Creativity Flows at These Worcester Businesses
Entrepreneurs in Worcester find their niche and support from the community.
The artisan community here is a melting pot of painters, bakers, botanists, and other entrepreneurs who have turned their passions and skills into creative Worcester businesses. The result? The Worcester, MA, region has become a better and brighter place to live.
A Great Place to Start
When Zaida Melendez opened her Salvadorean-American bakery, Belén Casa de Pan, on Main Street in Worcester, it was the first of its kind. The shop specializes in Latin American pastries, but also embraces American classics like chocolate treats and carrot cakes.
The growing international community in Worcester prompted her decision to step out as an entrepreneur. “We have a large population of Central Americans in the city, but we didn’t have a place to get warm, fresh pastries and sweet breads,” she says.
Once she developed her plan, she found the perfect location. A storefront opened up right next to Clark University, and Melendez took the plunge in March 2023, receiving immediate support from the school’s students and staff.
“The response from the Worcester community has been wonderful,” she says. “It’s just a great place to start a new business, and the diverse population really appreciates a place like Belén Casa de Pan.”
That Holiday Spirit
At Vaillancourt Folk Art, you’ll feel the Christmas spirit the minute you walk through the door. Santas of every shape and size are prominent, uniquely crafted, and hand painted into precious collectibles.
A full-time staff of 20 produces these fine art pieces on-site in a historic textile mill in Sutton. The 12,000-square-foot retail gallery is filled to the brim with high-end collections, mostly from Europe, that complement the Vaillancourt line. It’s not surprising that the company is known for Christmas merriment, and owner Luke Vaillancourt says that many families have started their holiday traditions with them.
“We would never leave Sutton,” Vaillancourt says. “It’s a true community through and through. While we have collectors from around the world, many of whom fly in to shop in person with us, the Worcester County community has always been supportive and turned to us for gift giving, decorating, and shopping needs.”
And it works both ways. Vaillancourt says that the business supports other Worcester businesses and contributes to charitable causes. Each year since 1990, Vaillancourt Folk Art has donated the proceeds from the sales of their Starlight Santa to UMass Chan Medical School to help support children undergoing medical treatments.
The company has found national success in stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, all from humble beginnings when Judi Vaillancourt started with chocolate molds and evolved into chalkware. The results are considered some of the highest-quality Christmas collectibles in the U.S.
‘People Know My Name’
Jammie Glenn, founder and CEO of Bloom, prefers the title creative director. That’s because her products stem from her passions, and her success comes from tapping into Worcester’s resources to enhance her business savvy.
Glenn, who was born and raised in Worcester, has curated an all-natural, botanically infused self-care product line that includes body oil, candles, and room sprays as well as journals, affirmation card decks, and bookmarks. She sees her business as multifaceted, both product-based and service based.
“When I started Bloom in 2019, I quickly realized that I needed support and guidance,” she says. “I wanted to do so much but I was trying to do everything at the same time. So, I came home to Worcester and applied for StartUp Worcester and EforAll. Amazingly, I was accepted to both.”
StartUp Worcester provided Glenn with coworking space (all of her products are sold online), membership in the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce where she could build her network, help with her business plan, and invaluable mentorship that continues to this day.
The EforAll business accelerator offered an intensive schedule of weekly classes that Glenn says have complemented her resources through StartUp Worcester, working in combination to provide a solid foundation for her future success.
“A year ago, I was a nobody,” Glenn says. “Now, people know my name, and they know Bloom. It’s not easy to get a business off the ground. When you feel alone and put in your last coins, you just want to give up. Worcester is doing everything to give you a fair chance in the game.”
Get to Know Worcester
Want to learn more about living and working in Worcester, MA? Check out the latest edition of Livability Worcester, Massachusetts.
