Behind S.I.S. Market

Meet the Founder Alicea Arnold, mom of three, entrepreneur and community advocate. She founded Strength in Shades Market in 2021, to help provide inclusivity for Women of Color in the Utah maker’s space. Her goals are to help encourage, build and empower small business owners while cultivating a safe and diverse environment for them to flourish in. You can find her at the markets greeting people and helping connect business owners with one another.

Founding History

  • Founders 2021-2023

    Strength and Shades was founded by Alicea Arnold and Kris Ayoso in February of 2021. Strength in Shades was created as a passion project after noticing a severe lack of diversity in the Utah market scene. The intention behind Strength in Shades is to create a safe and uplifting space for BIPOC entrepreneurs. We take pride in having each market feel like an inclusive market where everyone can feel safe, welcomed and accepted.

    Our goal is to unite and empower BIPOC small business owners to step into their light and take up space in the Utah small business scene. We believe everyone has special gifts that deserve to be seen and heard.