Young entrepreneur reference from Buffalo...
12-year-old entrepreneur ties up Queen City Pop Up spot
Now in its eighth cycle over four years, Queen City Pop Up has had a wide variety of retailers — 37 to be exact including this fall’s participants.
But, never has it welcomed a 12-year-old East Side entrepreneur like Shelden Gibbs.
Gibbs, owner and operator of Classic Knot, is one of four participating start-up retailers in the current Queen City Pop Up. Gibbs, using a variety of materials, creates and sells bow ties and other items, including themed-socks.
This marks the first time since he started Classic Knot that Gibbs has a true bricks-and-mortar location, though it will last for six weeks.
“It will be easy for people to find me,” said Gibbs, a home-school student.
Other participants in the current Pop Up include Lily & Grey, Things N Time and Urban Soul Closet. All share donated storefront space in the Market Arcade, courtesy of Sinatra & Co. The current Queen City Pop Up cycle began Nov. 14 and will run until Dec. 24.
Queen City Pop Up is designed to give start up retailers rent-free downtown space for a two-month cycle in the hope that it whets their appetite for opening a bricks-and-mortar store in Buffalo, preferably in downtown, after their sequence is completed. Nine retailers have done just that.
“When we started this, our intent was to help build small businesses in the city,” said Mayor Byron Brown, who launched Queen City Pop Up with the help of Buffalo Urban Development Corp., Working for Downtown, and Buffalo Place Inc.
Brown wants to target businesses operated by minorities and women.
"I want micro businesses to grow into larger businesses,” Brown said. “And, I wanted to focus on Buffalo’s diversity - all of it.”
That a 12-year-old entrepreneur like Gibbs came into the Queen City Pop Up program was a pleasant and welcome surprise, Brown said.
“We have to grow and encourage the next generation, especially teenagers,” Brown said.
Source:
https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/...ty-pop-up.html
His company's website:
https://www.classicknot.com/
https://www.classicknot.com/meet-the-ceo.html
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