Meet The Entrepreneurs

Alec's Gift Baskets
New Providence, NJ

Alec is 26 and happens to have Down Syndrome. He’s a perfectionist and has a talent for arranging items in a neat and organized way. Alec’s Gift Baskets began when Alec’s job coach realized that his OCD could be his ticket to gainful employment. Who better to assemble and pack the perfect gift box?

Nichols Freestyle Weaving
San Diego, CA

Alex is a free-style weaver who follows the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which represents embracing imperfection. Using a Saori loom and hand-weaving techniques, Alex creates wild and free wall hangings mixing textures and vibrant colors using yarn and unconventional materials. 

Allie Art Designs
Cincinnati, OH

Allie is the self-proclaimed "color girl" who shares her love of color through her artwork. Each Allie Art product is handmade using Allie’s unique style of bright hues drawn with colored pencils. You are sure to fall in love with Allie’s Art!

Doggy Delights by Allison
Clermont, FL

Allison loves all things kitchen! She strives to make the very BEST homemade dog treats. Her recipes include only natural, human-grade ingredients. Her love of food and cooking started during a 2-year span when she could not eat or drink by mouth (due to health issues). She is an entrepreneur with Down syndrome, but she wants you to know her as the best dog treat chef ever!

Doc's Odyssey
Greeley, CO

Andrew “Doc” De Polloc is a professional photographer, writer, videographer, and drone pilot. He creates beautiful nature photographs that showcase his adventures throughout Colorado. Fun fact: he has climbed 28 of Colorado's 54 14ers. We're excited to feature his photography at our in-person pop-up this year!

Down Right Designs
Choudrant, LA

Anna uses her creativity to make unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of art to decorate your home or for gift giving. She uses modeling paste, wood cutouts and other supplies to create unique and thoughtful paintings on canvas, tiles, and wood surfaces. Anna hopes to make every customer feel special through her beautiful art.

Pets Pizzazz
Louisville, CO

Brent is an animal lover and entrepreneur with autism. He started his new business Pets Pizzazz during the pandemic and loves making products for your furry best friends. Brent's entrepreneurial talents are amazing and he is the inspiration behind Celebrate EDU.

Charlie French Fine Art
Boulder, CO

Charlie French is an intuitive abstract painter, known for his compositions of bright and colorful shapes. Charlie’s process is to be free, and embrace a blank canvas as an adventure in imaginative freedom. He loves textures, layers, geometric shapes, and freeform markings he calls Charlie’s Designs. 

Elf Emma
Massapequa, NY

For Emma, painting has always been a relaxing hobby. During the pandemic, she started painting gnomes and selling them from her front yard. Emma’s gnomes have really taken off and her business has grown exponentially. Emma loves giving back and donates her profits to local charities. 

3ND Glass
Denver, CO

Ethan is a talented young artist who began to blow glass at the age of 14. He became interested in glass blowing after visiting a Chihuly exhibit in the Denver Botanic Gardens. Ethan’s talent continues to evolve and his pieces of art are a treasured possession.

Candidly Kind
Chattanooga, TN

Grace was born with Down syndrome, but she prefers to call it Up syndrome. Grace’s unique artwork and “catch phrases” are sold on shirts, hats, totes through her business Candidly Kind. Grace never stops giving back, She donates a portion of every sale to charities.

Hannah's Vision
Manteca, CA

Hannah is the owner of Hannah’s Vision, a business that creates custom tie-dyed products. The name of the business carries special meaning for Hannah. Her vision has been progressively declining, and she is now legally blind. Hannah loves doing tie-dye because she can see some of the bright colors.

MV Barkery
Martha's Vineyard, MA

Searching for a meaningful employment opportunity for her son, who has autism, Henry’s mom Edie was inspired to create something they could do together. Henry loves being in the kitchen, mixing, cutting out shapes, and (of course!) sampling the batter. Together, they founded MV Barkery, the only locally made dog treats on Martha’s Vineyard. Henry is head of quality control and cookie decorator extraordinaire.

Downs & Towns
Knoxville, TN

Houston is a travel photographer who has travelled to all 50 states, 6 Canadian provinces, and 30 countries. Born with Down Syndrome, his speech is sometimes difficult to understand, but he is able to share his view of the world through his photography. Houston has a simple vision with his photography: Make the world a better place. 

Jay's Phyllum Trees
Walbridge, OH

Enter the whimsical world of Jay, a dedicated artist on a mission to spread joy through his enchanting handmade wire trees!  Jay's artistic journey is a labor of love, with hours poured into every intricate detail. Crafted with meticulous care, each tree is a testament to Jay's passion for creating art that represents ancient cultures.

Joel's Vision Arts
Fallbrook, CA

Joel Anderson is an award-winning artist and author. Joel refers to himself as “the artist of smiles” and he is using his talents to encourage and support people with autism all over the world. Joel's art has been seen in China, Japan, Africa, Australia, Canada, Peru. Along with all of his community activities, Joel continues to create art daily.

Joey's Farm
Boulder, CO

Joey is a happy-go-lucky guy who enjoys reading cookbooks and watching grooming, shaving & barber videos on YouTube. Joey dreams of the day he will have facial hair, so in the meantime, he expresses his beard love by making all-natural beard balms, for other beard aficionados.

John's Crazy Socks
Farmingdale, NY

John Cronin is spreading happiness with every pair of socks that he sells. John and his father Mark founded John’s Crazy Socks in 2016, because of John’s love of colorful and fun socks, or what he calls his "crazy socks." John’s Crazy Socks proudly employs individuals of differing abilities and donates 5% of earnings to the Special Olympics.

JT's Fire
Fort Collins, CO

JT has always loved candles and he is thrilled to share his passion with his customers. JT was born with multiple disabilities and has overcome many obstacles. Having his own business is the highlight of his life and he receives pleasure from every candle he makes and sells. 

Keegan's Art Korner
Long Beach, NY

Keegan McCarthy is a budding artist who happens to be autistic and have epilepsy. He began painting in 2020 at a local art studio. He enjoys working with different colors and his brushwork is distinctive. He loves painting animals and landscapes. His original art is available on greeting cards.

Kevin Hosseini Art World
El Cajon, CA

Kevin was introduced to art at a young age by his autism behaviorist. His art is largely inspired by travel and diverse cultural interests. He loves to use rich vibrant colors to create depth and feeling. Kevin’s paintings have been displayed around the world including in Kiev, Ukraine and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Moore Crunch
Baltimore, MD

Moore Crunch isn’t just a snack, it's a story of strength, flavor, and what happens when someone refuses to be counted out. Marcus Moore turned his lack of opportunities into a thriving autism-owned business. Marcus makes and packs every order and loves making his customers happy. Moore Crunch pretzels are extra crunchy, boldly seasoned, and hard to stop eating! 

Matthew's Bonfire BBQ

Gross Point Park, MI

This “Hot and Spicy Guy” is sparking a fire for taste and acceptance. Having Down syndrome has never stopped Matthew from doing anything he sets his mind out to do. He has been spicing up life for his family and friends since birth and it’s time to spread the love through Matthew’s Bonfire BBQ. 

Max Mix
Kansas City, MO

Growing up in the hotbed of Kansas City BBQ, Max started making spice blends as Christmas gifts for teachers, family, and friends. Turns out, people really liked them, and it quickly became Max’s thing. Max Mix was launched in Fall 2023 and his delicious spice mixes are spicing up taste buds across the country. Max wants to grow his business so he can provide employment and job training for others with special abilities.

Trees by Mickey
Denver, CO

Mickey is one of our youngest entrepreneurs who is making a big impact. During baseball season, he works in Event Services for the Colorado Rockies. During the off-season, he enjoys whipping up culinary delights in the kitchen and is exploring new entrepreneurial ventures. Stay tuned for the extraordinary things he’s destined to create.

Purely Patrick

Hyde Park, VT

Patrick was born 3 1/2 months premature and was a "fighter" and a "lover" from the very beginning. Using assistive technology, all Purely Patrick products are created by Patrick and his job coaches. Patrick’s "Made in Vermont" products are done with care and determination to ensure that they are the absolute best experience for my customers. 

Musician
Solana Beach, CA

Reid Moriarty is a man with a mic motivated to entertain and show that everyone has a unique gift. Don't let his autism fool you. He brings a contagious sense of joy to every audience. Reid's voice breaks through social barriers to inspire. He is both a charismatic soloist on keys and vocals as well as frontman for Jungle Poppins.

Smile Biscotti
Phoenix, AZ

In 2013, SMILE Biscotti was launched to provide Matt with work experience and help him on his path to independence. Recently, the baton has been passed to Sammy and the Essential Piece Entrepreneurial Program, a part of Arizona Autism Charter Schools. This new partnership will provide workforce experiences for additional individuals on the autism spectrum.

Special T Teas & Special T Market
Lakewood, CO

Tania Richardson is a tea master who loves blending her own organic, loose leaf, herbal teas. She is happiest when she is working and loves the smells and taste of the teas. She feels accomplished and proud when blending her teas and loves sharing her unique flavors with her customers. This year, she's also bringing some new products!