Students support small businesses at Northeastern’s Valentine’s Day Market – The Huntington News

Many local businesses, many of which are run by Northeastern students and alumni, were set up for students to buy from.

Northeastern students packed the tents at Robinson Quad Feb.

Love in the form of hand-crafted jewelry and accessories drew a large crowd at the market, including Studio Saya — a Filipino-American-owned business founded and run by Mia Narciso, a 2021 Northeastern graduate.

“Saya means happy in Tagalog … So I just wanted to make fun, bright pieces that bring people happiness,” Narciso said.

For tasty treats, attendees headed over to the table with Sweet Piglet Bakery + Cafe — an Asian and women-owned bakery located in Randolph, Massachusetts.

A 2019 College of Science alum, Mallory Gothelf founded the company to give people a tangible way to express support for one another.

Many people also practice self-care by caring for plants, which attendees of the Market could find at the Emerald City Plant Shop vendor.

“I opened up Emerald City Plant Shop, which is New England’s first Black-owned plant shop, last May,” Turner said.

“I essentially started it because I saw a major problem with plastic pollution in the cosmetics industry.

Founded by Rachel Domb, a third-year psychology major, Rooted Living is an eco-friendly plant-based snack company that uses compostable packaging instead of single-use plastic and sells nutritious snacks that have no refined ingredients.

“They are both good for you and good for the planet,” Domb said.

In the arena of sustainability, the Market also featured Loch Tree, an eco-friendly store, founded by 2020 alum Henry Turner.

Another company that emphasizes convenience is Suite Bella, a team of three makeup artists co-founded by 2021 Northeastern alum Yari DeJesus, along with her childhood friends Gina Montes De Oca and Jackie Merino.

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