Detroit’s women-owned social enterprise opens its fourth retail location—connecting creativity, community, and opportunity for women overcoming barriers to employment.
Rebel Nell, a women-owned social enterprise based in Detroit, has opened their fourth retail location, this time in downtown Grand Rapids. Situated at 96 Monroe Center, the 750-square-foot store features jewelry made from locally sourced materials, a custom jewelry design bar where customers select their own Grand Rapids graffiti fragments, and a commissioned mural by artist Quinn Faylor. The store also serves as a community hub for corporate mural-making experiences—team-building events where businesses create collaborative artwork that can later be transformed into meaningful employee gifts or client keepsakes.
In Detroit, the brand has been known for transforming materials such as Comerica Park dugout vinyl and Fox Theatre seats into unique jewelry and murals. Their signature process begins with fallen graffiti—layers of spray paint that have peeled away from Detroit's abandoned railroad corridors, designated art walls, and infrastructure. The company then stabilizes and treats the material, revealing vibrant layers of color underneath, then cuts unique shapes and sets them in sterling silver. The result is jewelry carrying the DNA of every community it originates from.
“Our goal is to build spaces that celebrate creativity and community,” said Amy Peterson, Founder and CEO of Rebel Nell. “We’re so excited to be part of the Grand Rapids community, which has welcomed us with open arms.”
Peterson explained they chose Grand Rapids because of the city’s robust support of the arts, vibrant small business scene, deep sense of community, and values that align perfectly with Rebel Nell.
“This store is extra special—it’s not just a place to shop, it’s a place to create,” Peterson continued. “Everything we do is about connecting people, place, and purpose. We want everyone who walks in to feel special and inspired. And we mean it when we say, we want to host you! Our dream is for every business in Grand Rapids to create its own Rebel Nell mural that can later be repurposed into meaningful gifts. We did our first one with the building owners at Independent Bank, and it turned out absolutely beautiful.”
Each purchase at the Grand Rapids Rebel Nell retail location directly supports employment opportunities for women overcoming barriers to traditional employment—from homelessness and domestic violence to incarceration and substance abuse recovery.
Founded in 2013 by Peterson (who is former Associate Counsel for the Detroit Tigers), Rebel Nell has built a reputation for creating wearable art from materials that tell Detroit's story—fallen graffiti from the Dequindre Cut, seats from Joe Louis Arena, glass from the Belle Isle Conservatory, records from the Motown Museum, and even wallpaper from Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel. The company has partnered with major brands, including the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Detroit City FC, and the PGA Tour's Rocket Classic.
What sets this women-owned business apart isn't just the art—it's the artists. Every piece of jewelry, mural, and custom design is created by women who were once living in shelters. Since 2013, Rebel Nell has employed 49 women transitioning out of homelessness, with none of them needing to return to the shelter system—a 100% success rate that has positively impacted more than 400 family members and community members.
"We're always thrilled when businesses from beyond Grand Rapids choose to grow here, and even more so when they're mission-driven, like Rebel Nell," said Richard App, Retail Retention & Attraction Specialist for the City of Grand Rapids. "We're grateful to Amy and her team for believing in our city and joining our vibrant downtown retail community."
Learn more by visiting Rebel Nell.
Courtesy of West Michigan Woman.
Photos courtesy of Rebel Nell.
