09/24/2026
This Latin Heritage Month we are featuring the stories of our Latinx owned businesses. Let's start with la casa de artesania
For Monica, the owner and founder of Casa Artesanias, every piece has a story, and every story starts with the hands that made it.
The idea for Casa Artesanias began during a trip to Mexico, where Monica visited small villages and saw an opportunity to bring a piece of Mexican craftsmanship home to share with others. Today, the shop is filled with handcrafted pieces made in Mexico, from colorful ceramics and warm, one-of-a-kind home goods to the traditional stone molcajete, a tool whose history stretches back generations and remains at the heart of Mexican kitchens today.
But what she’s most proud of isn’t any one piece. “I am proud of all the artisans who dedicate their lives to making every product I have in my shop.”
For her, Latin Heritage Month is also a celebration of identity, roots, and the freedom to share them proudly. She describes her heritage as rhythm, color, flavor, art, tradition, and above all, human warmth. We are so proud to celebrate with Casa Artesanias and the artisans, traditions, and stories represented throughout the shop.
Dr. Cristina Hartman is the owner of MindCraft Makerspace and curiosity has always been part of the equation for her.
A scientist, educator, mother, and small-business owner with a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Cristina spent her career in research and development before finding a new way to bring together the things she loved most: science, art, education, and creativity. That love of learning started early for Cristina. Growing up in Puerto Rico, she remembers her dad teaching her fractions before she even started kindergarten “and I loved every part of it (pun intended!).”
In 2021, she purchased MindCraft Makerspace at Stanley and began a whole new learning experience: becoming a small-business owner.
Today, MindCraft gives kids and adults a place to experiment, create, build new skills, and experience the confidence that comes from turning an idea into something real. Cristina credits her Puerto Rican upbringing: strong family ties, resilience, hard work, humor, and a “can do” attitude, with