Joseph G. E. Knight Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence

Christine Francis, Owner of Carmen & Ginger

Christine Francis, owner of Carmen & Ginger. Photo Credit to Rachel Hulin.

Christine Francis’ parents are collectors, so she attributes their example to her love of “everything old.”  She always worked for other people and didn’t aspire to be a business owner because, as she says, “I’m not really a risk-taker.”  Fate had a different plan.

Laid off from her full-time job in construction management at the end of 2008 and mostly as a way to generate some income, in January 2009 Christine started an Etsy shop called Carmen & Ginger.  Carmen was one of her cats, and Ginger was a friend’s dog – hence, the business name. Christine had originally thought it would be easier to specialize and to do so in cat and dog-related goods, but she ultimately spread out to all things vintage.  The Etsy-based shop quickly grew, supported by her active blog and a solid on-line customer base. Two years in, Christine was in the top 100 sellers on the Etsy site specializing in vintage goods.

After returning to full-time work, she continued to operate the on-line shop and, a couple of years later, she was ready for some risk: she left her full-time corporate job and opened Carmen & Ginger as a brick and mortar store in the newly-renovated Arcade building in downtown Providence.  That was “Black Friday,” 2013. After the first year, the store doubled its size, expanding into adjacent space. Carmen & Ginger has thrived in that larger space, selling primarily vintage goods in categories as varied as clothing, jewelry, games, and housewares, but also new items such as greeting cards, hand cream, and Rhode Island and Providence-themed goods.  In addition to the increased footprint, Carmen & Ginger now has 2 employees.

Having worked in the corporate world, Christine knew she needed a brand and needed to cultivate it.  She has done so while creatively supporting her community. Although she returned to full-time corporate work in 2011, that fall she began the Urban Vintage Bazaar.  The Bazaar is a semi-annual event featuring a variety of vintage resellers from Rhode Island and surrounding states. Moved to the Arcade in the spring of 2014, each event typically features approximately twenty visiting vendors and attracts more than 1000 visitors, benefitting other businesses in the Arcade and a non-profit organization that receives as a donation a portion of the vendor fees.  The next Urban Vintage Bazaar will be held on April 28, 2018. In addition, in 2014, Christine produced the first ever Guide to Providence Vintage. The free guide, expanded in size and content in 2015 – including the production of an on-line version – was released again in 2017 and is available at locations throughout the city.

Christine’s awards and recognitions have grown as steadily as her business.  For example, Rhode Island Monthly magazine twice recognized Carmen & Ginger in its “Best of Rhode Island” awards: readers voted it “Best Vintage Store” in 2016, and last year it was the editor’s pick for “Best Vintage Shopping in the City.”  In December 2016, Carmen & Ginger’s holiday windows were featured in an on-line article in Country Living magazine, whose Facebook page has more than 5 million followers; the article has been shared more than 600 times.

For her entrepreneurial spirit, resourcefulness, and contributions to community-oriented projects, Rhode Island SCORE proudly honors Christine Francis, owner of Carmen & Ginger, as the recipient of the 2018 Joseph G. E. Knight Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

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