The Circle of Aunts & Uncles offers qualified local entrepreneurs with demonstrated need a new vehicle for accessing local lenders offering low interest loans, as well as advice, business and connections. The Circle intentionally creates trusting relationships between lenders and borrowers, in the spirit of actual aunts and uncles, enabling investors to understand the true needs of the business and provide advice and contacts.
Our Entrepreneurs
Bower Café
Midtown
First Funded June 2019
Thane Wright creates a unique experience at Bower Cafe. The name of the cafe-charcuterie shop, “Bower,” comes from a bowerbird, a species that decorates its nest with bright colors to attract mates.
Holding true to its symbolic name, Bower Cafe’s menu is full of variety and exciting combinations. In addition to traditional cafe treats such as lattes and pastries, Wright features a variety of cured meats that change on a monthly basis. New to the menu are a variety of toasts, and sandwiches.
Bright Yellow Creamery
First Funded February 2018
Owner Steve Dorcelien crafts small-batch ice cream from scratch in Philadelphia without GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, sugar syrups, carrageenan, or artificial coloring and flavoring. All of their flavors are made from scratch starting with organic dairy from Pennsylvania grass-fed cows at Trickling Springs Creamery and include Sea Salt Honey, Cinnamon, Ginger + Lemongrass, and Java Cookies. Hire Bright Yellow Creamery to serve at private events, buy a cone at the Rittenhouse farmers’ market on Saturdays, or pick up a pint at Green Aisle Grocery.
Steve has paid off his loan in full, and has left Philadelphia to get married.
Brightyellowcreamery.com
Cleo Bagels
West Philly
Cleo Bagels (fka Dodo Bagels) is a small artisan bagel shop in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philly producing handmade, malt-boiled, and hearth-baked bagels. Our offerings pay tribute to tradition while embracing experimentation and defying conventionality. Known for our signature sandwiches like the Ramen Thing, as well as our bialys and applethings, we aspire to introduce the neighborhood and bagel enthusiasts alike to food that is satisfyingly familiar while also uniquely our own. From the home kitchen in 2016 to the brick and mortar in 2023, our commitment to this humble bread has never been greater.
Cherish Philly
*Details coming soon!
Dolly’s Boutique
Germantown
First Funded June 2019
Dolly's Boutique & Consignment, owned by Shani Newton, is a unique boutique experience specializing in designer clothing, accessories, handbags and jewelry located in Germantown, Philadelphia, PA.
Her dream of become an entrepreneur blossomed at the age of 12. After years of ups and downs in the world of business, she fulfilled her dream of opening Dolly’s Boutique in 2009. With the opening of her second shop in the Fashion District in 2019, she is now one of four minority business owners in the space.
Downtime Bakery
Mount Airy
First Funded April 2024
Dayna Evans and Sam Carmichael started Downtime Bakery in Mt. Airy as a cottage bakery in January 2022. They specialize in sourdough breads, bagels, and an array of pastries and baked goods. In November 2023, they signed a lease on a brick-and-mortar space at 6624 Germantown Avenue with the goal of opening a physical location in October of 2024.
Manayunk
First Funded Nov 2023
With over 10 years of experience in the retail Shaw Lewis, a Philadelphia native, is the dynamic founder of Expect Lace, an inclusive lingerie retailer nestled in the vibrant Manayunk section of her hometown. Recognizing the lack of diverse and body-positive lingerie options, Shaw launched Expect Lace to fill this gap, offering a range of styles that cater to all body types and preferences. Her business stands as a symbol of empowerment, celebrating the uniqueness of each individual through carefully curated collections. With a commitment to quality, inclusivity, and community, Shaw and Expect Lace have become integral parts of Philadelphia's fashion landscape, embodying the spirit of confidence and self-love.
Fason De Viv
First Funded November 2015
Haitian-American Hanifah Samad named her store Fason De Viv, which means ‘lifestyle’ in Haitian Creole. At the time of the loans, Hanifah's store highlighted clothes that she designed and her mother made, among other fashions. In addition to her flagship store, Hanifah operates a curated online marketplace for independent brands selling fashion, jewelry, accessories, home decor, art, and beauty products.
Fflat Books
First Funded April 2024
Dr. Sarah Gulish is a Grammy-nominated educator, author, and speaker. For sixteen years, Sarah worked as a public school music teacher in Montgomery County, PA. She has also served as an adjunct professor of music education at Buffalo State University, Temple University, and West Chester University. Her work has been published by F-flat Books, Routledge, Oxford University Press, and various magazines..
In 2019, Sarah co-founded F-flat Books, a music publishing company focused on practical and equitable resources for musicians and music educators. Through an author-centric publishing model that positions people over profit, F-flat Books has provided a platform for new authors from various cultural backgrounds to share their songs and stories while being fairly compensated for doing so.
As a musician, Sarah has written, performed, and toured with groups in and around the east coast. Her music has been featured in film and Broadway. Sarah lives in Philadelphia, PA, with her drummer husband and three creative kids.
Franny Lou's Porch
First Funded, June 2016
Blew Kind named her coffee shop in honor of Frances E.W. Harper (19th century bold abolitionist, poet, and lecturer) and Fannie Lou Hamer (20th century civil rights activist). Kind creates space for marginalized peoples voices to be heard and understood while generating a culture of humanization and community.
This loan is paid in full. In 2023, Blew closed her business and is now exploring new entrepreneurial opportunities.
Grant Blvd
First Funded February 2020
With 18 years of experience as a public educator, Dr. Kimberly McGlonn is a committed advocate for inclusivity and environmentalism, advocacy that informs her approach to business leadership. As Founder & CEO of the Philadelphia-based manufacturing and retailer, Grant Blvd, she oversees the daily management, creative direction, & growth strategy for this, her sustainable apparel brand. Ultimately, Grant Blvd’s mission is to design fashion forward, sustainably sourced garments, whilst supporting women who are formerly incarcerated towards leading self-sufficient, full lives. Finally, she serves her immediate neighbors in the role of Councilwoman in Jenkintown Borough.
Herb Fuzion
First Funded May 2023
Lanise Middleton, Owner and Operator of Herb Fuzion Honey. Established during the pandemic, Lanise found an innovative way to consume Local Honey by infusing it with natural herbs and flavors. No artificial flavors used.
"You can find local honey everywhere. I wanted to step outside the box and offer consumers other ways to enjoy honey. While getting the benefits of local honey, consumers can enjoy our honey in a variety of flavors. Our flavors range from Lemon Ginger to Chili Mango. Honey is not just for tea. You can substitute it in recipes that call for sugar, marinate your meats, or even replace your condiments."
Heres2CoolStuff
South Philadelphia
First Funded October 2017
Entrepreneur and artist John Graves III opened Heres2CoolStuff in 2015 to provide an ever-changing selection of new, used and vintage men and women’s clothing. The store is also used to promote local artwork, host workshops and other community events such as open mic, acoustic and movie nights.
Honeysuckle Provisions
West Philadelphia
First Funded May 2022
Omar Tate and Cybille St.Aude-Tate are social entrepreneurs who believe in centering the Black experience and are fueled by the conviction that chefs have a social responsibility. Their overarching brand, Honeysuckle Projects, expands the mission of Honeysuckle Provisions into a network of community spaces centered around the values of ancestry, nourishment, and reclamation across pop-ups, dinner parties, and events.
Jeantrix
First Funded June 2022
Jeantrix is a Fashion & Art brand created by Nyce (Deric Crawley) and Homm (Muhammad AB), their objective is to create and combine Fashion, Art, and Film to give their audience a one-of-a-kind experience of different textures, colors, and images that will inspire you to Follow Your Dreams.
They have ongoing collaborations with many celebrities and other fashion brands such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Dr. Martens footwear, MCM, Neiman Marcus, Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, Michael B Jordan, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Blue Ivy and many others throughout the fashion and entertainment industries.
Kitchen Garden Textiles
First funded February 2019
Kitchen Garden Textiles are created with 100% organic linen to help create a healthy, vibrant future with products you'll use and love everyday. They are dedicated to valuing the people working with them at every step of their process.
A portion of the profits from their linen produce bags go to regenerative farms in Philadelphia. Their products help you reduce reliance on single-use and plastic disposables with elegant linen products.
Crafted in Pennsylvania, their textiles are for gathering, storing, preparing and serving food.
*In 2023, Kitchen Garden Textiles closed, and has shifted to focus on The PA Flax Project.
Lil’ Pop Shop
West Philadelphia
First funded December 2018
Jeanne Chang opened Lil’ Pop Shop in 2012 in West Philly. Her pops are made with high quality local ingredients; our favorite flavors include green tea mochi, goat cheese with port-soaked figs, mint chocolate chip and raspberry lime. The dairy is sourced from local pasture raised cows.
*In 2023 Lil Jeanne decided to close the shop’s retail location and shift to catering.
Lobo Mau
South Philadelphia
First Funded October 2017
Lobo Mau is a brother/sister clothing line specializing in innovative textile design. Rooted in slow fashion values, Lobo Mau is a zero-waste company that produces with local factories and silk screens its original textiles with careful consideration of its social and environmental impact on the world. After being named Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly in sustainability in 2019, Lobo Mau took this momentum to open its flagship store in Queen Village, Philadelphia, carrying other like-minded designers and furthering the brand’s slow-fashion ethos.
Lobo Mau received a second loan to develop fabric for $5,500 in 2018.
Mother Butter
First Funded January 2022
Kristin Dudley launched Mother Butter LLC in May of 2021. Mother Butter is a zero waste food company currently producing their signature Original Mother Butter, a sweet and salty nut free seed butter spread in small batches in Philadelphia. Mother Butter is made from a unique blend of 4 seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and flax seeds—incredibly nutritious and delicious—a great option for the whole family.
Mother Butter is sold at pop-up and farmers markets, and currently sits on 14 small retailer shelves. They launched a chocolate flavor this year which has been a big hit and thought of as a “healthy nutella”.
Merzbacher’s
(formerly Philly Bread)
Germantown
First Funded June 2015
Merzbacher’s (formerly Philly Bread), owned by Peter Merzbacher, is a wholesale producer of artisan bagels, baguettes, buns, focaccia, and ciabatta. They bake with local rye and corn from Castle Valley Mill in Bucks County. The bakery’s beloved Philly Muffin (a square English muffin with great flavor and an open, airy texture) is a menu staple at local cafes. You can find their bread and muffins on the shelves at local markets including MOM’s Organic Market, Weaver’s Way Co-op, Riverwards Produce, and Di Bruno Bros.
The Pasta Lab
First Funded February 2020
Owners Gina Rubinetti and Chris Wright are fresh pasta makers, highlighting freshly-milled, locally sourced grains and producers from the mid-Atlantic region. All of their raw materials (produce, grain, eggs, meat and cheese) are sourced from small farms in and around Pennsylvania. Gina and Chris have a production space in Kensington, and sell their small batch fresh pasta at local farmers markets including Rittenhouse, Head House and Chestnut Hill. The loan from Circle of Aunts & Uncles will allow The Pasta Lab to expand their business into wholesale and make their product more widely available.
Philly Forests
Germantown
First Funded November 2021
Jasmine Thompson, owner and operator of Philly Forests developed a background in food & agriculture by building food forests on Native American Tribal Lands in Northern California.
Since then, she's enhanced food sovereignty and security in Philadelphia by nutrition education, urban forestry, sustainable farm management, farmers market operation, and more.
The mission of Philly Forests is to diversify the local food system through meaningful local food stakeholder engagement and sustainable agriculture. Jasmine additionally enjoys cooking lentils with her two cats sprawled on the kitchen floor.
*In 2023 Jasmine closed her farm and is now employed with PASA.
Primal Supply Meats
South Philadelphia
First Funded June 2017
Butcher Heather Thomason sources whole, pasture-raised animals from our regional farmers to provide Philadelphia consumers with high quality humanely-raised meat. Through their subscription service, the Butcher’s Club, members pick up weekly shares.
*In 2022 Heather closed Primal Supply Meat and is focusing on consulting work.
Remark Glass
South Philadelphia
First Funded February 2018
Danielle Ruttenberg and Rebecca Davies, co-owners of Remark Glass, heat and shape recycled bottles to make new usable forms like serving bowls, glasses, carafes, and light fixtures. Bring them a bottle from a special occasion (like the champagne bottle from your wedding), and they’ll give it new life as a usable keepsake. Purchase their work at Art in the Age, Bok Market, select events throughout the year, or on their website.
Remark received a second loan for $8,855 in 2019.
Rowhouse Grocery
South Philadelphia
First Funded 2019
Rowhouse Grocery is a corner store located at 17th & McKean in South Philadelphia. Our goal is to bring fresh produce and groceries to our neighborhood at a price that is accessible to the whole community. The in-house kitchen allows us to not only make delicious sandwiches and salads daily, but also to cut down on food waste and provide nutritious meal options at a low cost. Rowhouse also provides job training for people with obstacles to employment. The three owners are long-term residents of the neighborhood and are excited to provide a space for neighbors to gather and shop or take a class!
The Sable Collective
First Funded 2019
Shanti Mayers founded The Sable Collective in 2016 to create a retail space for women of color, selling items made by people of color. She noticed that this was a gap in the industry, and she was inspired to make this space a reality. Mayers’s store sells a wide variety of items related to wellness, art, and fashion including clothing, jewelry, housewares, and beauty products. She has recently closed her store at the Fashion District and sells only online.
The Silk Tent
Taco Angeleno
West Philadelphia
Joined November 2016
Owner Vanessa Jerolmack serves bright and flavorful food inspired by the taco carts she misses from LA — her hometown. Patrons can enjoy specialties like tinga chicken and vegan tacos, homemade chips and salsa, and simple cheese quesadillas in an outdoor dining space with picnic tables, raised beds and an area for kids to play.
*Vanessa has paid off her loan and has closed her business to be a full time mom.
Triton Soap
First Funded May 2023
Triton Soap’s founder Jesse brings creativity, playfulness, and a bit of flirtation to soap making. Inspired by the vibrancy of queer and trans culture, he creates nurturing skin products that smell and feel amazing. A self-taught soap maker with a background in public health, body-positive fitness, and transgender activism, Jesse believes that cleansing and caring for one’s body is an act of love and resistance.
Tim Eads – Tuft The World
South Philly
First Funded June 2016
At the time of the first loan,Tim Eads designed hand printed fabrics that are sewn into eye-catching bags and clutches. The company operates a no-waste facility; even unprinted scraps of fabric are saved for future use. Bold designs are printed with water-based inks that are less toxic than plastisol. You can buy his bags locally at shops like Stadler-Kahn, The Fabric Workshop Museum store and Philadelphia Independents, at stores across the U.S. (listed on his website) and through his online store.
In 2019 we made a second loan of $12,000 for equipment and supplies for a new line - tufted rugs made from waste scraps.
Currently Tuft the World operates out of two spaces. Their production and order fulfillment is in West Philly at 5400 Grays Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143. Their education center is in the Bok building, RM 501.
tufttheworld.com Instagram: @tuft_the_world
First Funded March 2024
Hi, my name is Kwan Howard, and I am an art curator, organizer, and the founder of an arts organization in Philadelphia called Vicarious Love. Over the past decade, I have been one of a handful of Black curators to organize diverse programming within Philadelphia’s contemporary art community. As a minority in my field, I have always demonstrated a special commitment to creating progressive spaces and programming that emphasize diversity, equity, and representation. My curation and work have assisted and propelled the careers of several artists, including minority artists in Philadelphia. Since I first started my art career 10 years ago, I have organized over 100 art presentations, developed three art spaces, and taught an art program at a charter school in Philadelphia. I am passionate about my work and the potential of art, so I develop projects with a great sense of purpose and determination. My work with Vicarious Love has been widely admired for the cultural progress it has generated. Notably, I have been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer and WHYY for my exceptional work.
Instagram: @vicariouslove
Viva Leaf Tea Co.
Germantown
First Funded May 2022
Viva Leaf Tea is owned by Christa Barfield, a health-care professional turned farmer and lifelong Philadelphia resident. It was 10 years into her career in health-care administration when she realized her work-life balance was unhealthy; she resigned from her job just weeks before she turned 30. It was important for her to take back her life, health, and happiness not only for herself but for her family as well. After a solo trip to Martinique in January 2018, she returned home inspired to connect with the land, plant life, and social issues that heavily impact black and brown communities and all people’s perception of food. Her business is a reincarnation of her healthcare career in a more sustainable way. Since 2018, she has developed earth-born brands owned by her parent company, LifeLeaf Organic Farms. Her original two ventures, Viva Leaf Tea Co. and FarmerJawn Agriculture are based in regenerative agricultural values with a goal of traceable and transparent origins of 100% Organically Dope foods.
Weckerly's Ice Cream
Fishtown
First Funded April 2016
Nestled in a restored textile factory among artists, craftspeople, chefs and bakers, Jen and her husband Andy Satinsky make ice cream slowly, one batch at a time. All the milk comes from the organic dairy at Camphill Village in Kimberton, PA and each flavor is inspired by the seasons and crafted with local ingredients from small farms throughout South Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Visit their shop on Girard and find their ice cream sandwiches at locations including Mariposa Food Co-op, Green Aisle Grocery, and Rally Coffee. More locations listed on their website.
Weckerly’s has paid their loan in full, and in 2023 made the decision to sell their business.
Zsa's Ice Cream
Germantown
First Funded April 2017
Zsa’s is owned by Danielle Jowdy, and is known for producing "Seriously from Scratch" ice cream and ice cream sandwiches using regional high-butterfat, grass-pastured dairy and house-made inclusions and baked goods. Their signature offerings include Black Magic Ice Cream (coffee ice cream with bits of chocolate cake folded in); Buttered Brown Sugar Peach Ice Cream; and Sweet Cream & Dark Chocolate Wafer Ice Cream Sandwiches. Their pints and sandwiches are distributed to local markets including Weavers Way Co-op, Swarthmore Co-op, Green Aisle Grocery, and Kimberton Whole Foods, and can be purchased directly at the Headhouse Farmers' Market from May-November.