Since 2024, the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) of Elgin has organized spring pop-up makers markets, providing new business owners a platform to display their handmade products. Next month, the Made In Elgin Shop, part of DNA’s Made In Elgin Incubator Program, will open in the Courtyard at 40. This shop will host up to eight entrepreneurs, allowing them to create and sell their goods.
DNA Executive Director Jennifer Fukala announced, “The Made In Elgin Shop will be located at 42 S. Spring St. It will occupy combined storefronts on Spring Street.” Funding for the project came from a $100,000 Small Business Accelerator Grant awarded by The Hartford in collaboration with Main Street America, which DNA secured in May 2025.
The grant has been used to purchase necessities such as lighting, slatwalls, paint, display items, a point-of-sale system, printers, a security setup, work tables, and educational programs for participants. Some funds are also dedicated to marketing and sustaining the program in its first year. Initially, four vendors will open shop, but DNA aims to recruit four more.
The store will operate Thursday to Sunday during select hours, with tenants paying $400 monthly rent for a minimum six-month commitment. Fukala stated that the goal is to help entrepreneurs transition from home or online businesses to independent downtown storefronts.
The first vendors include Anika Jones of Head to Toe Blessings, Regina and Tawny Pauling of The Noble Soapery, Jen Monterroso’s La Joya De Taxco, and Tola Makinde of TCreativ Designs and MOPE Botanical Wellness. Tola Makinde emphasized the value of having a dedicated creative space, saying, “I do everything by hand. Having a space matters for my work.”
Makinde currently operates from her home studio and participates in events throughout the Chicago area. Her engagement with the Downtown Elgin Market makes the Made In Elgin Shop a fitting progression. “Both of my brands are community-rooted, and I love celebrating local makers,” she shared.
Fukala described the Made In Elgin Retail Incubator Program as a strategic economic development initiative, supporting growth from vendor markets to storefronts. “This isn’t just assistance. It creates a future business pipeline.” With diverse revenue avenues, these businesses can achieve sustainability while enhancing the downtown area’s resilience.
Makinde looks forward to the opportunities the location offers, saying, “A professional space for TCreativ and MOPE gives people a better experience. Being around other makers is invaluable.”