Made In DC #ShopLocal

ONE DAY LEFT! 🚨 DC makers, creatives & curators — applications for the FY26 Made in DC Curator & Retail Innovation Grant close TOMORROW, May 13th at 2PM. 💰 Up to $25K in funding available to support pop-up retail experiences that spotlight Made in DC-certified businesses. Have questions? Email: [email protected] Apply here: dslbd.dc.gov/MiDCRetailGrant #MadeInDC #DCMakers #smallbizdc

Thank you to Alexis and the team at Spice Suite for welcoming #DSLBD to today’s Mother’s Day Pop-Up and for continuing to create spaces where #DC’s small business community can grow, connect, and thrive. So much of entrepreneurship is rooted in care: caring for families, creating opportunities, supporting communities, and building something that can uplift others for generations. Across the District, so many small business owners take on that role every day with resilience, creativity, and heart. That’s also why shopping small matters. Even the smallest purchase can help support a dream, sustain a family, and pour back into the people who help make our neighborhoods feel like home. This Mother’s Day weekend, we celebrate the many forms nurturing can take — from mothers and grandmothers to mentors, friends, chosen family, and anyone who shows up with love, guidance, and support for others. Happy #Mother’s Day weekend to all those who help care for and uplift the people around them. 💐

OUR BIG NEWS!!!! 2026 "Made in DC Maker of the Year" I am so grateful to God for this honor. It has only been by His Grace. To everyone who has been with me on this journey, I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart and appreciate you. THANK YOU. Looking forward to joining fellow honorees at the Small Business Summit & Showcase Awards Luncheon on May #DCSmallBiz #SmallBusinessAwards #DCSmallBusinessSummit #DCChamber #LEDC #GWUL #Unionkitchen

Day 1 of DC Small Business Week was all about solutions!✅ Our Small Business Solution Expo expanded across two floors, filled with on-site services, real resources, and experts ready to support entrepreneurs at every stage. From funding guidance to business support, it was all about turning questions into action. Big thanks to our partners for showing up and helping make this event a success. We’re just getting started. #smallbizdc #dcsmallbizweek2026

Running a food business in DC? Join the Food Policy Council’s Entrepreneurship & Food Jobs working group this Wednesday 4/29 from 2-3:30pm for a free webinar featuring District agencies and partners sharing updates on funding and other resources available to help restaurants, retailers, food trucks, CPG makers and more! Register today—link in bio!

Clean hands, clear energy 🌿 In honor of Earth Day, we’re offering our Hand & Body Castile Soap at a special price today only. Buy two for $28 Made with thoughtfully selected ingredients, this is your daily ritual… elevated. ✨ Gentle ✨ Non-toxic ✨ Made with intention Stock up on a clean you can feel good about. Shop now 🛍️🛒limited time #EarthDay #CleanLiving #NonToxicHome #WellnessRitual #TheWellnessApothecary

This Week’s Fresh Finds at Creative Collective Retail! ☀️👙 💫 Dive into an array of dainty, statement, and summer accessories! 🔥 Explore handcrafted boho chic, beaded, and woven clutches! 🫒 The perfect hair claw does exist! Get your favorite one from us! More to explore at Creative Collective Retail. Our shopping experience features all local brands based in the DMV. Get exclusives and unique finds. Hours: ⏰ ~ 11AM - 7PM, Wednesday-Saturday • 12PM - 5PM, Sundays Location: 📍 ~ Buzzard Point, 101 V Street SW Washington DC 20024 Cheers 🎉 #NeighborsDC #ThingsToDoInDC #DiscoverDC

Calling all DC makers! DSLBD is now accepting applications for the FY26 Made in DC Curator & Retail Innovation Grant Program — designed to support pop-up retail spaces that spotlight MiDC-certified businesses and help them grow their brand and revenue. We’re looking for curators who can create dynamic, multi-vendor retail experiences that connect local makers directly to customers—especially those without storefronts. 💰 Up to $25,000 in total funding available 🗓 Deadline: May 13 at 2PM Join us for our upcoming info sessions, starting Monday, April 20th at 11AM! Register + learn more: dslbd.dc.gov/MiDCRetailGrant Questions? [email protected] #MadeInDC #DCMakers #smallbizdc

There’s nothing like bringing DC’s creative community together ✨ Our Made in DC event was a powerful reminder of what happens when certified makers connect, share, and grow in the same space. From networking with fellow entrepreneurs to tapping into resources from agency and community partners, the energy in the room was unmatched. Special thank you to @atlasbrewworks , a certified Made in DC maker, for hosting our networking mixer and creating space for community and collaboration. We’re proud to support a thriving ecosystem where local businesses can build, collaborate, and scale right here in the District. Ready to take your business to the next level? Become Made in DC certified: dslbd.dc.gov/madeindc Or visit us at MLK Library every Wednesday for one-on-one technical assistance and support. #smallbizdc

We love shopping small! When you shop small, your money doesn’t just disappear into a corporation. It gets reinvested locally. It helps fund other small businesses, supports neighborhood events, and contributes to the overall growth of your community. 📍 1330 Connecticut Ave NW #thedcpopup #makersgonnamake #handmade #mydccool #makersmovement #madeindc #dmped #washingtondc #communitycommerce #goldentriangledc

POP UP ALERT 🌸 We’re bringing the community together in a powerful way as we celebrate Mother’s Day, Small Business Week, and 4 years of Flowers by Alexes. Join us for a day rooted in purpose, connection, and elevation. ✨ Shop with incredible local vendors ✨ Enjoy music, food trucks, and a vibrant community atmosphere ✨ Join our Small Business Panel at 2PM featuring dynamic women leaders: • Rosemary Suggs-Evans (DSLBD) – Championing small business growth and economic empowerment across DC @rosemary_suggsevans • Melissa Lewis & Larhonda Stevenson (Mob The Block) – Building community through culture, connection, and entrepreneurship @mobtheblockorg • Dr. Tameika Marrow (Marrow & Associates) – Business strategist helping entrepreneurs scale with structure, discipline, and legacy in mind @marrowandassociatesinc @dr.meika This is more than a pop-up it’s a space created with intention. A space to pour into small businesses, to learn, to connect, and to grow. We built this because we believe in us and in what happens when we come together in the same room. Meet us there. Support. Connect. Celebrate. 📍 The Spice Suite – Washington, DC 📅 May 9, 2026 🛍 Market: 12PM–5PM 🎤 Panel: 2PM

Hi! As some folks know, every year I design a new cherry blossom bandana. This year, as I was coming up with ideas, I started thinking a lot about what cherry blossom season is all about. Funnily enough, that got me thinking a lot about technology and how AI makes art that often looks the same. The backlash to that is pushing artists and creative people to work in new, innovative directions. It's connecting artists who are more determined than ever to inspire, learn from and support each other. Anyway, so from there I grabbed a big ole sharpie and started drawing bold, cut out style, silhouetted figures, plants and animals. I photographed my sketches, cleaned them up in Illustrator and came up with a design I liked. Then I printed my design and sketched over it again, with white ink this time, to add more details. Last but not least, I experimented with color combinations. Lots and lots of color combinations! I ended up back at a soft, bright pink, and light and dark greens, cause, duh, it's the cherry blossoms! The bandana is made of 100% cotton and hand printed for me in India. I hope you like it and that when you wear it, it's a reminder to connect with your people, to make things with your hands and to appreciate beauty while it lasts! #bandana #cherryblossoms #madeindc @thisismadeindc #handmade #supportsmallbusiness