themselves known.
“We realized how many women, especially minority women, started businesses during the pandemic to make ends meet or even to do something they always wanted to do. And so for Women’s History Month, I wanted to give them space in a women-owned establishment to celebrate that,” Hanks said, noting seeing the event sell out is one of his biggest accomplishments.
The women in business panel was introduced by Dana Walker-Boyd, the first vice president of the Minority Women in Business Association, which was founded by Kamillah Hanks and her team to advocate, educate and mentor women of color in Staten Island.
Guest speakers on the panel included Carmen Abercrombie, owner of Sharing the Bliss, Doreen Cappozalo Cugno, of the St. George Theatre, Shaw-naé Dixon, owner and operator of Shaw-naé’s House, Dana Van Dyke, of Lifetime Changes Behavior Services ( LCBS), and owner of Pabellón en la Terraza, Kecia Juanita Teje. (Staten Island Preview/Priya Shahi) priya shahi
During the expo, DJ Tara L. Martin kept the mood upbeat.
Kecia Juanita Weaver, owner and operator of the Pavilion on the Terrace, an elegant 19th-century banquet hall where the event was held, was one of the guest speakers on the panel. As a real estate attorney and lover of old buildings, Weaver shared that she saw potential in the historic Greek building and helped with efforts to revive and rebuild it to what it is today.
“My driving force has always been my mother. She loves to make the old new. Unfortunately, she died before she had a chance to finish this place, so this place will always be here because it means a lot to me. It is something that, as far as I am concerned, no one will ever be able to take away from me,” she said of the banquet hall.
Carmen Abercrombie, another guest speaker and owner of Sharing the Bliss, shared that she used to sell jewelry on the Staten Island Ferry for 18 years. After losing many members of her family to health-related issues and facing a life-threatening blood disease, she says she made her life a mission and is now a Purpose and Holistic Health Coach. She encouraged the audience to dream beyond a side hustle.
“The side hustle is good, it’s cute, but it’s time to take your purpose and run with your purpose. Get rid of the side sisters and pack a purpose,” Abercrombie said.
After the panel discussion, guests networked with one another and were able to shop at nearly 60 vendors, selling products ranging from natural soaps, homemade candles, clothing, books, handbags and more.
Sadé, 15, sells her products for her Sadé Healthy Body Essentials business online and in pop-up stores. (Staten Island Preview/Priya Shahi) priya shahi
Sadé Daniels, 15, started her Sadé’s Healthy Body Essentials business three years ago with her father and continued with him after his passing. She makes body washes, lotions, hand sanitizers, shower gels and more with scents ranging from apple to chocolate brownie.
“By continuing and working hard, I was able to create something out of something so small,” Daniels said.
“I hope I get to experience some really cool stuff and maybe do something even bigger. That’s what life is at the end of the day. It’s just doing thing after thing and trying to find what your purpose is.”
Evelyn J. Drake, creator of her brand Edgewear Designs, poses in one of her favorite denim designs. (Staten Island Preview/Priya Shahi) priya shahi
Another vendor at the Women in Business Expo, Evelyn J. Drake, is the creator of her brand Edgewear Designs. She has been sewing for more than 20 years since her mother put her in front of a sewing machine and she says her business has been growing ever since.
She sells her clothing designs, which are mostly denim, in pop-up stores and will soon launch an online store.
“I like to work with denim. I like to recycle them or deconstruct and rebuild them,” she said. “You know, just take something old and make it new. That’s what I love to do.”
