Zine #01

Welcome to the Mercatus Zine

Fall Edition

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Mercatus has dedicated the first zine to celebrating Latin culture and Latin owned-businesses. Artist Savina Monet, shared with us her inspiration for the Somos Latinx campaign and the artwork she created to celebrate intersectionality of Latin culture.

JUMP TO LINKS:

Explore Zine Stories

Community Grocery Guide

Somos Latinx  Business Guide

Subscribe so you never miss another zine drop from us!

Explore Stories

YANCY HANDMADE

WRITTEN BY DIEGO DIAZ

Yancy Handmade is a family-owned enterprise created in July 2018 by Ana Yancy and her father, Andrés Yancy. They feature handmade crafts made by Colombian Indigenous artisans, but more than that, Yancy Handmade is a catalyst to preserve Colombian Indigenous culture.

BLIND INSECT GALLERY

WRITTEN BY Marina Martinez-Bateman

“You have five seconds to rent a space in another person’s brain,” Pepe Moscoso told me in a cafe across the street from Blind Insect, his gallery on the corner of NE Alberta and 29th.

winemaker drinking wine

GUILLÉN FAMILY WINES

WRITTEN BY DIEGO DIAZ

Jesús Guillén was a passionate crafter, artist, and head of Guillén Family Wines—one of the few Latinx-owned wine labels in the United States. A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, Jesús was loved by all those who met him in his meteoric journey in winemaking world.

Meet Hey Doc

Produced by Red Jasper Society

Montserrat Andreys has started an interdisciplinary health clinic that will cater to underserved identities and prioritize the cultivation of safe space. She took time to chat with Mercatus about how the clinic came to be.

Community Grocery Guide

Explore the Latino/a/x/e Grocery Guide

Written by Krista Garcia

Get to know the owner behind our featured grocers through personal interviews or jump right to the grocery guide and get shopping!

Somos Latinx

Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 – Oct. 15

Just released: the latest installment of the Mercatus Cultural Business Guide, Somos Latinx,  with artwork by Mercatus member Savina Monet. All the businesses listed identify as Hispanic or Latino/a/x/e. 

A note from the artist: “To try and encompass the Latin American diaspora is like trying to bottle lightning. There’s no one representation for our people, we are every shade, shape, and sure proud of it. Collage is the only medium that can attempt to capture the intersectionality of Latin culture. By using significant images of historical leaders, like Carlota Lucumi, an enslaved Yoruba woman in Cuba who led multiple uprisings against colonizer forces, Roberto Clemente, a Puerto Rican baseball player who was a hero on and off the field, Rigoberta Menchu, a Guatemalan woman who advocated for Indigenous rights and many others, we can begin to paint a picture of what it means to be a Latinx.”

– Savina Monet, artist

Yancy Handmade

“I want to sell you a piece of art, and for you to know who is behind this product, who is the artist, to show you the significance of it, for you to love the product and understand the culture behind it.” “Yo quiero venderte arte, y que usted sepa que es lo que hay detrás del producto, quien es el artista, su significado, para que puedas amar el producto y entender la cultura detrás de él” Ana Yancy | Founder Yancy HandmadeYancy Handmade is a...

Blind Insect Gallery

“You have five seconds to rent a space in another person’s brain,” Pepe Moscoso Pepe Moscoso | Founder Blind InsectHOW TO SELL MAGIC TO THE WORLD “You have five seconds to rent a space in another person’s brain,” Pepe Moscoso told me in a cafe across the street from Blind Insect, his gallery on the corner of NE Alberta and 29th. It’s a place he’s quickly outgrowing, with 45 featured artists including himself. Hundreds of works, in multiple mediums...

11:11 Supply

“Customer service is where you’re really supporting strangers. If you do it right, it’s one of the most inclusive things ever. Anyone can walk in from the street. It costs you nothing to treat them like a magical human being, no matter who they are.” Paloma Medina | Founder 11:11 Supply Paloma Medina, a self-described “super nerd,” wants everyone to live their best lives. That’s the model behind 11:11, a retail and workshop space she...

Cliqa

"I started Cliqa with my co-founders to solve a basic need for us immigrants in the US."  Edgar Navas | Founder and CEO of Cliqa Inc. dgar Navas is the founder and CEO of Cliqa Digital Inc, a technology company based in Portland, Oregon. Its mission is to serve immigrant communities by keeping them connected both financially and emotionally with their often-distant families and to inspire them at a time when...

Revolución Coffee House

“The name of my coffee house, Revolución, is reflected in my work because I am revolutionizing the concept of selling traditional Mexican drinks and food in downtown Portland.”     “El nombre de mi cafetería, Revolución, se refleja en mi trabajo porque estoy revolucionando el concepto de venta de bebidas y comida tradicional mexicana en el centro de Portland.”   Maria Garcia | Owner/Dueña   In 2014, Maria Garcia opened...

Yesenia Gallardo

“We don’t have the Mark Zuckerbergs or the Warren Buffetts in the Latino world. We need access to the language of business to feel entitled to dream big.”                                        — Yesenia Gallardo esenia Gallardo is a Yale-graduated, sharp business woman, entrepreneur, and first generation Latina, born in Los Angeles to Mexican and Ecuadorian parents. Her passions are for business, social...

Kiosko

“EVERYTHING WE DO NOW IS NOT SO MUCH FOR US, BUT FOR WHEN OUR FAMILY GROWS [SO] THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THEM.”                                                      —Angel Medina n the midst of a recession in 2010, Angel Medina and Lucy Alvarez snagged roundtrip flights from Southern California to Portland for $20. The flight left the next day. After spending their impromptu visit exploring neighborhoods and typical tourist destinations, the couple...

Renee Lopez

“I’m trying to teach and also learn.”                                   — Renée Lopez                             enée Lopez is among Portland’s newest creative entrepreneurs. The 33-year-old Yakima, Washington, native is the founder of Miss Lopez Media, which focuses on portraiture, videography, events, and the ongoing documentation of her life. After steadily building her clientele, Lopez transitioned from her previous employment in the fall of...

Tamale Boy

“We know we can't beat Grandma's tamales, but for us, it's very much about community."                              – Jaime Soltero Jr. aime Soltero Jr. grew up working in his parents’ Mexican restaurant, but it wasn’t until he traveled to Mexico as an adult that he realized how drastically the cuisine had shifted from its authentic roots. As a first-generation Mexican American in the Pacific Northwest, Soltero and his family had limited access to the...

Letra Chueca

“It’s really not just about what I call ‘precious printing,’ but using print more as a mode of empowerment.” The results of their knack for printing and commitment to, “as much representation as possible for Latinx, queer, and feminist voices.”                                                                                   — Daniela del Mar ndigo ink coats Daniela del Mar’s hands; layers of blush pink cover Camila Araya Pérez’s.  The two, co-owners...

Search Stories by Culture

By Culture
Asian
Black or African American
Hispanic, Latino/a/x
Native Owned/ Indigenous
1
2
3
4

See What We Do

Become a Mercatus Member Today!

As a Mercatus Member, you are joining hundreds of other racially and ethnically diverse business owners. Collectively the Mercatus community is elevating a vibrant and multicultural narrative of business ownership. As a member, your business can benefit from greater exposure, new business leads, and community wealth building opportunities.

Mercatus has partnered with Travel Portland, Portland Means Progress, and the City of Portland to elevate the directory which receives hundreds of visitors each month. With membership tiers for everyone, businesses of all sizes are encouraged to join!