Women-Owned Small Businesses in NYC
BY LAURA LU
New York City is a global hub of business and commerce. Since there are so many innovative brands in the city, it may be easy to get lost in all of our options. Below, we highlighted some, unique women-owned small businesses from jewelry to food that we think are worth checking out!
Sage and Saber
Created by My Hoang in 2020, Sage and Saber is a NYC small business that features unique, handcrafted watch jewelry. Opposed to traditional mass-produced jewelry, the brand focuses on personalization and originality to ensure their timeless pieces. A customer can buy pre-made jewelry pieces made of refurbished watch faces and charms while also having the option of purchasing specific watch faces from their collection. One is able to request specific customization to tailor the jewelry item to their indivudal liking. This brand has reached major pop culture icons like Taylor Swift, Rhianna, Megan The Stallion, and Olivia Rodrigo. In the past, Sage and Saber has had a vendor station at Canal Street Market, though they are on break as of April 2024. However, the company can also be found online and offers international shipping.
Mogutable
Sisters Yingchi Hsu and Yuchen Hsu created Mogutable, a curated home goods shop. Their business features a wide selection of well-designed, aesthetically pleasing home decor such as candles, soaps, dinnerware, and chopstick rests. Their shop sources from artisans both locally and internationally, and their blog dedicates a post for each brand and artist they sell in the shop. They value creating a safe space to share the works of artists and designers with fans. Mogutable can be found in-person through their shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at Canal Street Market, or online. They are also frequently vendors at various events and recently, they sold during JapanFes and Head In The Cloud’s Night Market.
Lemon zesty
Lemon Zesty is an artist shop that combines bright colors with relatable drawings and motifs. Monica Martino is an ex-Emmy nominated TV producer and after a filming accident, she turned to art as her creative outlet. Martino founded Lemon Zesty in 2017 with the goal of highlighting the quirks of everyday life encounters. She often features symbols of NYC like pigeons and the Statue of Liberty in her art accompanied by humor phrases. Each of her prints are printed by hand, based on her various working mediums of watercolor, ink, gouache, and marker. She offers a range of products outside of prints including tote bags, mugs, and small-batch candles. Lemon Zesty can be found online on their Etsy or at the Artists & Fleas marketplace located in Chelsea Market.
Sundae Service
Sundae Service is an innovative, Asian-inspired digital ice cream parlor founded by sisters Debbie Tanudirjo and Liz Margaretha. They offer unique flavors such as Milo, a popular Southeast Asian malted chocolate milk, and Ube, Filipino purple yam. Their products are made from natural ingredients and emphasize their nostalgic flavors reminiscent of the founders’ childhoods. In July 2020, the sister duo launched Sundae Service as a small-batch, online-only ice cream shop that delivered on Sundays. However, the company has since grown to be sold in Pearl River Mart Foods of Chelsea Market and Southeast @ The Market Line.