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At Make It Mariko, we believe that events are more than just parties – they can be portals. Portals into community healing, joy, and liberation. Since our founding, we’ve been committed to creating magical, meaningful moments that celebrate creatives of color, uplift local businesses, and transform public spaces into hubs of creativity and connection.

Over the years, our impact has grown beyond events. We’ve been building cultural ecosystems dedicated to supporting artists, entrepreneurs, and organizers who have long been shut out of mainstream opportunities. Here’s a look at just some of the work we’ve done to help shift the industry.Read More

Oof, loaded question, or nah?

When you – an entrepreneur with a big vision and an even bigger heart – decided to start your own business, what was your “why”? Maybe you wanted to get rich and retire early. Maybe you couldn’t stand your 9-5 and thought running a business would give you more freedom (spoiler alert: it doesn’t… at least not right away). Or maybe, like so many of us, you felt deeply inspired to solve an important problem and make the world just a little bit better.

Maybe you even wanted to change the world in a BIG way! Whatever your reason, you knew one thing for sure: you had to start somewhere. So you took the leap. You trusted your idea, your skills, and most importantly, yourself, to bring something meaningful to life.

You saw a need. A gap. A little piece of the world that wasn’t quite right. And instead of waiting for someone else to fix it, you said, “Why not me?” Maybe you thought, “I love doing this, I’m good at it, and I know others will love it too. So let’s go for it. Let’s bring this thing into the world, make some money, and maybe gain some freedom along the way.”Read More

If we could sum up Make it Mariko’s 2023 in one word, I would say it was WILD. It felt like a giant roller coaster with so many unexpected twists & turns, drops that knocked the wind out of me, and also thrilling pockets of joy & connection. As a small business, it was incredibly hard due to ever-shifting goalposts, staffing challenges, cash flow issues, and lower event budgets partnered with higher expectations.Read More