Behind every great woman is a great business idea.
Feminist Bodega, a Cambridge pop-up shop, opened Aug. 21 and runs through Aug. 29, boasting a lineup of local women-owned businesses offering a variety of products from skincare to food to apparel. Katie Diasti, 24, is the founder and CEO of Viv for Your V (known as Viv for short), a local feminine-product company selling sustainable and toxin-free products using bamboo fiber and plant-based applicators for menstrual cups, tampons, and liners.
She created the event to bring awareness to women-owned consumer brands customers may not have heard of before in a tangible setting. Diasti felt there wasn’t enough support for women-led consumer brands in the Boston startup space and wanted to combat this notion by having women-owned brands lift each other up instead.
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“It’s a trendy convenience store — but elevated,” Diasti said in a recent video interview.
Diasti came up with the idea of Feminist Bodega in the beginning of July while seeking out a way to promote her own brand. At the same time, she had connected with several other women-owned businesses in the area and the Viv team approached them to be a part of the event, with brands in turn recommending other ones to reach out to as well. Together, the Viv team and the chosen bodega brands helped curate the products in the store to avoid product overlap between businesses. .
Some brands in the bodega include Drink Simple, a Vermont-based company that sells maple water, a drink made from maple sap naturally enhanced with nutrients, to Boston-based Faceted Beauty, a queer and Southeast Asian-American woman-owned reusable press-on nail company. Others are North End’s Uvida Shop, a zero-waste store that will sell plants and flowers at the pop-up, and Chinatown-based Flare, which sells safety bracelets to help wearers exit uncomfortable situations. The bodega includes 26 businesses in total.
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Diasti wanted to incorporate an array of brands and products that weren’t solely targeted toward women so that allies and supporters, who may not find use for some of the items, can find something which piques their interest. Additionally, she wanted the pop-up to feel like a modern-day convenience store, but at a smaller scale.
Vanessa Bruce, co-founder and CEO of Dough, an online platform that highlights women-owned businesses, owns the space and granted Viv to use it for free, the storefront being passed down through generations. Though the pop-up shop stocks items from different businesses, Viv staffers are operating it. Feminist Bodega also plans to host other activities and educational workshops for its customers throughout the week, collaborating with Faceted Beauty and Kured, a Beacon Hill charcuterie company.
The colorful venue is about 250 square feet with shelves full of products and plants. For perishables, a mini fridge is situated in the shop. Masks and social distancing are required.
As for future Feminist Bodega events, it all depends on the success of the first, Diasti said. Overall, she is grateful for the community she’s entered and the support she has already received from other like-minded business owners.
“We’re not even worried about tracking sales too much during the bodega itself and all the brands feel the same way. Getting into the community and getting in front of customers is so important for us right now and hearing what they care about,” Diasti said.
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Feminist Bodega presented by Viv for Your V. noon-6 p.m., through Aug. 29. 550 Cambridge St., Cambridge.
Riana Buchman can be reached at riana.buchman@globe.com.