Wendy Downs is the founder, owner, seamstress, marketer, and HR department of Moop; a small batch made canvas bag company. All of their bags are designed and manufactured (by hand) in the United States, mostly in Pittsburgh, PA.
Wendy has been featured in Refinery 29, People Magazine, Modern Mom, and Architect Magazine to name a few.
These accolades didn’t come easy though. After finishing her graduate degree with a Master of Fine Arts, she found herself struggling to find a job in Western Massachusets. When you’re broke and in school debt, you take what you can get.
For Wendy, it was a job in a pediatric office answering phones.
That would all change though…
After purchasing an $80 sewing machine to make clothes for her daughter, Wendy quickly turned a dress gone bad into what would become the first iteration of Moop. She turned the dress inside out and sewed handles onto it.
Her friends liked it and said, “hey, you should make these and sell them on Etsy!” Wendy was reluctant, but said, “I’ll just try that. So, I put the bag for sale on Etsy and about a week or so later, somebody bought it!”
The rest was history. Today, Wendy employs 5 people and sells over 90% of her product online. Their retail shop in downtown Pittsburgh gives you a first-hand look at their process.
Join us on Thursday, December 13th at our Carney office for a conversation with Wendy. Tickets are free and booze will be provided. Reserve your ticket here.
