By Delaney Krause

Within Dexter’s quaint yet bustling atmosphere lies a group of motivated business owners hoping to heighten an already strong sense of community. Through merchant-driven promotional events, a group of predominantly female business owners is supporting each other and generating business for themselves and the city.

Breana Jackson, owner of Grace Proper, emphasized, “Something special has been brewing downtown during these winter months. Business owners have been stopping in each other’s shops, spending time getting to know what is unique within each one.”

This community coalition was spearheaded by Rebecca Bischoff, owner of Fox and Feather Trading Co., and Laura Telesco, co-owner of 3bird. Rebecca said, “I thought maybe something like this would exist already, but there wasn’t really anything easy to jump into. Most shops had no one or one or two other shops or connections.” Meanwhile, according to Laura, “3bird has been hosting seasonal open houses, ladies’ nights, and other special events since opening.” Between Rebecca’s desire for stronger connections amongst businesses and Laura’s experience with promotional events, the idea for merchant-driven events came about quite organically.

Rebecca and Laura agreed that their first collaborative event would be for Galentine’s Day—the day before Valentine’s Day, often a celebration of female friendship. The women opened the idea up to all of the downtown shops and gave them the creative liberty to participate in how they wanted.

Rebecca said, “As a group, we decided to do a raffle, so every participating shop put something into the basket, and then there were slips at all of the shops; the more shops you went to, the more times you could enter. All of the shop owners were so excited to participate we ended up having five raffle baskets.”

The turnout was fantastic as well. The event ran from 5:00 to 7:00, Rebecca adds, “which is a bit later than usual for these businesses to be open, but what was especially cool is that tons of people were still out at 7:00, so a lot of shops ended up staying even later.”

Breana and Rebecca both emphasized how rewarding it is to witness this community involvement from shops and patrons. Breana said, “The energy in town when we’ve had these events is electric. There is laughter and connection every step of the way.” Rebecca highlighted, “Everyone just seemed so happy to have a reason to get out of the house in the middle of February with their friends and families.”

These business owners’ motivations for involvement vary slightly, but their overarching goal remains consistent: generate a stronger sense of connection and community in Dexter. Laura explained, “With the addition of many new retail businesses, this felt like a great time to start a merchant group that could organize events involving each other and the town.” The influx of businesses ultimately generated a desire for collaboration as well as the establishment of this group. Breana added, “It may sound trite, but a rising tide raises all boats. If my neighbors are doing well and bringing shoppers downtown, they will likely stop in and visit me as well. There is room for all of us to be great at what we do.”

Notably, the majority of the business owners are women, which has garnered an even more niche sense of community amongst them. Rebecca said, “It is awesome that there are so many creative women who have experience in different areas that they’re bringing to the table. We are all just there to support each other and be each other’s biggest fans”. Breana agreed and stressed, “We work well together, listening to different perspectives, bringing complementary strengths to the table, and moving forward through the lens of what Dexter can be in the future.”

Using the momentum from their Galentine’s Day event, this group of merchants has plenty more in store for the city. Rebecca said, “We are planning something for the day before Mother’s Day, brainstorming summer daytime activities (maybe in tandem with Dexter Days and/or the Plein Air Festival), and we are already looking forward to planning an event for Halloween.”

Stay up to date with the businesses’ social channels, and keep an eye out for posters around town for more information on these upcoming events.

Participating businesses are:

Fox and Feather Trading Co.– Rebecca Bischoff

3bird– Laura and Stephen Telesco, Laura Keefer, and Cathay Swan

Grace Proper– Breana Jackson

Proven Kitchen and Bath Studio– Cassandra Provenzola

Cass and Co. Upscale Thrift and Gift Shop– Cassidy Kutella

Carosello Pasta– Chelsea Lisiecki

Dexter Mill– Keri Bushaw

Lily’s Place– Jami Lippens and Pam Talcott

Tiani Body Care– Violet Whitney

The Eve and Annie Boutique– Jennifer Ryle