SBOL_Jeanne

By Ginger DeShaney When Sean Ryan and Troy Sproul wrote the business plan for their OTTO Pizza location in South Boston, a big piece of it involved giving back to the community. “Any business has to have a connection to the community,” said Sean. For some, having a community-based initiative is an afterthought. “But we wrote it into our plan,” Troy said.  “It’s important for any business -- a moral obligation -- to come into a new market and ... give back,” said Troy. “We are grateful we can give back to the community.” Sean and Troy brainstormed how they could impact the most people. “At the end of the day, it’s the right thing to do,” Sean said. Their Tips for Kids program ensures [...]

By Ginger DeShaney Gemstones and bracelets. That’s how it started. Stephanie Greenstein was looking to buy a bunch of bracelets from a shop. But they were $45 each, which got her to thinking, “I could do that.” So she did. She made herself bracelets, and her friends noticed them. They wanted her to make them bracelets, too, so Stephanie made them for free. “I was making pieces for friends, then those friends told their friends,” Stephanie said. And people were willing to pay.  “It started as a hobby and shifted to an actual business.” She opened her e-commerce website -- https://stephiechic.com/ -- in June 2019. Stephie Chic features Stephanie’s beautiful handmade creations: bracelets, earrings, necklaces, tie-dye clothing, masks, and hair accessories. Stephanie took her passion [...]

By Ginger DeShaney For Erin Ghella and Marty Horn, one blessing came out of the COVID-19 pandemic: their new hair boutique, Feather & Waves.  During the state shutdown, Marty was laid off from her job and Erin’s hours were drastically cut. Marty called Erin and asked: “Do you want to open a salon with me? I’m serious. It needs to happen.” “We held hands and said, ‘Let’s go,’ ” said Erin. “We’re Laverne and Shirley over here.” “It’s one good thing that came out of COVID,” Marty said. “I never thought I’d actually do it. But we had no choice. No one was hiring.” Located at 653 E. Broadway, Feather & Waves Hair Boutique has been open for about two months. Marty, 30, and Erin, [...]