<b>Owners: </b>
Dina Katsev Igoe and Elleni Vorvis
<b>Short bio: </b>
Dina and Elleni have been best friends since their freshmen year of high school in Needham, MA. They connected right away as their family histories and personal values were very similar. Both Dina and Elleni come from immigrant families. Elleni is first generation Greek and Dina came to the US at age 11 from the Ukraine in 1989. They stayed close through their college years when Elleni attended Boston University and Dina studied political communications at The George Washington University. After graduation, they both worked in consulting. Dina as a higher education consultant for a DC-based lobbying firm and Elleni as a strategy consultant in Boston and New York. Last year, after Elleni spent the summer in DC prior to completing her MBA, they made a decision to become business partners and open a maternity and baby boutique in the Washington, DC area. They spent the last 9 months writing the business plan, securing their SBA loan, and finding the perfect location for their store.
<b>Why did you choose this particular business? </b>
We chose to own a maternity and baby store after conducting a survey of many DC-area moms regarding what they want and need during and post pregnancy. Many moms we surveyed felt there was a lack of high quality, fashionable and comfortable maternity clothes in our area. Based on the survey we decided to focus on helping moms and moms-to-be celebrate the joys of motherhood by offering chic, moderately priced maternity clothing that would make them feel beautiful during the most important and emotional time in their lives.
<b>Why did you choose to work for yourself rather than as an employee for someone else? </b>
After both working in the corporate environment for almost five years, we both knew that we wanted to do something that helped other people and allow us to use our creativity to do something unique on our own. After conducting our initial survey and doing months of research, we were confident that we were taking an educated risk and providing moms in the DC-area with a valuable resource that has been missing.
<b>What have you learned from being in business? </b>
Although we are just starting out managing our business, we have learned a great deal going through the start-up process. The most valuable lesson we have learned is to believe in ourselves, trust our own instincts and not be afraid to ask questions from those around us who have been where we are.
<b>Share an anecdote of a challenging or humorous experience or biggest surprise learned from working your business: </b>
Being a brand new store in Old Town, Alexandria we have been pleasantly surprised at the willingness of other area business owners to support our venture by promoting us to their clients as well as their confidence in our success.
<b>What have been the advantages and/or disadvantages of operating a business in Alexandria? </b>
The biggest advantage has been the tight-knit Old Town, Alexandria community. We have felt extremely welcomed by other area businesses as well as residents. We feel a true sense of community and support in Old Town where everyone is looking out for small business owners and wants them to succeed.
<b>Key staff: </b>
Just two owners for now
<b>Description of services and/or products: </b>
Apple Seed is a one-stop-shop for expectant and new moms. We carry fashionable maternity and baby clothes (up to 24 months), plus unique must-haves, such as bath and body products, gifts, accessories and other gear. However, our broader goal is to offer our customers more than just a great place to shop. We envision Apple Seed as a neighborhood retreat, where local moms come to meet and get to know each other, exchange valuable information and form lasting relationships by hosting a number of parent-friendly events such as seminars on pre-natal care and parenting, as well as music classes, story hours and more.
<b>Professional affiliations/associations: </b>
Member of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and looking to join KSMET