About the New York Handmade Collective
The NY Handmade Collective, formerly known as the Etsy NY Street Team, is a 501(c)6 nonprofit made up of a vibrant group of artisans who live and/or work in and around New York City.
We are committed to sharing our knowledge, skills, and creations with the community in an effort to foster a greater appreciation of the aesthetic, environmental, and economic importance of handmade products.
We are dedicated to developing the potential of our members through mentorship, education, in-person selling opportunities, and small business development workshops.
Meet the Board of the NY Handmade Collective
Coleen Phoenixx, President & Operations Director
Coleen joined NYHC in 2016 and was elected to the board in February 2021. She's a curious chemist, who prefers the title of Cosmetic Sorceress, and spends her days formulating all natural products for her skincare line Rising Phoenixx.
Rachel Soares, Membership Director
Rachel Soares joined NYHC in 2015, and was elected to the Board in March 2022. Her favorite creative outlet is hand-stamping quirky keychains for her shop, Ye Old Stamping Grounds. She previously worked for 8 years researching diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Christa O’Brien, Finance Director & Events Director
Christa O’Brien has been on the Board of NYHC since June of 2021. In addition to her handmade wire and gemstone jewelry business, June 8th Jewelry, Christa works in the financial services industry. She previously spent 15 years working in the fashion footwear industry.
Joanne Simmons, Marketing Director
Joanne Simmons joined the NYHC in 2016 and joined the Board in March 2022. She was Marketing Manager for a tourist board prior to working full time on her jewelry business Silver Sculptor in 2015.
Neil Myers, Partnerships Director
Neil Myers joined the NYHC in Spring 2023 and is one of our newest members of the board. His handmade pottery business is called The Pizza Potter, a fun focused creative studio that strives to make people smile with their decorative and functional designs. He works in real estate development at his day job and loves to spend time exploring the world with his partner and their pup.
Lina Del Plato, Junior Board Member
Lina joined the NYHC in February 2020 and became a Junior Board Member in August 2022. She is the owner of Lina Del Plato Designs, where she designs customized baby, bridal, and adoption gifts, as well as apparel, totes, aprons, and drinkware. When she is not designing, she is an attorney for children in New York Family Court, representing mostly children in foster care. Most of her inspiration comes from her daughter, who encouraged her to start her business and her blog.
Vanessa Lee, Junior Board Member
Vanessa joined NYHC in 2015 and currently serves as a junior board member. Vanessa draws from a myriad of experiences since her path as an artist has been nonlinear. She graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts with a BFA in Fine Arts in 2010, and currently lives and works in New York City. She has continued to make art over the last decade while juggling all sorts of day jobs, including managing a Starbucks in Times Square and other part-time jobs in libraries and museums. Today, she works at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library and holds a Masters in Nonprofit Management from the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University. Vanessa has served on the board previously as Recording Secretary. Living a full, curious life has deeply impacted the way she works and runs her small business, resetreality.