May 2025
Small Business, Big Heart – Vera Vara
Pop-up shops are popular with small businesses, mobile eateries and other entrepreneurs who want to create a unique shopping experience amidst a traditional brick-and-mortar setting. Phoenix Sky Harbor is featuring local business owners in limited pop-up shops, and visitors to the airport can reap the rewards.
Meet the Local Artisans is a gathering of small business owners most recently held May 8. This event gives merchants a chance to connect their wares with the traveling public.
Alexis Szewczyk, owner and founder of Vera Vara, designs unique jewelry, combining her love of creating art with love of her community. As a former hospital worker and mother of three, she wanted to support folks who are less fortunate by donating a portion of her business’s proceeds to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
“I always loved to create things, especially jewelry, and I love to add that sparkle,” she said. “This just came naturally to me.”
She attends pop-ups across the Valley to showcase her brand of hypoallergenic jewelry that echoes her beloved grandmother’s legacy, which is found in the name of her business.
“I’ve been doing this since I was a little kid and I just wanted to create something that honored my grandmother, who was Vera,” she said. “My middle name is Vara, so in order to continue her legacy and remember how she was so positive, we paired each piece of jewelry with inspirational message cards.”
No cookie-cutter messages here. Alexis creates each message as she does each piece of jewelry to carry on her grandmother’s memory.
“So not only are you getting a beautiful piece of jewelry, you’re also getting an inspirational message, kind of like what she gave to me,” she said.
Her grandmother isn’t the only source of inspiration for her work. That also comes from every place in Arizona she’s visited and the list of places she still wants to see.
“It’s so big: Page, Grand Canyon, Bisbee, Jerome, Tombstone, Flagstaff, Prescott,” she said. “We’re still not done.”
Keep an eye on future pop-up events by following @phxskyharbor on Facebook, X, and Instagram.