Open Works
Catching up with Keppel and Kismet
Open Works member Nichole Sullivan is the founder and chief maker of Keppel & Kismet, a local manufacturer specializing in jewelry, home decor, DIY Kits, and more, or as she so delightfully puts it “gifty goods, made of wood,” as well as running creative workshops for DIYers. She is also, in our humble opinion, a real mensch.
First a hobby, then a side hustle, Keppel and Kismet is now a thriving, Baltimore manufacturing company that has not only survived though some turbulent times, but has expanded into new areas. Nichole was always an avid DIYer and credits her grandmother’s skills as a baker and eye for putting styles together as an early source of inspiration.
Something that Nichole and Open Works have in common is the value we place on community. That value shows in the many ways Keppel and Kismet has developed in dialogue with community. It was encouragement of the friends and colleagues who had received hand made items from Nichole that motivated her to take her creative pursuits pro. Community helped shaped the direction of Keppel and Kismet with kits for community making (at a variety of developmental levels) playing a role from the very beginning.
These shared values are one of the reasons we ask Nichole to testify on behalf of the Maryland Makerspace Initiative Program (SB453) so that lawmakers could hear first hand how she, as a first time small business owner has leveraged the tools and resources here at Open Works to build a successful, local business and we’re so grateful she agreed!
There are few people who could better describe what Open works has to offer entrepreneurs. Nichole has participated in a lot of the programing we’ve offered over the past five years. She was the grand prize winner in EnterpRISE 2021, part of the Mom’s as Entrepreneurs accelerator program and has participated in workshops, pop-ups and most recently the Made-in-Baltimore Kiosk at Open Works.
Whether it’s an accessory like these beautiful earrings, a sign to bring a smile to your face, or a family activity with something for everyone, you can count on Keppel and Kismet to bring some community and joy into your home. Keep your eye on them in 2022!
We’re really excited for some of what Keppel and Kismet have in store for the future. Drawing strongly on the importance of community, Nichole see’s an opportunity work in collaboration with other designers and artists right here in Baltimore who want to see their designs reach more people. This idea was successfully tested last year in collaboration with Tiny Dog Press with the production of the (sold out) bench ornament which was manufactured by Keppel and Kismet for Tiny Dog Press based on one of their designs. This gives local artists and designers and local solution to manufacturing their designs on a flexible scale while keeping the revenue right here in Baltimore.
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