We had the good fortune of connecting with Lib Ramos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lib, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started what is now The Makers Collective with a friend in 2010. It began as a single event — an art festival — that has become an annual event in our city for 13 years now.

We didn’t begin with the intention of starting a business. Our goal was to do something good for our community and, specifically, for the artists in our community. The fact that we are still doing this over a decade later is truly incredible to me.

What should our readers know about your business?
Makers Collective serves as a support structure for artists and makers. We do a lot of behind the scenes work that’s never seen. Whether it’s planning an event or pitching maker stories to media, we focus on showcasing the work of artists and creating opportunities for them to shine.

While many other art festivals and shows focus on the attendees, we pride ourselves on taking good care of our artists, especially during demanding events. This impacts so many of the decisions we make — from the sponsors we approach to the way our website is structured. Prioritizing our makers and their needs is what sets us apart. From the beginning, our goal was to design events that we would not only want to attend, but that we’d be happy to participate in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many places I’d recommend! In fact, I’ve spent this past year working with a few artists to create a series of printed guides to Greenville — called Paper Routes. (https://www.goodprintedthings.com/shop/p/paper-routes-greenville-sc) Each one is based on a particular theme: coffee, plants, etc so I’d probably pick a topic my friend loves and we’d set out with a map to explore the area together.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The job I get to do — supporting artists and makers in their work — wouldn’t be possible without the community we live in. Greenville, SC has a unique love and appreciation for art, and our community members consistently show up to support our artists and makers. I attribute this to both long-standing investments into our local art community as well as new art organizations who keep pushing boundaries. These various pieces all work together to create a city that truly appreciates the care and craft necessary for creative endeavors.

Website: https://makerscollective.org/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/makersco_

Twitter: https://twitter.com/makersco_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makerscollective

Image Credits
Alex Reynolds, Erin Godbey, Jivan Davé

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