Started in 2017, As Seen by T offers photography and digital marketing support for local small businesses, makers, and artists alike. Founder, Tatiana Mullin, has a background of over 8 years working with various small businesses, makers, and artists from her hometown in Baltimore, MD, and beyond. As Seen by T mainly focuses on photography services like product photography, headshots, lifestyle, and branding photography throughout the East Coast region.

• Product Photography

  Friday, March 22nd, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

In this hands-on workshop, you will learn the basics of how to take beautiful product photos - perfect for your website, social media, and selling online. Staging different setups to enhance your products, our expert instructor Tatiana Mullin will demonstrate effective lighting, visual storytelling elements, and backdrops. She'll review the types of shots needed for your website, Instagram, and print. After discussing the basics, participants are invited to stage their products on one of the pre-staged setups and practice taking their shots.

Participants will be asked to bring a few items/products and a camera or smartphone to apply their new photo-taking techniques!

Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith, a craft community engagement specialist, blends craft and entrepreneurship expertise. Originally a hot glass artist, she transitioned to arts administration after running her own glass business for 7 years. Gwynne has held leadership roles at organizations like the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and the Society of North American Goldsmith. With 27 years of experience, she has taught professional development workshops nationwide, aiming to bolster artists and small business owners. Currently, Gwynne serves as the Business Growth Specialist at Mountain BizWorks in Asheville, NC. She resides there with her husband and three dogs.

• Fighting the Fear of Funding

  Thursday, March 21st, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Fighting the Fear of Funding, Topic about alternative funding models, how to decrease the fear behind taking on debt for a small business

Ditch the debt dread and discover funding freedom for your small business. Join us for this discussion, where we'll break down the barriers to financial growth and empower you to explore alternative funding models for your small business with Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith with Mountain BizWorks. She'll discuss different funding options, such as crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending, and revenue-based financing. Understand the pros and cons of traditional loans and navigate them with confidence. By the end of this talk, you'll have practical strategies to overcome anxieties and be equipped with a toolbox of adaptable funding options tailored to your business goals.

Debora Charmelus, Jeremiah Jones of Sew Lab USA

• The "Why" Behind my Business

  Thursday, March 21st 9:00 am - 10:00 am

By embracing diversity and giving back, you're not just ticking boxes, you're finding the deeper connection to your "why." You're building a legacy that extends beyond profit and loss to one that leaves a lasting positive impact on the world around you. Choose a purpose that resonates with your values and watch your business flourish not just financially, but also in its contribution to a better future.

In this discussion, we'll sit down with two mission-driven businesses, and hear how their stories started well before their businesses. They'll discuss how finding their businesses helped their impact and how you can start to make strides with your practice without breaking the bank.

Alicia Puig is the curator & co-founder of PxP Contemporary, an arts writer, and co-author of The Complete Smartist Guide and The Creative Business Handbook. She has worked for galleries, museums, art fairs, private collectors, art publications, and an auction house in the US, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica. Her writing has been featured in magazines and on blogs including Create! Magazine, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Art She Says, and Artspiel, among others. Additionally, she has served as a guest curator or juror for organizations including Hastings College, SHOWFIELDS, I Like Your Work, Visionary Art Collective, and more.

• Defining Creative Success Today

  Wednesday, March 20th, 9:00 am - 10:00 am

What has changed in 2023 for artists, makers, and small businesses? What does success look like today? And how in this chaotic world do you stay focused on why you started your creative journey in the first place?

2023 has been a year of both challenges and opportunities for artists, makers, and small businesses. From the evolving audience preferences to the digital adoption surge, to the supply chain disruptions and rising costs having a small business has widely changed. In this session, we'll discuss what creative success can mean and how to attack 2024 as a creative entrepreneur, artist, or even curious maker. Success could be building a loyal community, embracing innovation and adaptability, financial sustainability, prioritizing well-being, making a positive impact, or even a combination of a bit of it all.

By the end of this talk, you should know what creative success means to you and how to head into 2024 with a good mindset.

Woodworker, Furniture-Maker, Teacher (Larissa)

Director of Programming & Jewelry Supervisor at NextFab (Melissa)

• Expanding Revenue Streams: Workshop Development

  Thursday, March 21th, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Building New Income Streams with Interactive Learning

As makers, small businesses,

Finding alternative revenue streams as a maker and one that seemed to keep popping up is running workshops and how many makers take their expertise and pivot into teaching - whether that's in workshops, YouTube videos, etc.

Learn the components of building a successful workshop or just learn how

President & Catalyst of Tombino/RethinkTANK

A self-described catalyst, Jason Lempieri investigates subversion, history, and collective memory in his work. He designs from the perspective that form follows meaning.

• Turning Passion into Productivity

  Thursday, March 21th, 10:30 am - 11:30 am

Does your product resonate and reverberate in a competitive product marketplace? Hear how Jason Lempieri - architect, product designer, and educator leveraged his love of research to create a unique, niche product that resonates with audiences. He’ll tell us about how he embraced procrastination as part of his design process, and how he’s pushed past introverted tendencies to communicate his product story to retailers and customers.

With deep roots in Philadelphia, Nate Mell settled in the city in his early 20s and attended the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University. Working in restaurants to pay the bills, he built a creative practice after graduation.

As the founder, lead designer and CEO of Felt+Fat, Nate has had his hands in every aspect of the business. In 2018 he participated in to Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses program where he developed a robust growth plan for the brand. Utilizing his personal experience and relationships, Nate has bootstrapped the company to what it is today: over 20 employees producing over 65k pieces per year and set to move into their own new factory in the spring of 2024.

• P&L and the Big Bad Spreadsheet (and Other Business Beasts)

  Thursday, March 20th, 10:30 am - 11:30 am

For creative entrepreneurs, turning your passion into a thriving business requires more than just talent and artistic vision. Understanding the foundations of business and deciphering the language of financial statements like Profit & Loss (P&L) statements is crucial for navigating the world of commerce and ensuring your creative endeavor sustains itself. In this discussion, we will cover business basics while focusing on financial tools and methodologies, to help track your business journey so you can focus on the making and let the profits roll in.