#144 The Gift They'll Never Forget - Leigh Griffith, Bella Vino Gifts

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

Always looking for that REALLY unique gift? Lots of people, and lots of companies, are looking all the time. To dazzle the recipient, brighten their day, or make a memorable impression. That’s the business of Founder Leigh Griffith who owns Bella Vino Gifts. Bella Vino is a hyper-local gift procureing company that puts a dazzling touch on the cornucopia chosen by the buyer. Bella Vino’s packaging, whether boxes, baskets or bags, is simply stunning and is so hand crafted it gives a custom, “made just for you” impression. The uniqueness of the company is in the sourcing. All items in the gift are from Oregon women-owned and small-family owned businesses. And those Oregon food entrepreneurs have an amazing, imaginative range of gifts from food items, toys, snacks, wines and beers. Wine and beer have some restrictions on shipping, but nothing major. This ambitious business works because of a robust website. Individuals can order a box or basket online with some room for customizing the gift and then putting the sophisticated ribbons and bows on from there. Custom orders can be really fun as well, and you should visit the website to see that there is no limit to the imagination for Leigh to turn into a gift. Corporate gifts are custom and volume oriented and this is where a company’s brand gets glowing reviews. Any company looking to make a lasting statement with their customers and partners can score big time with Bella Vino Gifts as they are breathtaking. And small businesses and individual consultants, real estate agents and others who have a personal connection to their clients also can benefit from the Bell Vino mystique. The company is located in Corvallis, Oregon, home of Oregon State University (whose OSU Food Innovation Center is a sponsor of this show) and most of the products sourced come from this area. How did Leigh think of this great idea? Well, speaking of OSU, Leigh graduated from there with a degree in exercise and science which led her to do the “gym thing” in Portland, Oregon for a while. A back issue scratched that career from her life list, but she found that she was extraordinary in the field of gift packaging, which she stumbled onto simply by creating packages for her friends. Baby showers, birthdays and other occasions started the word of mouth and pretty soon someone convinced her she could sell her packaging talent. Leigh then did her homework, researching magazines and searching the Internet to figure out how to start and maintain a business. She made the decision to look locally for food gifts initially and magically found the best items were from the small family and women owned businesses. That turned out to be a huge selling advantage, as customers were eager to support those types of businesses. Of course, the focus of our show, “Meaningful Marketplace”, is to highlight female food entrepreneurs, we so truly have a mutual admiration society going here. Website: https://bellavinogiftbaskets.com/. Insta: @BellaVinoGifts. FB: @bellavinogiftbasketspage. Pinterest: @bellavinogifts1. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Thank you for Listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast.

Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers
Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design
Production Coordinator: Kayleen Veatch