Creativity Connects: 16 Women Reshaping the Creative Economy on the North Shore

By John Andrews, Creative Collective — Women’s History Month 2026

Baanner Image photo by Tracey Westgate Photography

Over the past year, host Mikki Wilson has sat down with sixteen women — entrepreneurs, artists, organizers, and storytellers — who are building something real across Essex County and beyond. Their businesses range from gourmet cheese and handmade crochet to social impact filmmaking and gothic fashion. Their common thread is harder to bottle: each of them chose authenticity over convention, community over competition, and purpose over profit alone. Thank you to Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry for being our podcast sponsor!

Behind-the-scenes view of the Creativity Connects with Mikki Wilson podcast recording at Peabody TV studios in Peabody, Massachusetts

This Women’s History Month, we are revisiting every conversation from the Creativity Connects with Mikki Wilson podcast — a series produced by Peabody TV to amplify the voices and stories of women who are reshaping what leadership, creativity, and entrepreneurship look like in the creative economy. PS: STAY TUNED FOR SEASON TWO!

Here is what we heard.

The Voices Behind the Mic

Before we get to the guests, two people deserve their own spotlight. Mikki Wilson is more than a host — she is a connector, community builder, and the creative force behind Creative Collective’s mission to uplift Essex County entrepreneurs. Every conversation on Creativity Connects starts with her ability to make people feel safe enough to tell the truth. And none of it would sound the way it does without Randyll Collum, the producer at Peabody TV, who brings the technical craft, patience, and polish that turn raw interviews into a professional podcast. Together, they have built a platform where women’s stories are not just heard — they are preserved.

What Happens When 16 Women Tell the Truth About Building a Business?

You hear the same word over and over again: community. Not as a marketing term, but as infrastructure. These women built yoga studios, art workshops, cheese shops, and poetry stages because they saw gaps in their neighborhoods — places where people could not gather, create, heal, or be seen for who they actually are. Then they filled those gaps themselves.

You also hear honesty about how hard it is. About working a 9-to-5 while crocheting at night. About funding open mics out of pocket while sleeping in shelters. About being passed over for promotion and deciding to build your own table instead. These are not polished origin stories. They are real ones.

Who Are the Women Behind Creativity Connects?

Building From Scratch

Daybar Bugler, EDEX Provisions (Ep. 1) — Daybar left fashion design, discovered a passion for wine and cheese during the pandemic, and opened New England’s first Black-owned cheese shop in Peabody. Her mission is simple: “Cheese for All” — including vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free options because inclusive means everyone. Listen on Spotify

Jenni Stuart, Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry (Ep. 4) — A Pratt Institute-trained goldsmith who walked away from an industry built on opacity to create an ethical, direct-to-consumer jewelry studio in Salem. She calls her workshop “Willy Wonka for grown-ups” — a place where customers meet the artisans who make their pieces. Listen on Spotify

Shanel Anderson, Soul City Yoga (Ep. 6) — After prenatal yoga transformed her second pregnancy, Shanel brought accessible, inclusive yoga to Lynn — building one of the few Black women-owned yoga studios in Massachusetts. Her grandfather funded the first studio and was there for the ribbon cutting before he passed. She now operates two locations in Lynn and Malden. Listen on Spotify

Wendy Lattof, Create and Escape (Ep. 7) — Wendy turned mobile art workshops into a permanent studio on Main Street in Peabody, built on one question: “What would you create if you knew you couldn’t fail?” Her foundation provides free art supplies and classes to families who cannot afford them — structured as awards, not charity, to preserve dignity. Listen on Spotify

Julianna “Jules” Donovan, Salem Style (Ep. 13) — A fifth-generation crocheter who turned a hobby into a handmade accessories business. Jules started on Etsy in 2011, earned her MBA, and formalized Salem Style into an LLC. She will not crochet when she is upset because she does not want stress woven into the work: “When I say it’s made with love, it’s really made with love.” Listen on Spotify

Jessie Elly, Old World Young Soul (Ep. 16) — After surviving family trauma, abusive relationships, and suicidal ideation, Jessie channeled her pain into a motivational media platform now in its third season with 95-plus guests. She believes empathy is not weakness — it is “the strongest, most powerful thing any of us can embrace.” Listen on Spotify

Using Their Voice to Shift the Culture

Michelle “La Poetica” Richardson, Lynn’s First Poet Laureate (Ep. 8) — Born to Dominican immigrant parents, Michelle survived homelessness and funded open mics out of pocket for years — sometimes relying on the collection hat for bus fare home. Now she runs the #DENCITY series at Neal Rantoul Vault Theatre, an ecosystem of youth workshops, guided meditation, and open mic nights. Her message: “Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme. Say something genuine. Say something from your soul.” Listen on Spotify

Lauren Carter Reilly, Glamour Possum (Ep. 9) — A classically trained actor who left Philadelphia’s theater scene when COVID shut the stages down, relocated to Salem, and built her own platform. Her TikTok series The Wonderful Lady B reached 142,000 followers, became a novel, and launched Glamour Possum — a branding business that helps creatives show up as themselves. Her grandfather’s words drive her: “Mediocrity is no way to honor the Holy Mother.” Listen on Spotify

Dr. Tariana V. Little, EmVision Productions (Ep. 11) — A Harvard-trained public health researcher, proud queer mixed-race first-gen college graduate, and CEO of an award-winning social impact storytelling agency. Tariana merges science, storytelling, and justice: “Killing dreams is very expensive. When you kill someone’s innovation, you’re shutting down someone who can create the next game-changing business model.” Listen on Spotify

Tracey Westgate, Tracey Westgate Photography (Ep. 12) — A photographer whose “Grit and Grace” project celebrates women in male-dominated fields — portraits that toured public libraries, children’s spaces, and museums. For Tracey, photography is not about poses. It is about making people feel seen: “Every person has intrinsic value. That really inspires me in showing up every day.” Listen on Spotify

Serving Community First

Nicole McClain, North Shore Juneteenth Association (Ep. 3) — An Army National Guard veteran with two Iraq deployments who became Lynn’s first Black woman city councilor. Nicole founded the North Shore Juneteenth Association and works as a career coordinator at Leap for Education. What wakes her up every morning is legacy: “Coming from a single-mother household where higher education was limited, she now works to ensure generational advancement.” Listen on Spotify

Amber Newberry and Lori Moran, Die With Your Boots On (Ep. 5) — Two friends who bonded “over drinks in a kiddie pool during the pandemic” and opened Salem’s boldest gothic boutique. Their store does not have a plus-size section because every section carries plus sizes. They host drag shows, creative markets, and cultural events — building what they call “a better, weirder future.” Listen on Spotify

Robyn Burns, The Salem Pantry (Ep. 10) — A former filmmaker and DJ who found her calling in food justice. Robyn stepped into the executive director role during COVID and has since transformed The Salem Pantry into community infrastructure. She sees food as a connector that transcends culture and class: “There’s so much power in food that I feel like is so important.” Listen on Spotify

Shantel Alix Fernandez, North Shore CDC (Ep. 14) — A first-generation Afro-Latina immigrant, trans woman, and community engagement manager who transitioned from mental health into community development. Shantel believes the community already has the answers — her role is to facilitate, not prescribe: “I am definitely an immigrant. I am a trans woman. I am a lover. I love community. All of those things combined is what has allowed me to be the person that I am.” Listen on Spotify

The Creative Collective Team

Elena Rodgers, Events Director (Ep. 2) — Elena went from freelance event work to leading Creative Collective’s events programming, including the Haunted Happenings marketplace. She brings a service-oriented philosophy to every gathering: “My ability to plan and create events is a way to serve others, minimizing chaos so people can relax.” Listen on Spotify

Alyssa Conary, Creative Collective Team (Ep. 15) — In this team spotlight episode, Alyssa shares what it means to work behind the scenes at Creative Collective, supporting the community infrastructure that makes all of these stories possible. Listen on Spotify

Podcast host Mikki Wilson poses with guest Lauren Carter Reilly of Glamour Possum during Episode 9 of the Creativity Connects with Mikki Wilson podcast, produced by Peabody TV for Creative Collective.

Why Do These Stories Matter Right Now?

Across sixteen conversations, a few truths kept surfacing.

Authenticity is not a brand strategy — it is survival. Jules will not crochet in a bad mood. Lauren refuses to shrink for an audition. Amber and Lori stock plus sizes in every section, not a separate one. These women are not performing authenticity for content. They are building businesses that reflect who they actually are, and their customers feel the difference.

Community is the business model. Shanel built a yoga studio that her grandfather could see before he died. Michelle ran open mics for years before anyone paid her. Wendy structures her foundation as awards instead of a charity. Robyn treats a food pantry as a gathering place. Over and over, these entrepreneurs invest in community infrastructure first and trust that the business follows.

Lived experience is expertise. Tariana’s working-class immigrant upbringing informs her social impact storytelling. Nicole’s military service shaped her approach to civic leadership. Shantel’s intersecting identities — immigrant, trans woman, Afro-Latina — make her a better community engagement manager, not despite those identities but because of them. These women do not separate who they are from what they do.

Storytelling builds the future. From Tracey’s portraits touring libraries to Jessie’s motivational media platform to Michelle’s poetry stages, these women use narrative as a tool for change. They understand that the stories we tell about our communities shape what those communities become.

How Can You Listen to Creativity Connects with Mikki Wilson?

Every episode of the Creativity Connects podcast is available on the Creative Collective website. Stream the full series and discover the women who are building a more creative, inclusive, and connected North Shore.

Are you a woman-owned creative business on the North Shore? The Creative Collective community is built for entrepreneurs like you. Learn how to join.

Tag a woman creative or business owner who inspires you — and help us keep amplifying these voices all year long.

This story comes from the Creative Collective community — Essex County businesses who believe that when we thrive together, our whole region becomes more vibrant. We’re entrepreneurs, creators, and service providers across all industries, collaborating to build the community we want to be part of. If you see your business as more than just commerce — as a way to contribute to our regional ecosystem — you belong here. Discover how to join our community →