Makerpreneurship: The Business of Craft

Iqrama Muhammad is the owner and creative director of PEACES, a local handcraft accessory and home decor company whose goal is to create sustainable markets and systems for handmade and recycled goods.  In 2018, she founded and is the current Executive Director of The PEACES Collective, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, that serves as a platform for local makers and artist to showcase their work and uses a portion of revenue generated to launch community programs and provide experiential learning. The PEACES Collective is committed to using creativity to help serve the needs of the community and contribute to the economic, social, and human development of women and youth and young adults.

Ms. Muhammad uses the time-honored tradition and art of sewing to re-fashion new and used fabrics that might otherwise be discarded, into restyled original tote bags and other designs. She is currently a teaching artist at the Jubilee Arts Center in Baltimore. She is also a consultant and workshop facilitator for after-school wellness and leadership programs. Ms. Muhammad has been featured on several media outlets including, the DC News Now Remarkable Women series, Voyage Baltimore Magazine Rising Star edition, Black Business Spotlight on The Black Achievement Fund, and BMORE Lifestyle TV.

Prior to founding The PEACES Collective, Ms. Muhammad was employed by The Washington Post as an Advertising Account Executive, managing million-dollar account lists in the tourism and travel department, and later helping small retailers develop advertising and marketing strategies.  During this time, Ms. Muhammad was an instructor and mentor in the Young Journalists Development Program that offers journalism training and education to local high school journalists and media advisors and promotes diversity in the media industry through career guidance and mentoring. She also served as Executive-In-Residence to the Communications Department at Howard University for three years.

A native New Yorker, who currently lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, Ms. Muhammad has resided in both Baltimore and Washington, D.C.  She loves spending time with family, sewing, art and working with women, youth, and young adults. One of her favorite quotes is “It always seems impossible until it’s done,” by Nelson Mandela. She will always be grateful to her grandmother, Frances S. Robinson, who taught her to sew.  And to her mother, Mattie Freeman-Kave who works with her today on designs for PEACES projects.

Janine Faulkner is the owner of Grateful Life Creations. She began making pillows and totes in her family room after her son and daughter started college and she began feeling a need to seek out her new purpose. Working a 9 to 5 that didn’t fulfill her, she started sewing items that made her feel inspiration and joy. She discovered that making inspirational pillows not only made her smile but she enjoyed helping others feel encouraged.

After hand crafting the perfect signature canvas and black pillow, Janine began selling her products on Amazon, Etsy and she vends all over the DMV area. Her pillows have been purchased by customers in all fifty states and she has been recognized by Empowered Women in Business International for her entrepreneurial creativity. Janine is the author of Sis, You Are Amazing, a 30 day journal of encouragement for women and she is intentional in growing her business while making life better for others!

Richelle Johnson...a little girl who grew up with a desire to create! Founder/Owner/Artisan of the Queen’s Temple Handmade, a luxury body care business specializing in eco-conscious handmade bar soaps, raw shea body butters, sugar scrubs, hair growth elixir, and aromatherapy products.

The business was born out of a chance visit to Whole Foods in 2013. Thoroughly in the middle of enjoying her recent retirement from Public Service, Richelle and her daughter were out browsing the Whole Body Care section of their local Whole Foods store. The varieties of natural products, colors, designs, and scent combinations sparked an idea in Richelle’s mind: " I think I can make my own soap." Being ever-resourceful, Richelle delved deep into the research and development of her products and what started as gifts for family and friends quickly turned into a fully-fledged business.

From the get-go, Richelle wanted to build her business on quality. Too many skincare products are filled with chemicals that are harmful to the skin and inside of the body. The Queen's Temple Handmade product line has grown from one bar of soap to sugar scrubs, raw shea butters, facial cleansers, exfoliants, and in 2019, soy candles and aromatherapy.