In a diverse, populated area like Hudson County, there are just so many people who have succeeded in making their names known across different genres of work and philanthropy. With the series we started earlier this year, The Hoboken Girl is back once again with a monthly roundup of local people our readers should keep an eye on in July 2023. From fashion app creators to fitness instructors to hard-working mamas and bakers – there is truly no limit surrounding these hardworking Hudson County locals on what they can do (or create). Read on for our list of 10 people to have on your radar for July 2023.
Letisia Campo + Harold Campo | Founders of Morelia Paletas
Letisia Campo + Harold Campo are the husband and wife team behind Morelia Paletas. Letisia is a Pediatric ER RN and Harold is a USMC Veteran who now works in law enforcement. They love to travel and explore new places with their two kids, having both immigrated to the United States with their families at a young age. Despite working in different career industries, the duo wanted to build something that would be fun and delicious for everyone. That was when they came across the Paletas Morelia franchise and immediately fell in love with the concept.
With hopes of what they want Morelia Paletas to become, the duo told HG, “As cliche as it may sound, our main goal for our business is to provide a delicious and fun experience for everyone that walks through our doors.”
Letisia + Harold’s favorite local spot:
“We have been going to Benny Tudino’s for over 20 years! Harold will often reminisce about his high school days when he would visit Benny Tudino’s to celebrate after every football game. Bar hopping when we were younger has now changed to pizzeria hopping with the kids. Each one of us gets to pick a pizzeria and we have one slice from each place and take turns rating it while we walk around.”
Keep up with Morelia Paletas on Instagram here.
Women of The Bibbi Collective
Photo Credit: Jamie Grill Photography
The Bibi Collective is a group of 5 Afghan refugee mothers living in Jersey City. The women fled Afghanistan in September 2021 when the Taliban took over their country. The women’s husbands all worked for the US military operations and their lives were at risk. They were given no notice and escaped their homes in the middle of the night, traveling inside of Afghanistan to reach Kabul, and then were evacuated. The families spent 4 months in refugee camps and then were resettled in Jersey City in February 2023.
The women embroider clothing, home linens, and accessories using traditional Afghan techniques that have been passed down generationally. They sell their work on Etsy and pop-up markets throughout New Jersey. The women are all mothers – they each have between 2 and 8 children. Selling their embroidery helps supplement their income, and gives them financial independence and autonomy. None of them worked in Afghanistan. Here they have opened their own bank accounts and can make financial decisions independently. The Jersey City/Hoboken communities have been supportive by purchasing and donating clothing, diapers, wipes, etc. to the families. As their public benefits begin to expire, there are major hurdles ahead. The women would like to earn more and sell more but need their voices to be amplified.
More about Bibi Collective on Instagram via @bibi_collective and here.
Michael Enzo Trivett | Founder of BOND
Photo Credit: @gregpallante + @lou_raffaelli
At the age of 15, Michael Enzo Trivett found himself with a full book and a pair of scissors in hand ever since. From there, he discovered that the industry would carry him far and wide to work on celebrities, national ad campaigns, commercials, photo shoots, and NY Fashion Week. His experience with hairstyling grew exponentially when he became a stylist at Toni + Guy. Feeding the need to challenge himself further, Enzo is fulfilling his life-long dream of creating his own brand, where putting his unique stamp on hairstyling is elevating the discipline to new levels of innovation. Finding inspiration in purposeful style and an expert Beauty Group, Enzo brings a new styling concept to the metropolitan area, BOND.
His work has been featured in collaboration with the following fashion + lifestyle brands: Hairstylist for J. Crew internet ads and ten years of their NY Fashion Week shows, Lead Stylist for BMW, a television commercial for Target, Editorial work in Vogue, and styling on celebrities such as The Kardashians, Avril Lavigne, and Bethany Watson.
Read More: 10 Local Hoboken + Jersey City People to Watch This June 2023
One rule that he currently follows in his life is that, “My saying goes “come in as a client leave as a friend” It’s just a haircut and just color, but forever a connection between you and the person in your chair,” he tells HG.
With hopes of opening BOND in the last week of July, Enzo says “I’m eagerly anticipating our company’s impact on the beauty industry, our community and leaving a lasting footprint. With this second location opening after being in Hoboken for 15 years doing hair I hope Is just the beginning of many more successful ventures for BOND.”
Enzo’s favorite local spots:
“Apulia for the best pizza, Shaka Bowl for the Hilo Smoothie, Sushi Lounge for Happy Hour, and Dino and Harry’s for the best dinner.”
Keep up with Enzo on Instagram here + here and also his website here.
Sunny Raithatha | Owner of Super Vision
Being born and raised in the Jersey City Heights area, Sunny Raithatha now also works as an optometrist in the area. Super Vision was founded in 1999 by his parents and he has now taken over. Once Sunny took over, he took matters into his own hands by remodeling. With Super Vision, he tells HG, “I’m inspired by helping people see. I’m inspired by the looks on the faces of my patients as their world changes in front of me.”
With Super Vision, Sunny is able to connect with the community. “We work closely with the Integrity House of Newark and Secaucus. They are a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. Sometimes the first step of recovery or starting anew is being able to see clearly. We’ll be working with the Lions Club soon to help undocumented families receive vision care. I hope I can inspire people to use their resources to help those quietly struggling. It’s always surprising to me how long people will endure.
Sunny’s favorite local spots: Saigon Cafe, Mod Cup, La Isla, The Archer, Sneaker Room, 2nd Street Bakery, Taqueria Oaxaca, Bowl Rite Lanes, and La Unica Cafe
More about Sunny and Super Vision here.
Tere Fox | Founder of Jam Cakery Events + Admin of Jersey City Moms
Being a Jersey City Moms admin since 2021, Tere Fox has also been on the moderator team since 2016. Jersey City Moms is the largest and longest-standing mom community in Jersey City, according to Tere. It is a group of mom friends coming together to host events, provide support, and more. Also, Tere is a vegan wedding caterer, chef, and nutritionist of Jam Cakery Events. Her business is 100% vegan and allergy friendly. To add to her list of accomplishments, she was named a Jersey City Woman of Action this year, nominated by Council President Joyce Watterman for her community work with JCMs.
With her two businesses, she tells HG,” I always strive to be inclusive and fair and supportive in every way possible for my fellow moms. We do need a tribe to get through and I am so honored to be a part of such an amazing community of parents + moms. For my bakery, I am so thankful we can offer 100% vegan and allergy-friendly treats and eats for all. That means everything to be so inclusive. Especially when it comes to serving children.”
Business owners Tere looks up to:
“Shane and Mike of the Grind General, Michelle of JC Bump and Baby, George and Cristine of Bouquets and Baskets. They are all fiercely strong-willed, love to serve the community, and are amazing humans.”
You can find Tere on Instagram via @jerseycitymoms_ + @jamcakeryevents.
Emily Claman | Founder + Fitness Instructor at PUSH
Emily Claman started her Hoboken fitness studio PUSH, and recently opened a studio space for it. PUSH is a prenatal + postnatal fitness and functional training studio that focuses on women’s health and wellness.
Emily tells HG, “The reason I do what I do is to help women feel empowered and strong and be their cheerleader during a really overwhelming time in their lives. It’s my mission to support and encourage women to feel confident and connected to their bodies/themselves.”
Local business owners that Emily looks up to:
“The ladies of The Hive! Kris & Cat are GOALS! They have created such an incredible space with an awesome mission and really have such a positive presence in the community here!”
Keep up with Emily and PUSH via @pushppft on Instagram.
Gal Aharon | Co-Founder of Ole
Gal Aharon is one of the co-founders of Ole, a new fashion app bringing fashion stores in NYC to Hoboken with same-day delivery and the option to try the clothes at home while the messenger is waiting and only pay for what they keep, the rest is returned to the store immediately. The app Ole started to help solve the stress of returns and exchanges
She is also an entrepreneur and a mother of 2.
With the Ole, Gal hopes that it can bring “the unique connections inside the community.” She also embraces being a women entrepreneur. With Gal growing up outside of the US in Israel, she hopes that her efforts as a woman entrepreneur “will inspire young girls/females to follow their dreams.”
Follow Gal and the Ole App Instagram via @ole.fashionapp.
Matthew Liu + Brenna Thompson | Founders of Studio Litho
Photo Credit: Jenna Salvagin Photography
Matthew Liu and Brenna Thompson, are an engaged couple behind Studio Litho, where they blend their passion for architecture and interior design. At their primary jobs, the couple has the privilege of working on awe-inspiring civic projects that redefine urban landscapes. However, they decided to embark on a design adventure of their own. Therefore, Studio Litho was born. Their business embraces the wild, the unexpected, and the unconventional through design at scales of small objects to interior remodels. The couple met as Master of Architecture students at Yale University, where they found more than just a passion for design during their time at school — they found each other.
With Studio Litho, the couple hopes that “If we could inspire people through our work, it would be to encourage them to see their surroundings with a fresh perspective. We want to ignite a sense of curiosity and exploration, urging individuals to reimagine their objects and built environments as opportunities for self-expression, reflections of their personalities and aspirations.”
Matthew’s and Brenna’s favorite spots in Hoboken: Pier C, Hoboken Museum, Church Square Park
Check out more about Studio Litho via Instagram @studio.litho and their website here.
See More: A Conversation With Maison Rainbow Founder Samantha Hahn
Anudeep Virdi | Founder of Give By Love
Jersey City resident, Anudeep Virdi moved to the United States from New Delhi. Being an immigrant and a mom, she finds that Jersey City offers that warm embrace and acceptance of different cultures that make people want to reside here. Anudeep spent a large part of her childhood in India and some in the UK. This exposure at an early age made her realize the socio-economic differences between the lives of people and the opportunities available in different parts of the world. During Covid, Anudeep finally decided she wanted to do more and started conceptualizing Give By Love more as a passion project, which was then shaped up and launched in Aug 2023.
She explains that her vision for this project is for “Give By Love to be the first platform that brings the conscious consumer and purpose-driven makers and organizations together.” With Give By Love, Anudeep has created local community-based events called MAKERS + STORIES. She tells HG, “The idea behind these is that every handmade product has a story, and each maker is that story.”
Anudeep’s favorite local spots: 10th Street Pizza, Jersey City Art School, Ragini’s Kitchen, Vibgyor
Follow Anudeep’s journey + Give By Love on Instagram via @letsgivebylove and the website here.
Marisa Kobialka | Founder of Sweet Bear
^ Marisa and her niece, who inspired Sweet Bear!
Having lived in Hoboken for over 10 years now, Marisa Kobialka was previously an event planner and worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. Now, she has started a small business selling vegan and gluten-free bakery style cookies and granola. Marisa’s niece has been suffering from several food allergies. Therefore, she decided to make her own creations. After almost 3 years, Marisa has developed gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan bakery-style cookies that everyone, not just those with dietary restrictions, loves and enjoys. Especially enjoyed by her number one fan, her niece.
With the launch of Sweet Bear, Marisa tells HG, “I am an advocate for women to know their self-worth. I am surrounded by strong women in my life and I believe it is never too late to start your own business as long as you believe in yourself, have a clear vision, and are ready to put in the hard work, dedication, and determination needed to flourish.”
Marisa’s favorite local spots: Fiore’s, Napolis, Grand Vin, Antique Bar & Bakery, The Hutton, Veloce
Check out Marisa and Sweet Bear on Instagram via @sweetbearstuff.
.For potential inclusion in our next round-up, fill out this Google Form here (or send it to someone you want to see featured!).
