Josh: So on your website it says you are the Patron Saint of Cosmic Accidents, what does that mean?

Jenni: That has to do with how we got our name. We were having a hard time thinking of the name (it’s kind of like naming your child). So one day, I was walking down the street and I looked down on the ground and saw this phrase stamped, “St. Lightning”, and thought to myself who put that there? It must be some kind of renegade street artist who's carving into the sidewalk. And the friend I was with said “it’s street lighting not saint lightning.” We laughed but then started thinking it could be a cool name for the store.

Sita: Yeah, we kind of joked about it but then thought, what if we did that, “St. Lightning".

Jenni: So it was a cosmic accident, a ridiculous mistake where something great has come of it. We actually made up a character in our store called Saint of Happy Accidents.

We're excited to announce that our first reward program, DOE, is now available on FAWN!

Josh: What inspired you to create Benny Gold, the brand?

Benny: I am a graphic designer by trade, graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design. I moved out here to pursue a career in art and what they tell you in art school is a lot different than what a real career in art is like. So they tell you it’s like this really creative field and you will be designing and working on all these amazing projects and it is going to be very fun and loose. Then when I got out here I realized I was working until 2AM on a lot of stuff that was uninspiring, like toothpaste packaging and annual reports. 

So I started a little personal project for myself and I labeled it Stay Gold - a reminder to stay true to the things that really inspire me. Which was the reason I moved to California and the reason I got into art.

Sure, for every $100 you spend locally, nearly $70 goes back into your community, keeping it vibrant, energized and well, a great place to live.

However, better than that are the benefits you get socially from buying from your nearby boutiques and bars.  It turns out, that getting out and getting to know your neck of the woods also has social and emotional benefits that go beyond the feel good for supporting small businesses.

Q2. What does FAWN actually do? What problem does it solve? How does it help merchants? How does it help the consumer?

FAWN is taking the mantra “shop local” and making it possible for us to actually do that.  Specifically, we’re gathering the best spots of any neighborhood and creating a mobile marketplace that lets us shop these store’s products, offers, and events....