How the Peace Villa popped into my head one fine day in Chicago...

I have been working with handicrafts since 1988 through retail venues, with wholesalers, small importers, and am a crafter myself.  I co-own Dara Tribal Village.  We closed our Chicago gallery in July 2004, but continue to sell online and through events.

Through these years, I have met and become friends with people from all over the world, especially those in the business of making, buying and selling the crafts I've worked with.  I've always enjoyed the diversity, the wonderful conversations, the telling of stories, the arguing of points of view and the laughter over silly teasing. 

But, under this layer of playfulness, there has also been a genuine concern for where we all are headed, the destruction we represent, the inability to connect in lasting ways.  September 11th affected our business drastically, so along with the social concern, my frustrations included financial preoccupations with the overhead of running a business in Chicago, where rents are so high, where the weather is so harsh, and where there is so much competition. 

We hosted cultural events at the gallery (see Dara Notes) that brought life to the product and I kept thinking about how this was truly the life of the business, where people enjoy not only the product, but the talent and life they represent so I was toying with other ways of marketing the products we sold.  I thought of a bed and breakfast with a gallery, where each room would represent a different country.  I started reading about how to run one and looking at businesses for sale.  The more I researched, the more I liked the idea of leaving Chicago and going somewhere warmer and simpler.

Then, one day, I was at the computer and I sat back and saw the Peace Villa- I saw the structures, the people, the land, and it was beautiful!  I am not a visionary person, conceptual yes, but I don't have this gift of seeing things.  Yet, this was so real!  And, more importantly, so needed!  I felt that this is what I could leave behind.  A place where people can learn about each other and see the talent in an environment where it can all co-exist in a palpable way.

I started researching like crazy.  I knew I wanted it to be in the SouthEast somewhere.  I had several people join in as possible partners and then leave for one reason or another.  So, I became discouraged and tabled it.  But, it keeps gnawing at me so I decided to put this up on our site and see if others might want to join in.  I cannot do it alone, nor do I want to.  If it is meant to be, the right people and the resources to do it will materialize, but I have to be the one to get the word out there.

I have a rough business plan and financials available, but they need re-working.  Some of the text I am using here is from that plan.  This is a concept and will change depending on how it evolves, but for the sake of beginning a dialogue where we are on the same platform, I am treating this introduction as if it were already in place.  I am also going to try to keep it short and simple here, although I have a lot I can dump on someone's lap...

I have nothing physical to offer- no capital, no land, no partners.  But, I come with a lot of experience in the School of Hard Knocks and a desire to see the Peace Villa come to life!

I have my resume posted on this web-site if you would like to know more about my background: Resume

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, ideas, etc.

Sincerely,

Rachel Biel