18 Female-Owned Businesses You’ll Find at the Mount Pleasant Girl Gang Pop-Up This Weekend

Sean Blishen always knew she wanted to be her own boss, and after years working in various industries around the world, she made her dream a reality.

What started out as a hobby making soy candles for family and friends flourished into a successful business and in January 2020 Sean started Kilig Candle Co. But she quickly realized it was tough for small businesses to get a spot at pop-ups and craft markets without being established or having a significant social media following.

“When you’re a small business, it’s kind of hard to get involved in these bigger events because either you don’t have the following, people don’t know who you are, or you’ve never done one before,” says Blishen.

Once again, she decided to take charge and create her own opportunities. Knowing she wanted to support women in business, she found a venue and reached out to other female makers who were starting out, like For the Seconds owner Esther Joo, to invite them to sell their products at her event.

“I wasn’t really seeing anything very female-led or female-inclusive and I was like, You know what, I’m going to host my own pop-ups. I’m going to do it myself.”

The first Girl Gang Pop-Up was in September 2020 with eight other female creators.The success encouraged Sean to plan a second event for this weekend, July 24-25, with 18 female-owned businesses collaborating, bringing together products ranging from soy candles, jewellery, and tea to ceramics, scrunchies and vintage clothing.

A third pop-up is already in the works, and although she can’t give away too many details, Sean promises it will be bigger and better with “A lot of really big female-owned Vancouver businesses” participating, and to look out for it at the beginning of September. 

Here are some of the exciting stalls to visit at this weekend’s pop-up, happening this Saturday and Sunday at 16 E 5th Ave from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Kilig Candle Co.

Translated from Filipino, Kilig means “the butterflies in your tummy”. This Vancouver-based, eco-friendly soy candle brand is inspired by the maker’s Filipino heritage and for every candle purchased, a meal is donated to a child in need. 

For The Seconds 

Owner and designer Esther Joo wanted her jewelry to suit the everyday woman. The pieces are tarnish-resistant and dainty enough to be stacked without feeling weighed down. 

Hair Of The Dog Scrunchies 

Locally made on Vancouver Island, this brand offers a scrunchy for every occasion (think casual hangout, workout and swim sesh) and won’t pull your hair out. 

Moonlight Jewels Co. 

This vendor provides unique pieces with a mystical twist using ethically and sustainably sourced crystals.