Building a Global Community Through Art and Design with...

Building a Global Community Through Art and Design with Poketo

This post is in celebration of National Small Business Week in the US.

Ted Vadakan (@tedpoketo) describes Poketo (@poketo), the design firm he and his wife Angie Myung (@angiepoketo) founded, as an “accidental business.” It started with the concept for a wallet that brought art to daily life. Friends and local artists in their community contributed designs to cover the wallets, then Ted and Angie rented a gallery for two days and threw a big launch party. Every product sold, and the event was a huge success. “We walked home that night and thought, ‘That was magic, let’s do this again,’” says Ted.

Today, 14 years later, Ted and Angie have traveled the world to build a global community, and in 2012, they opened their first brick-and-mortar shop in downtown Los Angeles. “It’s our home base for the Poketo products we make, but we also sell brands and designers we love that fit with our aesthetic,” says Ted. It’s also a permanent home for the activations, art shows and workshops — everything from calligraphy to soba noodle making — the duo produce to showcase emerging designers and bring the creative community together. “What I love the most is seeing people meet for the first time and the buzzing energy in the room when you are creating and forming new friendships,” says Ted.

by via Instagram Blog