The program supports early-stage entrepreneurs with a high-visibility pop-up retail space, microgrants and business guidance
By Zahra Alqudaihi|Photography courtesy of Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina
“We want to be that launching pad for these entrepreneurs. This is just a small piece to give them that level up and have them in our community, trying out their business.” – Amanda Ronan
The warm glow of Boxyard RTP beckons in the dark winter months, with its stacked shipping containers encapsulating several welcoming retail, bar and restaurant enterprises while its open-air courtyard stays cozy thanks to surrounding heaters. One of these 320-square-foot containers hosts rotating brands through PopBox, a program that offers a six-month residency for businesses’ first brick-and-mortar location.
The Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina joined with NC IDEA, a private foundation that supports statewide entrepreneurial growth, to launch PopBox in 2021 as a way to give small, emerging ventures a boost as they regained footing following the pandemic. The program accepts early-stage product- or service-based businesses with an existing customer base and growth potential. Applications are evaluated on business viability, retail readiness, community impact and overall alignment with the Boxyard RTP environment. In addition to the residency, each company receives a $6,750 microgrant and business counseling from Innovate Carolina.
“These small businesses have a lot of talent, great ideas [and] the skills, but maybe they don’t have the capital or the opportunity or the right connection,” says Amanda Ronan, RTF’s senior director of placemaking. “Developing PopBox is another step for [RTF] in helping achieve that mission of paying it forward and seeing what could come if we remove those barriers.”
PopBox has helped 11 small businesses enter the market, awarding a total of $60,250 in microgrants since its inception. The fourth cohort launched in September with The Luster Lab, owned and operated by Daniela Cho, whose experiential jewelry bar acts as an extension of her Bezalel and Company brand. Shoppers can explore its custom-made charm bar, permanent jewelry and workshops ranging from laser engraving to metalsmithing, as well as a curated collection of ready-to-wear pieces.
Daniela wants every visit to be both meaningful and memorable, noting opportunities for socializing and bonding with loved ones, whether it be a girls’ night out, a baby shower or a birthday. She specifically curates pieces for the storefront that are inclusive and approachable. Prices are accessible, and there’s even a vending machine that offers a playful surprise: a $5 mystery pair of earrings for customers to treat themselves or to gift to someone special.
The Luster Lab’s residency concludes in early March 2026, when Lakeisha Sutton will take over the space with her brand, Keisha Elise Cosmetics, a mommy-and-me line of high-quality, vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. Lakeisha found the inspiration to launch her business nearly six years ago after noticing two major gaps in the cosmetics industry: a lack of minority representation in major retailers and few opportunities for maternal bonds to grow through beauty. “I really wanted to create a space for moms and daughters to be able to shop together for their beauty products,” Lakeisha says. And she didn’t have to look far for inspiration.
“It was truly a family project,” Lakeisha says, noting how her daughter, Kaylah Turner, now 17, worked alongside her “from the very beginning.”
“We brainstormed product ideas together, tested shades, and she even helped with packaging decisions,” Lakeisha says. “I wanted her to see what it looks like to build something from the ground up and to understand the heart behind clean beauty.” Kaylah continues to be an active part of the brand through her own line – the Kaylah Marie Collection.
“It’s her space to create and express herself while connecting with other young girls who love beauty just as much,” Lakeisha says.
Drawing on her own journey through motherhood and the hormonal changes it brings, Lakeisha formulates products that focus on clean ingredients for mothers with similar beauty care needs and for people with sensitive skin. Her background as an educator informs another facet of her brand: 10 percent of all sales are put toward a scholarship fund for single mothers, intended to help offset costs for higher education pursuits and child care – expenses she once navigated herself. “I wanted to bridge the gap for single moms, so that they have the opportunity to go to school and create a better future for their children,” she says. Applications for the scholarship opened in December 2025, with awards ranging from $200 to $500 distributed directly to recipients.
Lakeisha will vacate the space in mid-September 2026, and LaDonna Standback of UnEarth Body Care will move in shortly thereafter, wrapping up her residency in late March 2027.
Though her residency is many months away, LaDonna is already envisioning a concept for the storefront. Her goal: create a haven to encourage self-care, the driving force behind this passion project of hers, which is informed by her own experience managing mental health challenges by using body care to help center and focus on herself. LaDonna hopes to inspire customers to do the same through events like ‘Wind Down Wednesdays,’ where visitors can test products, sip wine and discuss self-care routines.
The products and experiences may differ, but all PopBox entrepreneurs share a commitment to hands-on engagement as well as a drive not only to create but also to uplift, offering a unique and personal touch in every interaction.
“They’re trying something out,” Amanda says. “They’re creating and testing. It’s not just a normal browse and leave; there really is that personal touch for all of the businesses you’ll see in this cohort.”
