Since 2024, the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin has been holding spring pop-up makers markets to give budding business owners a place to showcase their self-made wares.
Next month, the Made In Elgin Shop — another piece of the DNA’s Made In Elgin Incubator Program — is set to open at a storefront inside Courtyard at 40, where up to eight entrepreneurs will produce and sell their goods.
“The address for the Made In Elgin Shop will be 42 S. Spring St. It will occupy both storefronts facing Spring Street, which have been combined into a single unit,” DNA Executive Director Jennifer Fukala said.
The project is being funded by a $100,000 Small Business Accelerator Grant from The Hartford, in partnership with Main Street America, which the DNA received in May 2025. Fukala said the money has been used to buy lighting, slatwalls, paint, display pieces, a point-of-sale system, printers, a security system, work tables and educational programming for participating businesses.
Some funding has also been set aside to market and sustain the program during its first year.
The Made In Elgin Shop doors will initially open with four vendors, and DNA is seeking four more to fill the space, Fukala said. At first, it will only be open select hours Thursday to Sunday, with tenants paying $400 per month in rent and committing to a minimum of six months.
“The overarching goal is to maintain a revolving roster, helping entrepreneurs transition from home-based or online setups into independent downtown storefronts,” Fukala said.
The first four participants will be Anika Jones, whose Head to Toe Blessings business makes skin and hair care products; Regina and Tawny Pauling’s The Noble Soapery, which makes soaps, body and hair care products, candles and home scents; Jen Monterroso with La Joya De Taxco, a family-run jewelry business; and Tola Makinde, owner of TCreativ Designs and MOPE Botanical Wellness.
“Under TCreativ Designs, which I started five years ago, I make pressed floral art, botanical jewelry, resin keepsakes and nature-inspired home décor, and I offer floral preservation services,” Makinde said.
“MOPE Botanical Wellness grew out of TCreativ Designs. With it, I create cold-infused botanical oil blends and gemstone wellness kits. Everything is rooted in nature and made with intention. MOPE is a Yoruba word meaning ‘to be complete,’ and it’s also my middle name and my grandmother’s name.”
Makinde said she currently works from her home studio in the Elgin area.
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“I do everything by hand — the pressing, the resin work, the oil infusions — so having a dedicated creative space matters a lot to how the work comes together,” Makinde said.
She sells her items at events and markets throughout the Chicago area and has been a Downtown Elgin Market vendor for a couple of years so taking part in the Made in Elgin Shop seemed like a natural fit, she said.
“Both of my brands are deeply rooted in this community, and I love the idea of a space that celebrates makers who are creating right here in Elgin,” Makinde said.
Fukala said the hope is that the Made In Elgin Retail Incubator Program will help businesses like Makinde’s grow from being market vendors into having bricks-and-mortar storefronts.
“This is much more than a small business assistance program,” she said. “It is a strategic economic development initiative. Its long-term value lies in creating a pipeline of future downtown businesses.
“These businesses often have multiple revenue streams, including wholesale, online, event and direct-to-consumer sales, making them less dependent on walk-in traffic alone. As a result, they are often better positioned for long-term sustainability while contributing to a more diverse and resilient downtown business district.”
For her part, Makinde said she is most excited about the visibility and connection the downtown location will provide.
“Having a consistent, professional space to showcase both TCreativ and MOPE means people can discover the work in a setting that does it justice,” Makinde said. “And being around other local makers — that kind of creative community is something I’ve always valued. I also hope it opens doors to more workshops and collaborations I haven’t even imagined yet.”
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.