THOUGH OWLNWOOD’S STOREFRONT MAY HAVE CLOSED, THAT IS BY NO MEANS THE END OF RACHEL KONTE’S STORY.

Rachel has been keeping her O.N.W. brand alive and well on her website, posting about the beautiful new pieces she is making on Instagram and moved into a new studio space in the heart of Oakland where she hosts pop-up shops on the first Friday of every month. 

Rachel also works very closely with the Oakland Indie Alliance, a community of over 200 business owners supporting locally owned establishments and nurturing the city’s rich tapestry of small businesses. Under the motto “Keep it Oakland,” the alliance advocates for small businesses in the face of policy changes and makes critical connections with each other to help create a true network.

Rachel is one of the many entrepreneurs whose resiliency, dedication, and craft keeps Oakland’s small business community so vibrant. Her husband, Keba Konte, also owns a thriving small business called Red Bay Coffee. Together, they make the world a more beautiful—and more caffeinated—place to live.