Creative Women Business Owners Inspire Art, Culture and Community

York Road, that runs through the center of Hatboro, is a lovely mixture of old and new….from the hometown hardware store and historic library to craft breweries and a vegan restaurant. Among the most exciting additions to this main street in recent years are some women-owned businesses whose missions are to cultivate and celebrate both a sense of local community and Hatboro’s growing potential as a destination.

“So many businesses in Hatboro lift up the community in a positive way,” says Kristin Ritter, owner of Nourishing Storm Yoga Studio and Café.

Nourishing Storm is celebrating its 6th anniversary this year. It has grown from a small studio to a spacious yoga center offering yoga arts for all ages, teacher training, wellness workshops and retreats. In 2016, Ritter expanded to include the café featuring fresh and natural smoothies, juices, wraps, salads and breakfast items.

Most gratifying for Ritter is that “The Storm” has become a community gathering spot where people come to “nourish”, whether its taking a yoga class, meeting for breakfast or lunch, working on their laptops or sitting with a poetry or a coloring book while enjoying a Rise & Shine fresh juice, Skipped a “Beet” smoothie or Chai tea.

“When people walk in our door, they feel the connection right away,” Ritter says.

“Conversations start and friendships are created.”

Just up the road from Nourishing Storm is Creative Inkling, a new creative art studio, classroom and overnight retreat, owned by Karen Silver. The studio, under the guidance of Creative Director and Hatboro native, Edie Malin, offers a variety of classes from paper crafting to mixed media and metalworking.

“Our focus is on providing customized immersive experiences designed to nurture and expand your creative side,” Silver says.

The cozy retreat center features five bedrooms accommodating 10 guests and includes three and a half baths. It also offers a kitchen, lounge area and deck. There is a private studio where overnight guests can work on their own art projects.

“This is someplace where artists and everyday people can flourish and bloom,” says Malin, Creative Director at Creative Inkling and Hatboro native.

Louisa Coyle, owner of Crafts with Laughs, blends art and community in a casual studio where she and assistant Kristin McKinley work with guests to create unique, and functional crafts using wooden pallets, paints, stencils and other tools of the trade. Coyle says its fun to see people who think they have no artistic talent walk away with something they are proud to display.

“It starts with a conversation,” she says. “For instance, we ask guests where they want to display their work such as particular room in the house or and outdoor space and we help them figure out what they would like to create.”

Crafts with Laughs caters to individuals or groups of children or adults. Guests are free to bring their own food and drinks to add to the fun. Coyle gets many requests for events like baby showers, bachelorette parties birthday parties and more.

“People come in thinking they don’t know how to do this,” says McKinley. “Then they wind up having the best product.”

In addition to offering healthy and enriching activities, all three of these businesses share a commitment to community development, outreach and the environment.

Nourishing Storm hosts Open Mic Nights where local musicians, poets and storytellers can shine and get noticed. Ritter frequently partners with other businesses on events and supports town events like the car show, parades, Small Business Saturday and the Farmer’s Market. The Storm also sells reusable smoothie and drink cups and has eliminated plastic straws.

Creative Inking’s Malin says that having an art center in a town draws people’s eyes and keeps things vibrant. It offers a visible change to the community and helps young artists to get exposure. Malin also partners with other Hatboro businesses that give discounts to guests of the retreat center.

Coyle spends a lot of time and energy extracting the nails from the used pallets that will become art projects. The money she gets for the recycled nails is donated to homeless veterans. Crafts with Laughs frequently holds fundraisers for local organizations and schools and donates a portion of the sales back to the fundraiser.

“It is nice to have a community,” she says. “We couldn’t ask for a better location.”

Don’t forget to support these local businesses this holiday season and throughout the New Year.