Eager to invest in herself, Dayton entrepreneur Tae Winston left corporate America behind to launch the city's first permanent pop-up shop in December 2019. Over one year later, her initial shop has blossomed into multiple locations that have helped local entrepreneurs grow their businesses and open their own establishments.
A few years ago, Winston was coordinating events at local banquet halls to showcase startups and small vendors who were eager to get their products in front of as many people as possible. She grew a love for helping small business owners, who started to rely on Winston to help them gain exposure.
The pop-up events then grew into the popular "Fashion Meets Food Truck" rallies featuring local chefs and retail vendors at various locations across the region. Thanks to Winston, dozens of local entrepreneurs were able to showcase their businesses to the community.
Eventually, Winston said she grew tired of constantly trying to find venues to rent. She knew it was time to take a chance on herself, which led her to launch The Entrepreneurs Marketplace in the Wright Dunbar District near downtown Dayton. At the time, officials said this was the first permanent pop-up shop to launch in the city of Dayton.
Located on North Williams Street, The Entrepreneurs Marketplace offers a diverse range of retail offerings, from fashion and accessories to food and drink. It also serves as a physical space for local entrepreneurs who do not have their own bricks-and-mortar location. Today, the marketplace is home to eight rotating vendors and a full-time chef.
"That was the first vision that got really big," Winston said.
Encouraged by the success of the marketplace, Winston opened The Entrepreneurs Shoppe in May 2020. The new retail boutique, also located in the Wright Dunbar District on West Third Street, features clothing, fashion accessories and art created by local entrepreneurs. It currently provides space for more than 20 businesses, many of whom have careers outside the shoppe.
"People don't have to quit their jobs — they can have their items on display and make money throughout the week without having to quit their careers," Winston said.
Though some utilize the shoppe and marketplace as a side job or a place to showcase their hobbies, others have grown their businesses to the point where they're opening their own locations. To date, Winston said seven businesses have launched food trucks and eight vendors have opened stores after starting out as vendors in her locations.
"That's definitely the goal — to help educate them, and give them the space and resources they need to move on and live their dreams," Winston said. "My goal is to be a starting hub for people to get their names out there, get their fan base up and then feel comfortable enough to step out and do it for themselves."
Though she's already executed several successful ventures, Winston isn't done yet. She's launching her third location, The Entrepreneurs Connection, April 25 on Wayne Avenue in the Oregon District. The multi-purpose facility will have a retail showroom in front, boutiques in the back and classroom space along the hallways for education sessions featuring business trainers. The connection will offer courses on everything individuals need to know when starting a business, from financial and tax information to establishing limited liability companies and trademarks.
Along with her entrepreneurial ventures, Winston plans to host networking events at the Dayton Arcade and is involved with the redevelopment of the former Sears building in Trotwood, as well as the Downtown Dayton Partnership's Retail Lab.
For Winston, the opportunity to help small and minority-owned businesses find success is one of her biggest accomplishments to date. She added she is encouraged by the community support, and is excited to help other entrepreneurs in the future.
"A lot of us, especially in the minority business community, are starting with our own money, so we just need support from the community and we need the community to believe in us," she said. "I do feel like everyone is coming together to build the community back up, so that's been great to see. My goal is to do my part to help small and minority businesses make money and live their dreams."
