The Expansion of Make Manifest Bk

Greetings, 

I'm Isha, a Caribbean-born, Brooklyn-based mother, creative, and owner of Make Manifest BK, a vibrant family-run community hub nestled in the heart of Bedstuy, Brooklyn. Since becoming a full-time creative entrepreneur in 2011, my dream was always to curate a space where the vastness of the black creative essence can be displayed, appreciated, and supported; where like-minded individuals can collaborate and ignite inspiration within our community and beyond.

In December 2017, that vision became reality! 

Picture this: From hustling and bustling for many years with my creations throughout Brooklyn's festivals, marketplaces, and pop-up shops, with my three daughters by my side, often not seeing a clear path forward; to now owning a creative hub along the emerging business district of Tompkins Ave dubbed “Black Girl Magic street” in the historic neighborhood of Bedstuy. A true testament to the power of dreams being made manifest! Over the last 6 years we’ve been able to create opportunities for some of New York City's most dynamic creatives, through our retail space, seasonal marketplaces, social events, workshops, creative youth entrepreneurial endeavors, and more. Even my own children's creations have found a home to be showcased and supported here!

Expanding on the Make Manifest vision and cultural impact; we are excited and look forward to the opening of our Creative Co-work/Gallery space and Cafe this April! Your contribution will be an investment, propelling our spaces into blossoming cultural epicenters. Our Cafe will provide our community with access to high-quality plant-based bites, juices, smoothies, teas, and much more with an Afro-Caribbean twist! Additionally, our adjacent gallery space will be transformed into a dynamic creative ecosystem that will empower artists and creatives alike to flourish, collaborate, and have greater access to equitable economic opportunities. Your support is a catalyst for this transformation. Together, we'll create an atmosphere for innovation to thrive and dreams to take flight. Join us!

Our goal is to raise  an additional $25,000 to help us make this new creative concept a reality by Spring 2024!

Funding will go directly into our cafe buildout and prep, space upgrades, and creative co-work/gallery space transformation, inclusive of materials and labor costs.

Cafe Buildout: This process will entail re-designing the portion of our space that is currently utilized for creating into a fully functioning, up-to-code eatery including plumbing, construction of seating areas, countertops, storage, shelving, signage, acquisition and setup of café machinery such as commercial juicers, blenders, etc and much more.                                                                                                                                              

Space Upgrades: Basic space upgrades including replacement of our 15-year-old external security gates: Estimated cost $4500 - $6000, Installation of a new A/C unit, cosmetic work on our walls and ceiling, including some patching, repainting and more.                            

Creative Co-Work/Gallery Space: Since acquiring this adjacent location in May 2023, it's undergone significant renovations, including new walls, floors, lighting, and bathroom upgrades. In June, we opened our gallery space. To further enhance and accommodate this space for creative co-working, while maintaining the gallery experience we're planning some redesigns like the addition of shelving and pop-up workstations, Maximizing space with vertical shelving for art supplies, prints, and other DIY and crafting supplies, along with desk areas.

Maintenance and acquisition of equipment. Also Performing upkeep on existing machinery, while aiming to acquire new machinery such as a full-size heat press, screen print equipment, and more. Additionally more lighting, a new A/C system and Installation of a coded key entry system and security cameras: enhancing security and accessibility for co-workers will be acquired                                      

           

Enhancement of outdoor space: Installation of a bench for seating and a community garden box, adorned with local artwork.                                                                                                                                

Ingredient Sourcing Trip: To ensure the finest ingredients for our cafe, we are planning a short trip to the Caribbean to gather spices and herbs, extracts, confections, and more before opening day.

Our biggest challenge is venturing into the food business, with the addition of a cafe. This portion presents significant financial responsibilities and risks. Notably, even figuring out how to install the proper plumbing to the designated area and the associated costs has proven to be a challenge. Outfitting the space with all the necessities, navigating NYC regulations, and facing increased rent due to this addition amplify the complexity of this endeavor. However, creative co-working has been ingrained in our ethos since the beginning, providing a foundation of certainty as we navigate this aspect of the project. Despite these hurdles, we embrace the challenge with confidence, recognizing this expansion as a crucial step in diversifying our brand and fortifying our business. We are determined to succeed, leveraging this opportunity to propel our growth and further our impact!

Every level of support, no matter how small, is deeply appreciated and impactful. If you're unable to contribute financially at this time, sharing our campaign with your social networks or through word of mouth can make a significant difference. Additionally, if you have connections to the press or know individuals who do, helping us gain exposure for our expansion and the mission of Make Manifest would be greatly appreciated. Together, we can illuminate our journey and garner support for our vision.

Give Thanks.

If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together -African Proverb