Written by: Sofia D’Ambrosia and Mahilet Tito
The University of Washington Bothell Makers’ Fair, held on Feb. 12, 2025, is a platform for creators around the community to showcase their talent, build entrepreneurship skills, and connect with the community in an open and economically inclusive environment, as co-founders Pauline Tolentino and Jireh Reduque emphasized in their interview about the event. By providing a fee-free space, the opportunity opens doors for students to sell their work, gain confidence and network with others.
However, potential vendors have a hard time finding information about the fair because there is no application roadmap like UW Seattle’s Makers’ Fair has, a challenge noted by UW Seattle alumni Sabo, who said that new creators often struggle to understand the application process or even find vending opportunities. In addition, UW Bothell lacks a Makers’ Mixer like the main campus, where makers would be able to network, exchange artwork, and share ideas. Even though the fair helps small businesses and promotes creativity, Sofia Arzamendia suggested that better advertisement, accessibility and structured networking opportunities will make it more beneficial.
The Background and History of the Makers’ Fair at UWB
Washington Bothell Makers’ Fair | Graph by: Gabriela Marroquin
This bar chart illustrates the number of participating vendors at the Makers’ Fair hosted by the University of Washington Bothell. In 2024, the fair featured 61 vendors, while in 2025, participation increased significantly to 100 vendors, highlighting a growth in interest and engagement.
Tolentino and Reduque said it was important to them not to charge a fee for the vendors. They said that their experiences as vendors at similar events led to their choice to not require fees. “Me and Pauline, as small business owners ourselves, we get the vendor fees, it’s a huge gamble,” said Reduque. A lot of the vendors are just trying to make ends meet, at the event, multiple vendors spoke about “breaking even.” The lack of a fee is a huge help, as Reduque said, “there’s no risk around if they need to break even or if they need to reach a profit.”
Damon: Full interview with Tolentino and Reduque
Long-time supporters of the University of Washington, Nancy and Ben Remak, were among the leading contributors to the Makers’ Fair this year as well. Their donation allowed the event to waive the participation fees and opened opportunities to participating students, alumni and staff alike. In a 2024 interview with UWB News, the Remaks were impressed by the spirit of innovation at UW Bothell and said that supporting the Makers’ Fair was a great opportunity to be part of that spirit. True to their words, the Remaks attended the 2025 fair and participated in the event.
The Importance and Cost of Creativity and Community
Sofia Arzamendia, a UWB student and vendor at the fair, makes handmade jewelry and displays her work at other craft markets, including UW Seattle’s Makers’ Fair. UW Seattle has taken a different approach to embracing community at the Makers’ Fair by hosting a Makers’ Mixer once the fair has ended. Arzamendia said “Usually, we use this time to talk to each other, talk about how sales went, and also to do art trades. So if you like someone’s work you can offer them a piece of your work and you can trade art instead of having to buy from each other, which I think is the coolest part.” The Makers’ Mixer is funded by the fees that vendors at UW Seattle pay.
Mackenzie Lawrence, the Manager for Administrative Services at UW Seattle’s Husky Union Building (HUB), explained that the vendor fees help support wraparound support like the post-fair Makers’ Mixer. She said “Fees go to a variety of things. The HUB does not profit off of the Makers’ Fair. It goes towards equipment rentals and staffing—and a lot of the staffing that happens beforehand is administration—vetting applications, making or sending emails, graphic design, advertising—and various things like that. Also, reserving the HUB’s spaces that would otherwise be rented by other vendors. Staffing and supplying the vendor mixer. And the physical setup as well.”
Makers’ Perspectives on the Struggles and Successes of the UWB Makers’ Fair
For some, the fair has even been a stepping stone to larger business ventures. Salma Ahmed, the owner of Abidah Modesty, said that she turned her vision into reality. “I really didn’t invest more than $5,000 to bring this to life. I always thought it was something impossible, but I learned that just finding the right vendor to help me reach my goal of starting this was inevitably my key to bringing this all to life.” She said that the Makers’ Fair is not just a showcase but also a platform for student entrepreneurs’ growth.
The Makers’ Fair at UWB was a successful event for some makers, including Arzamendia. Who said, “I feel like this Makers’ Fair is really nice. This is my first time doing it and it seems like the community is very invested and I love it. In Seattle, I mean the community is invested too but I feel like it’s a bigger event so maybe it feels less personal at times.”
While there were many successes at UWB’s Makers’ Fair, every event has its flaws. Salah mentioned that “for the future, there are many ways to improve the Makers’ Fair.”
What Do Makers Want for the Future?
UW Seattle alumni Sabo, owner of the small business Sabotendy—a stationery, stickers, and lifestyle shop—emphasized the importance of promoting opportunities for emerging businesses. “When younger creators or newer creators are starting to look, they don’t necessarily understand the process of how to apply or what to Google, to find these types of markets,” she explained. “I do feel like there could be a more concerted community effort, something like blasting out more about encouraging student creators or hobbyists to apply. I think that might kind of lower some of the barriers of not knowing things like ‘Am I able to apply?’ but also like, finding about it, and having the opportunity to actually go and vend as well.”
UW Seattle has hosted the Makers’ Fair at their Husky Union Building for seven years; they have an extensive page on their website dedicated to explaining the Makers’ Fair and how it works. In their How to Become a Vendor Roadmap, the HUB explains the process of application, admission, and next steps to becoming a vendor. They also have a list of Vendor Tips & Tricks and a Makers’ Fair FAQ that clarifies commonly asked questions about the event. UW Bothell does not have these resources readily available for their vendors on their website.
Why Does This Matter?
UW Bothell’s Student Engagement and Activities (SEA) organization has a mission statement of “Creating environments for students to be extraordinary.” According to Ahmed, she said, “I think [the Makers’ Fair] is important because it allows everyone to show their sense of creativity.” With their mission statement in mind, the UW Bothell Makers’ Fair is an example of how SEA works to create spaces where students can share their talents and passions.
The Makers’ Fair provides a space for students to showcase their creations and present their projects to attendees. It includes activities related to business skills such as marketing, networking and customer interaction. Dr. Wenjuan Li, a professor of mathematics at the College of Staten Island, explains that engagement in education is a measurable factor that can lead to various benefits, such as better academic performance, achieving goals, and increased motivation. This idea is discussed in her article, On the role of creativity in the application-oriented university students’ engagement and success. The fair at UWB offers the level of engagement that Dr. Li categorizes as a positive psychometric construct that is advantageous for education. Entrepreneurs and students who engage with opportunities such as the one the Makers’ Fair offers, gain visibility and support for their projects. The fair also serves as a platform for students to present their work to a broader audience and gain exposure for their businesses.
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