Makers — local gifts

Neither recession nor cancer can hold Founder Merilyn Konnerth back. A determined female entrepreneur, Merilyn has the fighting spirit to match the will. When the 2008 recession shut the doors on her NYC based design and accessory import business, Merilyn did what most people would do and… bought a $40 artisanal bar of soap??? Merilyn was browsing on Etsy when she made the purchase, but the bar of soap inspired her to dive headfirst into the art of soap making. She immersed herself in courses and literature and founded Utopia Bath in 2010, focusing on small batch formulations using organic...

"I want customers who visit the area to be able to take a piece of the Hamptons home with them," says Brittany. "Or like myself who has lived here my whole life, I want a candle that smells like home."  . Four years ago, Brittany began to feel the effects of an autoimmune disease while working at a clothing boutique, Therapy Life & Style. An insufficient absorption of B-12 forced her to struggle with frequent bouts of passing out and an overall lack of energy. In an effort to boost her mood, calm her anxiety and to "feel grounded" while...

Bon Bons has been located in Huntington Village since 1979, but the Meinersman family had no part in the business until Alice Meinersman (Susannah's mother) saw a Bon Bons newspaper ad in 1984 searching for a chocolate dipper. "My mother always loved to cook and bake and garden, all those things. She took a couple flower arranging courses, but nobody would hire her because she didn't have any experience. One of those Catch-22's," says Susannah. "The first time my mother tried dipping she was so nervous her hand was shaking. But the woman there said she reminded her of a...