Momtrepreneur Market of mom-owned businesses April 6

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The Momtrepreneur Market is coming to The Woodlands, and before you make any assumptions, it’s not just for moms. It’s for those who want to support small businesses and buy local. It’s for anyone who embraces a sustainable and resilient environment. The market will be set up at Legends Sports Complex, Sunday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will showcase women-owned and operated business, many with original, one-of-a-kind products that have been reinvented.

Momtrepreneurs are moms who want to exhibit their talents as creative individuals and business women, in addition to being mothers. The primary purpose of the market was conceived, organized, and promoted by Suzy Cohen-Gordon, to get moms out in society to share their ideas and talents selling quality products, providing cost savings, all for the betterment of community.

“Many of the moms are pickers who have ‘repurposed’ items they’ve found,” said Cohen-Gordon. “It’s not only the eco-friendly thing to do, it’s the direction society is going.”

The vendors are not large businesses. They’re comprised of three distinct categories.

Home-based businesses operated by moms which include make-up, jewelry, kitchen and home decor items, and health-related product lines.

DIY (Do It Yourself) vendors with their healthy alternatives to toiletries, cleaning products, etc.

The ‘Upcyclers.’ Vendors who make one-of-a-kind items out of materials that would otherwise be discarded.

“Upcycling is a term used to describe reinventing a discarded item into a better product than its previous condition,” said Cohen-Gordon.

Unlike ‘recycling,’which is changing discarded or waste materials into new, comparable products, or ‘repurposing’...substituting an item for a different purpose, upcycling brings discarded items to a greater value. All of theses processes contribute to minimizing energy usage, reducing air pollution by eliminating incineration, and preventing water pollution by keeping the items out of landfills.

No one does this better than Bobbie Carswell Stephens, the ‘Dumpster Diving Diva,’ who will be at the Momtrepreneur Market. Stephens has become something of a local legend; renown for hitting the road pulling a trailer on heavy trash pickup days, beating the garbage trucks to the curb. The woman who knows the garbage pickup days in neighborhoods all over the Greater Houston area, and invites others along on her dive drives, will be showcasing the treasures she’s made out of other people’s trash. People who are familiar with her creative talents buy her ‘upcycled’ items sight unseen. To meet this talented woman is worth the price of a ticket. But wait, there’s more! The market is free to the public. The only thing you’ll pay for are your individual purchases.

MJ Coker of Knucklebug Photography, will also be set up to shoot mini portrait sessions for $25; a great opportunity to get that professional headshot taken.

Legend Sports Complex is located on Budde Road south of Sawdust, just west of I-45N. If interested in becoming a vendor, visit the link provided to fill out the vendor registration form, but there are just a few spaces left for the show. Cohen-Gordon has been promoting shows for twelve years and experience tells her that the show is more beneficial to the vendors when they have an exclusive presence. To review the list of vendors to ensure no duplication, visit the link provided. Vendors will set up the morning of the market from 6:30 - 9:30 a.m.; vendor breakdown is 4-6:00 p.m.

The community is invited to come to the Momtrepreneur Market to shop the unique product lines, and leave with some wildly creative ideas. Never again will you be intimidated by the words…”Don’t try this at home.”