As the United States celebrates Women’s History Month, The Female Maker Market continues to be a driving force in the community as a space that empowers local artisans and women-owned businesses.
On Sunday, March 16, the pop-up market will transform the Piazza della Famiglia in Little Italy with live music, local food, and rows of booths showcasing a curated selection of local women vendors.
Each booth will have something unique to offer, ranging from handmade goods, vintage clothes, wellness products and permanent jewelry.
Ronnie Salazar, founder of The Female Maker Market, began the pop-up event at the height of the pandemic in 2020, after being inspired by other open-air market events she participated in during the lockdown.
As an artist and a woman herself, she wanted to create an event that not only encouraged handmade, ethically sourced goods but also gave women a platform to grow a customer base for their own brick-and-mortar and e-commerce brands.
Five years later, Salazar has planted roots here in San Diego by connecting with female vendors that have joined her monthly pop-up events at Liberty Station and Little Italy. According to Salazar, the Female Maker Market has featured up to 25 vendors at Liberty Station and 70 vendors in Little Italy.
“I think as we approach Women’s History Month, it’s important to understand that as women, we still haven’t hit the glass ceiling when it comes to business in general. For me, having this platform that is she/her related, it really offers a large opportunity for not only women who are just getting started but also something bigger that’s priceless.
“I think a lot of people miss it, and that’s the aspect of community and creating sisterhood,” Salazar said.
“So it’s definitely influencing women to do more than just their business. It allows them to step out of the box and meet other women too who can be partners for them in the long run.”
Salazar says one of her core values in her market event is fostering growth in her vendors. To her, The Female Maker Market serves as a place for women to showcase their business, but eventually leave someday to be independent on their own.
Over the years, she’s watched past vendors of her market event blossom into launching their own marketplace for Asian American & Pacific Islander merchants, a San Diego Mama Meet-up group and a number of brick-and-mortar stores.
“I say this with confidence and with truly being a platform – our market isn’t intended for longevity. It’s intended to be a jump-off point for your business and probably one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve had from this market is being able to see women grow and ‘bloom’ into their own business outside of the market whether it be a brick-and-mortar, an influencer type of business, or working with bigger brands,” Salazar said.
Karina Arrezola-Reyes, founder of Forth Unit Jewelry, is among those small business owners who took off from their time as a vendor at The Female Maker Market. Her exposure to the pop-up market scene in San Diego and joining Salazar’s Mercantile Collective in Glendora Village led to her success in becoming an exclusive jewelry designer for singer and actress Becky G.
Arrezola-Reyes launched her jewelry line in Oct. 2020, but it was roughly a year and a half before she was first accepted as a vendor. Her time there allowed her to network and build a strong customer base selling customizable and fine jewelry.
Over the years, her business has grown from expanding her skill set to permanent jewelry, private parties and being discovered by agencies for marketing campaigns.
Arrezola-Reyes continues to hold on to the relationships she has made and attributes much of her growth to Salazar. She says she is thankful that her experience allowed her to connect to people who appreciated her art and gave her a support system she needed to grow in her business.
“The Female Maker Market is amazing. They have so many vendors and they curate this market perfectly to support women-owned businesses. You’re always going to find something unique, something different. Something that you’re not going to find at the regular store, but you’re going to find at The Female Maker Market,” Arrezola-Reyes said.
“I’m eternally grateful that I’ve met Ronnie because she gives me the confidence in my business to continue, and every time there’s something new happening, I’m always so happy to share with her because she’s one of those people that you know is going to say that they’re proud of you.”
There will be nine events for the remainder of the year, once a month on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about The Female Maker Market event dates and vendor applications, visit the Little Italy website here.
