Meet Co-Founder Beth Lawton featured in AEDP’s new holiday series celebrating local entrepreneurs
‘Tis the season! Introducing our new series, 12 Days of Small Business, highlighting homegrown businesses to check out this holiday season and beyond. First up, please meet Co-Founder Beth Lawton of Made in ALX, a collective of artists, creators, and makers that offer a range of workshops and pop-ups. Read on to hear more about her business and what she is looking forward to this holiday season in Alexandria.
Name: Beth Lawton
Business Name: Made in ALX
AEDP: Tell me a little about your business.
Beth Lawton (BL): Made in ALX is a retail store and workshop space—one of the best places to go for unique, locally handmade items from more than 40 artists, creators, and makers. In addition to running a retail shop in Old Town North, Made in ALX hosts a variety of workshops and classes for adults, free events for kids, and provides local artists with pop-up sales and business development opportunities. We have also recently started hosting birthday parties for kids and adults!
AEDP: What are the biggest challenges your business has faced this year?
BL: We have a lot of really creative artists and crafters here in Alexandria, but we’re selective about the makers we accept and the products we showcase in our store. We’ve had to make some really tough decisions to ensure a great shopping experience for our guests while ensuring success for our artists.
AEDP: What’s your favorite thing about the holiday season in Alexandria?
BL: Alexandria has made a lot of effort to retain its small-town feel during the holiday season, with fun events like the Scottish Walk and the Boat Parade of Lights.
AEDP: Tell us, what’s the year’s highlight for you?
BL: One of the highlights for Made in ALX is our ability to give back—and the amount of community support we get to do that! Our monthly Free Kid Craft mornings draw dozens of kids and their parents, who have fun making a mess in our workshop space. We also raised thousands of dollars for humanitarian relief through Razom for Ukraine with our annual Ukrainian Pysanky Egg Art Fundraiser and Alexandria’s The Critical Mass LLC, along with many local artists. In addition, our makers have developed a lot of new relationships with each other because of Made in ALX, and I love seeing them help each other grow as artists and as small business owners!
How people can find you (website, social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn):
Store: 533 Montgomery St. in Old Town North, Alexandria, VA 22314
Website: www.madeinalx.com
Instagram: @madeinalxva
Facebook: facebook.com/madeinalx
Email: shop@madeinalx.com