Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena Soledad.
Elena, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a Quechua (Andean) Adoptee raised in Brooklyn. I started Brooklyn Warmi during the pandemic after being laid off my job. Growing up in NYC, I rarely saw any Andean (and in my case, Peruvian), representation. You would think that living here, there would be plenty but I never was able to find my people. Adoption definitely took a lot of my identity away from me. I went back to Peru when I was 15 and reconnected with my biological family. After that first trip, I realized how little representation there was for me in the media and in everyday life back here in Brooklyn. Starting Brooklyn Warmi has been an idea in the making for the last 10 years. I wanted to find a way to give back to my community, back to organizations that help communities in Peru, and to create representation for so many of us that never felt seen. I am a fat, brown-skinned, indigenous woman and starting Brooklyn Warmi has allowed me to really fall in love with my community, myself, and create conversations that I was never able to have growing up.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To say this journey of having your own small business is “smooth”…it definitely is NOT! It’s worth it though. I work two jobs and still run my small business from my room. I feel more stuck in some ways but I refuse to give up on this dream. Most of the struggles come from not being able to do 50 things at once. I promise though, one day I will have someone helping me out besides my 12 years old who is more interested in watching anime than my business, as most 12 years old are, haha! Lots of the struggles also aren’t even struggles, they’re more like…learning curves. I like to research a lot before I make a business move, and then what I plan takes longer than anticipated. Often I wish there were more hours in a day. Between the two jobs and motherhood and family, friends, social life, it’s exhausting! But so worth it! Like I said, this is my dream…and Brooklyn Warmi is not just a business, it’s a community.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I design, curate and handmake jewelry geared heavily towards the Andean diaspora focusing on our indigeneity. I’m known for that mostly, but I like to think I’m most known for the friendships Brooklyn Warmi has created. Many people reach out and let me know they’ve met other Andean folx via my business and that it really what this is all about; connecting. I’m most proud of my daughter though, in the way she carries herself and her identity as an Afro Quechua young woman. We have had so many conversations around her identity on being Indigenous and I’m so proud that she is always open to learning more. She is also probably my biggest supporter! She wears my jewelry all the time and is the ultimate plug when she talks about me haha!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In the next five years, I hope to have a storefront with nothing but Andean & other Indigenous creators. A place for folx to come to where they feel secure and can find some dope resources. I’m looking into grants and learning how to write them and just really focused on bettering my business. Definitely need to lean in more to the social media world too! I am not as tech-savvy as I think I am haha! Tiktok, Snapchat, Twitter, and whatever else there is besides Instagram, I am cluelesssss haha! My ultimate 10 years goal is to create a non-profit of sorts in Peru and provide resources for children and families. I would love to create a business in Puno, where my family is from and give back as much as I can. Also want to learn more about my ancestry. It feels like as the years continue, there’s more layers to my adoption to find out.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brooklynwarmi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooklynwarmi/
Image Credits
Elena Soledad — (all up close jewelry pictures) Samara Dolorier — (picture of 4 Indigenous women wearing Indigenous Hoops)
