Tali Jaffe Minor: Brilliant brand name! Can you share that moment when it gelled for you?
Patricia Assui Reed: I thought of many names before, but they all seemed very reductive. Then I kept thinking what would happen if the world was led by women, and naturally matriarchal societies came to mind. From there, it was a quick jump to our current name. I was inspired by the power of female energy and the positive impact it can have on the world around us.
TJM: You’re very transparent in your mission to exclusively champion women-owned businesses. Have you seen any progress since you launched Matriark in 2019?
PAR: I think our mission is even more important now. Sadly, women lost a lot of ground since the pandemic started. Many had to give up their jobs and companies to care for their families. Violence against women increased, and now Roe v. Wade is
overturned. We will continue to champion women-owned businesses while also going beyond that: I want to make sure Matriark is a platform that supports people who are oppressed by the patriarchy, and that includes women and all LGBTQI+ people as well.
TJM: When did you develop the Matriark Club and what is its primary purpose?
PAR: I started thinking about that in 2019, right after I opened our shop. People would come to me and ask me if we were doing
any gatherings, or having any events to have fun, network, learn and get inspired. Because of our mission, our customers and people who support us are very engaged with us, and I wanted to offer life enhancing events that went beyond shopping.
The primary purpose of the Matriark Club is to get people (all genders) together to have fun, learn, meet friends and get inspired while featuring and supporting women and anyone who feels oppressed by the patriarchy. This is where our community can really get together and connect in a real and authentic way.
