'Casa Qui' opens for business, selling local Latinx products
In an effort to amplify the help we can give to Latinx small business owners, Adelante Mujeres has created Casa Qui, a vibrant shop located in the Adelante Mujeres building in downtown Forest Grove which serves as the storefront of the newly created Retail Business Incubator program.
Casa Qui, which opened on December 4, 2020, features products from four graduates of our Empresas Small Business Development Program.
Daniela Ortiz, Empresas Coach and Training Specialist at Adelante Mujeres, explains why it was so important to open Casa Qui: " The small business community is struggling due to COVID. Opportunities for access to market such as city events and farmers markets were closing, but the bills weren't going away. Our people still needed to make money to feed their families, to pay for housing, for their general livelihood. Casa Qui was created in the hopes of giving Latino small business owners an affordable access to market point, where they could make money to continue providing for themselves and their families."
We can’t thank our community partners enough for helping make Casa Qui possible, including Bank of America for their $10,000 donation that will support our Empresas Small Business Development program and this new business incubator!
“This is an incredibly challenging time for small businesses and entrepreneurs with big dreams. Organizations like Adelante Mujeres are playing an essential role to grow and develop Latinx-owned local businesses to ensure they stay open as they are key to advancing our local economy,” said Roger Hinshaw, Oregon and Southwest Washington market president, Bank of America. “As a longtime partner of Adelante Mujeres and their programming, their new Casa Qui pop-up shop is a great outlet to celebrate and support small businesses this holiday season.”
Casa Qui is more than a retail space. It's an educational pilot program. "Within the next 12 months, we will be presenting quarterly workshops to help the vendors in areas such as customer service, marketing, e-commerce, and other topics that they identify as needed," says Daniela. "We hope this program will lead to these vendors having their own brick and mortar locations in the future, and we're preparing them with the tools for that journey at Casa Qui."
"At Casa Qui, all the vendors manage the store on different days and help each other sell their products," explains Daniela. "Teamwork helps them make more profits than they could make if they had to run a shop on their own and be open only once or twice a week."
Meet the four women selling inside Casa Qui:
Araceli, La Popular
Araceli owns a Mexican cuisine catering company, La Popular, and now sells her popular birria sauce at Casa Qui. The sauce is made with organic and local ingredients and can be used on any meats or vegetables to give your meals a kick of mouthwatering flavor.
"This sauce is very popular in Jalisco, Mexico. I have been working on this project for more than two years. I'm very glad to finish it and begin to sell my product.
Casa Qui is the first place I'll be offering my sauce. In the future I want to sell in other states in the U.S.
This place is an opportunity for small business owners to start out small, and then eventually expand to their own retail space.
Thank you to Adelante Mujeres for this opportunity, to offer our culture, our products, our work." - Araceli
Ximena, Huitzil Imports
Ximena and her husband import specialty products from Mexico. Their colorful array of gifts includes garments, incense, sandals, jewelry, and more. Ximena sees her business as more than just selling goods – she hopes her offerings can help people heal and feel grounded, especially during turbulent times we are all facing now.
Her bundles of sage, essential oils, and art pieces activate all of the senses and takes you on a journey.
"I started my business a year ago. I feel blessed.
Everybody is helping me from Adelante Mujeres. Everybody is just wanting us to succeed. I feel special. All of this help, this support from the organization, Javier, Daniela, it's just great.
I hope Casa Qui succeeds and has a lot of customers and we sell a lot!" - Ximena
Elvira, Happy Flowers
Elvira’s love of flowers came about after working at a flower shop for ten years, but she had a dream of owning her own flower shop. After attending the Beyond Trauma course at Adelante Mujeres, Elvira began believing in herself — that she could start her own business. So, she enrolled in our Empresas Program, and that’s where it all began. Today, her beautiful and fragrant flower arrangements are available at Casa Qui, and currently feature a festive holiday theme of reds, greens, and whites.
“When teacher Javier gave me the class, they gave me opportunities that I didn’t have because I had no job and no money.
They encouraged me to develop my idea, to get it out of me so I could show others what I could do.
That’s when I told myself ‘I’m going to do it and I’m going to keep fighting, and I have been fighting and fighting every day, climbing each step slowly but I keep moving forward.” - Elvira
Irma, Viva la Cactus
Irma has a green thumb, just like her mother. Her succulents fill the front space of Casa Qui. They come in many shapes, sizes and colors, all in one-of-a-kind pots. Irma pours her love into each plant, saying good morning and goodnight to them, and it shows – they are healthy and happy little cacti, all awaiting a new home.
"I started my business not even a year ago. It started as a hobby.
This means a lot to me. After working so many years in this country, and working really hard, I think my dream is coming true. I always worked really hard to have a business. I tried and tried and tried, and it just didn't happen. Now it's happening, and it's unbelievable.
I want to be an example for my grand kids, and my sisters, and all of the women my family. Maybe later they will be inspired to keep going -- do not stop, do not give up. Keep going." - Irma
We invite everyone in our community to visit Casa Qui, shop, and make a different for Latina small business owners. Casa Qui is located in the Adelante Mujeres building (2030 Main Street, Forest Grove) and is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 AM to 7 PM. Until then, here’s a peek inside the shop:
