Page 47 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2016

After spending several years in New York at the fashion and business focused LIM College and interning at different fashion companies, D’Iberville native Kristina Graham moved back to the
Gulf Coast and decided to put what she learned to work by opening her own boutique. Tribe Boutique, located on the corner of Popps Ferry and Pass Road in Biloxi, opened in September 2015.
“I love it,” says Graham. “I get to dress people and style them, and I get to buy my inventory which is more fun.”
Graham also notes that having your own business is more than people expect. “It’s a struggle to manage a business between sales, employees and managing inventory, but we are doing well.”
Tribe Boutique focuses on women ages 20-40 who are interested in trying new clothing and trends. “We carry classic and contemporary styles that are trendy and fashion forward,”
adds Graham.
STEPHANIE MATHES CLIMB Community Development Corporation
KRISTINA GRAHAM Tribe Boutique
LYNN O’KEEFE & RACHEL BOUDREAUX The Copper Pelican
When the space that once housed Tickeled Pink in Biloxi’s Shops at
Mary Mahoney’s opened up, Lynn O’Keefe, owner of the Paper Moon, was approached about opening a new shop. She partnered with her friend Rachel Boudreaux and opened the Copper Pelican.
O’Keefe, who had been in business for eight years, and Boudreaux, a retired dental hygienist, met years ago because their sons were friends. Also, Boudreaux had been helping O’Keefe with monogramming at the Paper Moon.
“It was a great opportunity, and we felt like we wanted to get into that end of town,” said O’Keefe.
The new business, which opened in April, offers in-house monogramming and vinyl lettering, and also carries bags, candles, jewelry, pottery, baby gifts and even a line for dogs.
O’Keefe and Boudreaux are proud
to offer quality products in their community and say their biggest challenge is combatting internet sales. “Local business matters and people don’t realize that,” she said. “We offer personal service and put our heart and
soul into what we sell and you can’t get that over the
Internet.”
With over 20 years in non-profit experience, Stephanie Mathes took the helm as the CEO of Climb CDC
in February of this year. Previously she served as the organization’s chief operations officer and worked with others to help organize the non-profit organization in 2012.
Through its programs, which include the Workforce Training Institute, Café Climb and the Family Enrichment Center, CLIMB CDC, promotes strong communities and inspires people to be self-reliant.
“My job allows me to do work that makes a difference in people’s lives and in the community,” said Mathes. “I get to be a part of a team that is passionate and invested in making positive changes.”
As with many non-profits, funding
is always a challenge for CLIMB CDC and there are also obstacles. “Every day is a challenge working with a group of young people who have so many stigmas and stereotypes to work through — some placed on them and some they place on the unknowns we are asking them to embrace,” she adds. “Every day is a new day and you just
have to wake up and be creative and enthusiastic about whatever may
come.”
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September 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 47