Get to know Jennifer and Keith Wahl, and Made From RI

Owner’s  name: Jennifer & Keith Wahl
Shop names: Made From RI 
Websites: www.MadeFromRI.com 
Blogs: https://madefromri.com/blog/  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madefromri 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madefromri_llc/ 

1. Tell us about your business.

Actually, we have grown to become two businesses, but the first was Made From RI. It was created as the answer to the question of “What does Rhode Island make”? As it turned out, quite a lot. And it follows a range from things being made in “garage businesses” like where Apple and Microsoft started to manufacturers where the only place that these things are made in the entire world is here in Rhode Island. And curiously, we also create items ourselves, such as dog collars and wooden toys.

Made From RI Gallery, the sister business grew out of trying to garner publicity for Made From RI. I (Keith), took the photographic skills taught to me by my grandfather, mixed it with the unique venues that we have here in Rhode Island, and the world responded with enthusiasm.

2. Is there a story behind the name?
Simply put, what is Made From RI? A whole lot. What does the world see that is great about RI? A whole lot more.

3. How did you get started?

Basically, Jen and I were on a trip in the car with our two children, asking the questions asked on long trips and solving all of the problems of the world. Both of us have been involved in big businesses, from technology and banking to hospitality and industrial manufacturing, logistics and distribution.

We thought that there needed to be a place where Rhode Island products were showcased. Then we decided to do something about it. Then we decided that people needed to see the beauty and some of the deeper meaning in RI, so we decided to show it.

4. Who is your target customer?
Anyone who enjoys a quality made product or photo. Do you need a special commemorative graduation ornament and you are on an Air Force base on Guam? We provide it. Are you a museum curator in Missouri and want to commemorate the 19th Amendment (Women’s Right to Vote)? Come to us. Are you curious about this stuff called frozen lemonade that you never drink with a straw and you are deep in the heart of Texas? We’re the place. Are you a scholar writing a book about the epic struggles of Native Americans in New England? We have photos for you. Are you decorating a doctor’s office and need something unique to put on the walls? We will help you. Are you starting a new Rhode Island based magazine for children and need photos and something written? We will write for, provide photos to and encourage you. Do you want a tile clock that shows a precise location? We have a navigator on staff that will find the spot on a chart (anywhere where charts go) and make it aesthetically pleasing on a clock.

5. What do you love about what you do?
We talk to and have contact with some of the most unique people from here in Rhode Island, around the United States and across the world daily. And we learn more too. We have found pockets of Rhode Island influenced culture from around the US as well. The most unique we have found is an informal bunch of people in the Southeast US who are now preparing turkey stuffing based on the Rhode Island stuffie (quahog) recipe (go figure).

6. How do you find your makers?
There are a few methods. Some meet us informally. Some contact us on our web site (we have a vendor application right on our Made From RI site). Some we meet at various shows. Some we data mine through business intelligence technology. Sometimes there is a question that comes up and we just make it ourselves (“Do you have a water bottle holder that can clip to your belt?” “No that is a great idea, we will design something and let you know when we are making it”: https://madefromri.com/textiles/webbing/webbed-water-bottle-lanyard/)

7. What’s in the pipeline for new products?
In the midst of COVID-19 we have remained creative. First, we enjoy a large social media presence and felt the need to use that to encourage people at this time. We have been out and about outside and have taken many photos. Many are Rhode Island centric and others fall into the category of what might be called “natural philosophy” in prior eras. We intend on publishing some of these in a variety of formats and creating new publications. One underlying theme in all of the current uncertainty that we want to convey is the certainty in Rhode Island’s motto: Hope.

8. How long have you been in Rhode Island?
Both Jen and I are natives. Jen grew up in East Providence, Rumford, and on Great Island... and her family has been here since before there were families here (there is even a street named for her grandfather in East Providence). She has also been involved in various long term endeavors from political campaigns to being in night management at the old “Dutch Inn” in Galilee (she possesses undergrad and graduate degrees in business).

I grew up in Warwick, Warwick Neck to be precise. I have quahogged on Narragansett Bay, sailed with the legendary captain Manny Sousa on the “Prudence II” as a youngster, picked up my captain’s ticket while sailing on one of the many vessels named “Bay Queen” (I actually sailed on every one of them), worked as a marine surveyor crawling through all forms of ships and boats, and then I put my other undergrad and graduate degrees in physics, mathematics and technology to work here as well.

9. What do you {heart} about Rhode Island?
Both of us are drawn to the water and the history of Rhode Island. That history extends to natural history. We love to think that we can take a hike almost anywhere in the state and find something that our middle school boys think is “cool” (so much so that one is determined to be an archaeologist and the other a paleontologist).

And our boys’ responses to “cool” things are important. When we use their expressions in the photos on our Made From RI Gallery blog, we receive responses from people around the world that are fascinated. Many responses start out as “That’s in Rhode Island?” and then turn to, “I never knew, I need to see that for myself sometime”. Both Jen and I have been to and lived in other places (around the world in fact), but we were always brought back to RI because this “little” place has the most amazing and diverse environment to discover and explore.

10. Any advice for people wanting to get started in the business?
Keep an open mind, keep your eyes open, be aware of your environment, and listen more than talk. When you hear of a need, start thinking in the long term about you might fill it or find someone who is able to do so (maybe even with you).

11. Please include anything else you’d like to add:
Rhode Island is a place that we love. Our parents loved it. Our grandparents and other forebears too. We want Rhode Island to be the place that our children love and where they want to add their legacy. And then we want to tell and show everyone else why this is so.