Check Out Moneer Mouchamel’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moneer Mouchamel.

Hi Moneer, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After graduating high school, I spent nearly six years working in my family businesses. That time gave me a strong foundation in business development, operations, and management, and it taught me how businesses actually function day to day. While it was an invaluable experience, I eventually realized I wanted to build something that aligned more closely with my personal interests and passions.

I began exploring other paths, including personal training, gym membership sales, solar sales, real estate, and a few other ventures. As I became more involved in personal fitness, a friend introduced me to the steel mace, a workout tool similar to a one-sided barbell that is swung through dynamic movement patterns. Through that, I discovered the Steel Mace Flow community, which was my first exposure to flow arts, something I knew nothing about at the time.

Not long after, I met someone at a party who told me about a local fire spinning jam. When I attended for the first time, I was immediately hooked by the creativity, movement, and sense of community. I went home and began researching flow props and quickly realized that my favorite tool, the mace, did not exist as a fire prop. That gap sparked the idea to start building my own.

At the same time I was learning about flow arts and the fire dance community, I began designing and hand-building flow toys myself. That eventually became Bonobo Flow, a Los Angeles-based flow prop shop that grew out of the pandemic. As a flow artist, I design and hand-make a variety of props for performance, dance, and self-expression, while also curating high-quality tools from respected flow prop makers around the world.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Flow arts is a fairly niche community, so figuring out how to grow sustainably took time and a lot of trial and error. For the first three to four years, I vended at dozens of festivals while still working side jobs to support myself. Those long stretches on the road were challenging, but they were also incredibly valuable.

Vending festivals gave me immediate, real-world feedback on what people actually enjoy using, what designs hold up over time, and where common issues tend to show up, whether in my own products or in others on the market. That hands-on exposure helped me refine my designs, improve quality, and ultimately figure out how to stay profitable while keeping products accessible and affordable for customers.

Like many small businesses, external factors have also presented challenges. Recent tariffs have impacted costs, which required careful adjustments and planning. On top of that, as a small business owner, I’ve had to wear many hats over the years, including designer, marketer, customer service, inventory manager, and shipping and logistics coordinator. While demanding, those challenges pushed me to build a deeper understanding of every part of the business and ultimately made it stronger.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In addition to Bonobo Flow, I’m also part of SoCal Fire Dancers with my partner, Sam Tobey. We perform and choreograph fire dance for a wide range of events, from private functions to large-scale festivals, including international stages. That performance experience directly informs my work as a builder and curator, because I understand what performers need in real-world conditions.

What I’m most proud of is building a brand that comes directly from the community it serves. My love for Bonobo Flow is rooted in my love for flow arts itself and the creativity, confidence, and self-expression that comes from it. Over time, I’ve trained with and learned a wide range of props, including dragon staff, rope dart, poi, contact staff, double staff, mace, sword, and spear. Dragon staff has become my favorite, but that broad, hands-on experience across many props is what really sets me apart.

What differentiates my work is that blend of performer, designer, and business owner. I’m not just selling products, I’m deeply embedded in the culture, using the tools, testing them under performance conditions, and continuously refining them based on real experience and direct feedback from the community.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think the trajectory of the flow arts industry over the next five to ten years will be influenced heavily by broader economic conditions. Flow props are, in many ways, a discretionary purchase, so during economic slowdowns the industry can feel that impact. I’ve seen firsthand how demand fluctuates alongside the economy.

That said, I don’t think the underlying need ever goes away. People will always look for ways to move their bodies, express themselves creatively, and find outlets for stress and connection. What excites me most is the continued shift toward flow props being viewed not just as toys or performance tools, but as legitimate forms of movement practice. We’re already seeing more overlap with fitness, mobility training, mindfulness, and even meditative practices, similar to how yoga evolved and became widely accepted.

I expect the industry to continue maturing in that direction, with more emphasis on intentional movement, mental health, and overall well-being. As that happens, flow arts have the potential to reach a much broader audience beyond performers and festival culture, which I see as a positive and sustainable long-term shift.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bonoboflow.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonobo.flow
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonoboflowprops
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonobo-flow
• Twitter: https://x.com/BonoboFlow
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bonoboflow
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bonobo.flow
• Other: https://socalfiredancers.com/

Image Credits
Alex Denney
JP Kouri