At Forge, we know the heart of our community beats with the passion of small business owners. Throughout the last year, we’ve had the privilege of learning from incredible entrepreneurs during our events like How I Did This and various Lunch & Learns. From marketing insights to legal guidance, these sessions have been a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration. This Small Business Saturday, we’re shining a spotlight on a few of the companies who’ve generously shared their expertise with our Forge family. Join us as we celebrate their impact and the incredible value they bring to Birmingham!
#1 Holland & Birch
Suzanne Jones of Holland & Birch started creating her jewelry after a beauty from ashes story. She loves to create pieces that hold meaning and that her customers can purchase with a purpose. Most of her line is handcrafted by her and her small team in Birmingham, AL using new and old pieces from her buying trips in NYC and beyond.
#2 House Plant Collective
House Plant Collective is Alabama’s neighborhood indoor plant shop. Founded in 2020, HPC’s mission is to make healthy, unique indoor plants and related products more widely available at a reasonable price. We have retail store in the Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham and a converted school bus that pops up at breweries and events all over the state of Alabama.
#3 Ramlea Partners
RamLea Partners are dynamic business leaders with 20+ years of experience and success. Their unwavering commitment is to reach the most valuable resource within an organization: the human spirit. RamLea Partner’s initiative not only develops heightened self-awareness, both professionally and personally, but also yields exponential growth. This is driven by intentional connections, which they cleverly term as “Connection Growth.”
#4 Eugene’s Hot Chicken
When you’re looking for Nashville-style hot chicken done right, you can’t go wrong with Eugene’s Hot Chicken. Founded in 2015, Eugene’s has become famous for its hot chicken sandwiches, wings, fingers, fries and more delicious bites in Birmingham. We loved having Zebbie Carney, Eugene’s owner and the mind behind the restaurant’s soulful Southern dishes, share at our How I Did This event.
#5 The Heavenly Donut Co.
The Heavenly Donut Company is a Donut shop unlike any other. Their donuts are well-known for their distinctive shape and flavor. Heavenly donuts are handcrafted to perfection daily. Since its opening in January 2013, The Heavenly Donut Company has added a donut food truck that can be found at various locations all around the Birmingham area.
#6 One Degree Marketing
One Degree is a boutique marketing firm providing effective marketing services and education to small businesses, brands, and organizations. One Degree believes that investing in small businesses and growing brands is essential to our economy. They view every client as a partner by supporting their vision and goals through effective marketing services and knowledge.
#7 Lunar Lab
LunarLab was founded as a bit of an ultimatum. Co-founders Elizabeth Anderson and Kelli Lucas were fed up with the tech industry. The wasted time and money, the lack of diversity, the inefficient work and the resulting lackluster products. It was either leave the industry—or stay, and fix it. So they built a different kind of company. One that prioritized their customers’ needs (and those of their customers) over profit.
#8 Gatehouse Law
Gatehouse Law is a boutique firm. Though they are lawyers, Gatehouse built their advice and counsel around the understanding of what it means to be a business owner. They focus on innovative and creative ways to serve their clients because Gatehouse is never satisfied with the way things have always been. They work to create a better way for their firm to partner with clients to help them grow strategically. Josh Andrews at Gatehouse Law has graciously sponsored a lot of events at Forge throughout the years!
Supporting small businesses is at the heart of what we do at Forge, and we’re honored to have so many incredible entrepreneurs and leaders in our community. This Small Business Saturday, we encourage you to celebrate the businesses that make Birmingham thrive—whether it’s through shopping local, sharing their stories, or connecting with them on social media. Let’s continue to grow and support the small businesses that make Birmingham so amazing!