June 13, 2019

District of Columbia Department of Small & Local Business Development partners with Reagan National Airport to bring small business owners together through the first-ever Made In DC kiosk.

WASHINGTON – The District of Columbia Department of Small & Local Business Development (DSLBD) and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) today celebrated the grand opening of the Made in DC retail pop-up at Reagan National Airport, providing a new national and international presence for local makers and small business owners.

“This partnership between the District’s Made in DC program and the Airport Authority reflects Mayor’s Bowser’s strong commitment to supporting local brands and promoting their growth and success,” said DSLBD Director Kristi Whitfield. “The ‘maker movement’ is alive and well in the District of Columbia, and we are excited to see the Made in DC retail pop-up become a reality.” 

The Made in DC pop-up, which is implemented in conjunction with the airport’s concessions management contractor MarketPlace Development, will feature a rotating variety of products throughout its stay at the airport.

“We are proud to collaborate with our partners in Washington, D.C., to showcase makers and artisans from our nation’s capital and give travelers the opportunity to bring a piece of the National Capital Region home with them,” said Warner Session, chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors.

All of the Made in DC products featured in the retail space are from DC businesses that are members of the DSLBD program and include apothecary, apparel, art, food, jewelry and stationary items created by 12Past7, Bailiwick Clothing, Culture Socks, Bicycle Trash, Definition Studio, Harper Macaw, Little Likes Kids, Mischo Beauty, O-Mazing Food, Shea Yeleen and The Nineteenth DC.

“We hope the Made in DC pop-up shows all the travelers who think Washington, D.C., is a federal government ‘company town’ that a lot more goes on here than the creation of laws and federal policies – we are also home to a high number of entrepreneurs and creative talent,” said Jack Potter, president and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Made In DC program member, Rahama Wright, founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty, curated the first round of local makers for the retail pop-up’s airport debut. Wright is also founder of the Pop-Up Collaborative, a collective of women and minority-owned businesses in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area aiming to provide inclusive business opportunities. The businesses represented in the retail pop-up are all part of the Collaborative as well. 

“A favorite African proverb ‘If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together’ is the inspiration behind the Pop-Up Collaborative. We are a space that uplifts and supports women and minority-owned brands because together we are stronger,” said Rahama Wright. “Working with the Airport Authority, the Made in DC program and MarketPlace Development is an incredible opportunity for us to go far.”

To shop any of the products featured in the pop-up store, visit the kiosk, located pre-security in Reagan National Airport Terminal B/C.