Maker. Space-Builder. Creative Instigator.

Growing up in Germany in a home where beauty and intentional living mattered, Stephanie developed an eye for spaces that feel good and objects made to last. She’s spent 30 years in Northern California turning that sensibility into reality—through retail shops, creative workshops, handcrafted goods, and community spaces where making and gathering naturally intersect.

The entrepreneurial lineage runs deep. Watching her parents, aunt, uncle, and siblings build their own businesses taught her that hustle is real, but so is the freedom and joy that comes from realizing your vision. She’s applied those lessons across multiple ventures: The Joint (her seven-year retail experiment in downtown Vallejo), Rebel Yarn (her weaving practice), La Negra Brooms (bespoke handcrafted brooms built to last generations), Downtown Design Collective (graphic design and web development), and now The Exchange—the creative clubhouse she co-founded with Jennifer Laursen.

These days? Stephanie splits her time between running The Exchange, crafting brooms, designing for clients, and planning her family’s next chapter—a move to Europe with her husband, 11-year-old son, and their family dog. Fluent in German and English, she brings over 15 years of fiber arts expertise to everything she creates, along with a reverent appreciation for anything handcrafted with intention and great attention to detail.

Her creative philosophy: Craft once, treasure for generations. Build spaces where community happens naturally. Keep learning, keep making, keep gathering good people.