made in wnc

career in 2011. Having moved to Clemson, SC for school from California, she came to Asheville after graduation because she already knew people in the ceramics community and wanted to surround herself with those people.

After working with other artist studios, Kawar transitioned into her own space at Marshall High Studios in 2016. After receiving an invitation to participate in an art show at Blue Spiral 1, she purchased her own kiln and committed to doing more in her fine art work after that purchase. While simultaneously creating large sculptures and smaller pieces, a friend suggested she attend art shows to sell her smaller products. The Big Crafty was her first one.

“The Big Crafty was an eye-opening experience that I can really make money at my craft,” Kawar said. “I learned ways to engage with other makers and meet the community. There is a beautiful collection of passionate artists of a huge diversity here, and that is really inspiring.”

This experience led to an understanding of the workings of the craft world. She said she shifted gears and established Pure Ritual, which is centered around a metaphysical theme, and learned to develop vision and clarity of her brand.

“At first my business was called ‘Nina K Designs,” Kawar said. “I was making everything from lanterns to jewelry, and I didn’t really have a brand. I felt called to share tools that were helping me along my own spiritual healing journey, and realized I was able to reach people at a different level than my fine art allows.”

Craft fairs and markets allow Kawar to see what items people are drawn to and connect directly to her customer base. She said a big part of her business is educating people on how to use her handmade products like pendulums and crystal grids, and if there is any curiosity from a visitor, she will hold space for them to ask questions.

With her fine art pieces, Kawar is either invited by gallery directors or will apply to participate in galleries and exhibitions. She said she is often not physically present at these shows, but will either ship or physically drive the pieces to locations in other states or countries. Not knowing if there will be revenue, paying to transport the pieces, and paying the gallery approximately 50% of the sale price of each piece, she said there is a lot of trust in the process knowing she will grow as an artist in one way or another.

Kawar said in the craft world, word-ofmouth is a big connector. She has worked with arts councils in both Asheville and Marshall, which led to the opportunity for curating the first show of her own.

“I’m grateful for the artists that walked alongside me and showed me what was needed to be a curator,” she said. “There are so many beautiful individuals in local organizations like this who are passionate about art and want artists and makers to grow.”

Following her heart has allowed both avenues of her art business to expand, according to Kawar. She said she is still stepping further into her confidence, and as she does so, more opportunities arise.

“It’s pretty unique for an artist to work in multiple avenues, and both are giving to me in deep, profound ways,” Kawar said. “Fine art can be more challenging in the area, though working with others and curating my own shows is bringing more exposure. Much of that work does better in other locations around the country. Pure Ritual is absolutely thriving right here because it is more of a metaphysical community.”

Colin Buxton

Blue Ridge Chair Works

Heeding the call of Western North Carolina’s makers and crafters scene, Colin Buxton relocated to Asheville to make portable wooden outdoor furniture at Blue Ridge Chair Works.

Buxton grew up in South Carolina and was exposed to crafting and fine furniture from a young age. “My grandfather was pretty crafty, and my dad was always very ‘DIY’ with a lot of things,” he said. “My family had really nice antique furniture and I always enjoyed that. I love furniture because it’s not only something that can be really pretty, it also serves a functional purpose.”

After attending college at the University of South Carolina, he moved to Vermont and attended furniture making school. He then worked for ShackletonThomas crafting fine furniture.

“I made classical furniture — traditional, timeless pieces that are really nice and will last forever,” Buxton said. “Side tables, book cases, dining room tables… It was a cool position and the company is known for using very traditional skills. It was a renowned place to work.”

When the pandemic hit, Buxton said he became more interested in a furnituremaking business of his own. He was able to connect with former owner of Blue Ridge Chair Works, Alan Davis, who was looking to retire, and was able to purchase the company. Buxton said Davis was looking for someone with the same passion for both the woodworking craft and the outdoors, and Buxton fit the bill.

Blue Ridge Chair Works is known for a flagship-model chair Davis had been making for 40 years. The company also produces folding tables and a folding stool that can be used as an ottoman. Buxton said the pieces are not only portable, they are also very durable, high-quality pieces and are easily repairable.

“This isn’t a cheap plastic chair that you throw away when it inevitably breaks,” Buxton said. “You can easily replace or repair a part if something does happen. These chairs are also really comfortable and will last for a very long time.”

Buxton said he does his best to stay true to company values by keeping everything as local as possible. He uses all sustainably sourced domestic Ash, known to be very strong for its weight and the best value in hardwoods, and buys cut-to-size slats from Swannanoa.

Western North Carolina is wonderful for his business for several reasons, according to Buxton. The strong history of all sorts of crafts as well as the large outdoor community influence supports the right demographics for his brand. He continued on next page said support organizations like Mountain BizWorks have also been helpful. Currently working as a one-man show, Buxton tries to hit the mark of making about 20 chairs plus 10 tables and 10 stools every week. He said orders come from wholesale as well as direct-to-consumer orders, and he will be attending some seasonal festivals to vend and meet other people in the outdoor community.

With a recent brand refresh, Buxton said he hopes to grow Blue Ridge Chair Works. “It all takes time,” he said. “With a new website, new copy, and more marketing, we are hoping to start getting more wholesale accounts in the near future.”

While wanting to get as many chairs and tables to as many people as he can, Buxton said it’s important to him to maintain the small business feel and connectivity while scaling his business.

“I’m still dialing in the process, and there is always room to increase efficiency,” Buxton said. “Figuring out what is quicker, what is less work, and what order works best is a fun part of the job. I want to help as many people enjoy time outside with their families and people they love, and when these pieces of wood come to life, I know I’m helping people from here to California to Japan do just that.”

Ilona Kossoff

18 Chestnuts

Now in her second year in business, Ilona Kossoff and her team with 18 Chestnuts create quality soups to help people feel good in their bodies.

Kossoff and her husband formerly had a career in commercial real estate in Tampa, FL. When her father was diagnosed with

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cancer, Kossoff began to look at life from a different perspective.

“Real estate was draining my energy and creativity, and nothing was feeding my soul,” Kossoff said. “I took yoga teacher training courses and met some incredible people who were genuinely sharing their stories and stepping into their passion. I was so inspired by them, and felt a renewed source of energy.”

Soups are Kossoff’s favorite food, and she had been making them for herself and her family for more than 30 years. She realized the food choices most easily accessible don’t serve people well and can leave people feeling worse than before they eat them, and she didn’t want to be a part of that. She studied for a year at Cornell to learn how plant-based eating interacts inside the body.

“I created 18 Chestnuts with the sole purpose of creating quality healthy food,” Kossoff said. “The second pillar is environmental. People generally consume about a credit card worth of plastic every year, and I don’t want to contribute to that either. We package our soups in glass, and compost and recycle anything that’s possible.”

Living in Western North Carolina for several years, the region’s entrepreneurial support organizations have been instrumental in providing support and space for launching 18 Chestnuts, according to Kossoff. She said she was fortunate to find Blue Ridge Food Ventures and their commercial kitchen space, and the two women coaches she was paired with through Hatch Innovation Hub are fearless, knowledgeable in business, and have encouraged her to look at her business from different perspectives.

“They helped me to find my voice,” Kossoff said. “I feel purposeful, and this is an amazing feeling that I’ve never felt before. I’m just making soup, but I’m okay with just making soup as long as I can be really great at just making soup.”

Kossoff said the ingredients used in her soups are sourced as locally as possible, are made with 40% less sodium than many other brands, and are all vegan. She also said her soups, including Mountain Mushroom and Red Pepper Pomodoro, can be used in recipes like casseroles or pasta dishes and add more nutrition to meals. “I did this when my kids were little to sneak in veggies, and they loved it,” she said.

Setting up shop at the UNCA Farmers Market was an incredible learning curve for Kossoff. She said it was a business incubator of sorts and gave her an opportunity to connect with like-minded people and to test different products and flavors.

More recently, Kossoff said she had the opportunity to work with Venture Asheville’s Elevate program, which has turned into an incredible journey. She said surrounding herself with other hardworking people scaling their business has been truly inspiring, and that it’s supportive to see others navigating the challenging steps and finding their way. “I’m learning what that journey is like, and learning that I’m not alone,” she said. Now, Kossoff has four full-time and three part-time employees, as well as staff in other locations like Charlotte and Wilmington where 18 Chestnuts has a presence. She said she is also working with distributors, planning to attend food shows, and trying new soup recipes while growing the retail arm of her business. While she wants to expand, her focus is on North Carolina.

“I want to show up with the community and support the people who work and buy local,” Kossoff said. “I recognize this area as my home, and we want to be here.”

Sara Delaney Sarilla

Having grown up drinking tea and living a sober lifestyle as an adult, founding CEO of Sarilla Sara Delaney had a dream of providing non-alcoholic options to Beer City’s brewery and restaurant scene.

Working in fair trade certification in the 2000s, Delaney was communicating with a fair trade coffee farmer and was invited to come visit Rwanda to see what it’s like for the farmers so she could properly tell their story. She accepted a job managing a restaurant in the capital of Rwanda in 2009. There, she not only fell in love with the country and its people. She also fell in love with their tea.

“I learned so much about tea in Rwanda,” Delaney said. “The process was so simple there; it’s very accessible. I really fell in love with the silver tea’s flavor and realized its power. It gave me smooth, streamlined energy and helped me to focus. I knew I wanted to bring it back with me.” continued on next page