This week's spotlight is on my friend Karen “K” Abate. Though we met through family and both worked at WeWork, we didn’t really get to know each other until we both moved to Denver last year. Professionally, K’s speciality is building community through operations, hospitality, and workplace strategy, BUT I wanted to feature her in The MarketHer because of her incredible passion project/side hustle: Denver K Design.
K Abate (@denverkdesign). Photo: @dead.west
Name: Karen “K” Abate
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Currently based in: Denver, CO
Describe yourself in three words: Efficient, ambitious, and positive
Hobby-turned-side-hustle: Denver K Design
How did Denver K Design start? Like so many others in 2020, I was laid off by my previous employer. I found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands and needed a creative outlet—so I tried macrame for the first time in December. I started posting my macrame designs to Instagram and the response from family and friends was, "Can I buy that?" I started to feel motivated to try new knots and create new pieces because the response was so positive.
How did you branch out beyond family and friends? I reached out to Parlor—a local plant shop—and ended up creating a partnership and tapping into one of my favorite pastimes: creating community. The next thing I knew, I was invited to sell my designs at one of their outdoor markets, and the response was overwhelming.
Macrame (in The MarketHer colors!) from Denver K Design
What’s next for Denver K Designs? Next up: another socially distanced pop-up market in Denver. I’m still looking for a full-time role doing my previous work, but in the meantime, I’m really enjoying tapping into my creativity and the side hustle of building a business.
I feel inspired when: I can be creative! I love creating anything from experiences to crafts.
Outside of work you’ll find me: Boxing, doing yoga, hanging with friends and my dog, Bagel, or DIY-ing something!
Connect with me here: LinkedIn | Instagram (DM for custom macrame orders!)
If you've found a role through The MarketHer or would like to be featured as you navigate your job search, we'd love to include you in an upcoming issue. You can get in touch here.