Meet the Founders!

Meet Kasie and Gianni!

By day, they both work in finance. And, by night, they are the co-founders of Local PHL Market, an online marketplace of carefully curated goods that are made by emerging brands in the Philadelphia area. Their goal was to create a one-stop-shop for handmade goods from local Philadelphia creators and artists.

Kasie and Gianni met in 2019 (they are a Hinge success story!). They currently live in a 1860’s trinity on a quaint Society Hill alley in Philly, with their adorable dog, Pax. When they aren’t busy working on Local PHL Market, they like to spend their free time trying new places in Philadelphia and spending time with family, friends, and Pax, of course.

Five Fun Facts about Kasie and Gianni

1. They love to travel! In the last two years, they have been to Mexico, Barcelona, France, Puerto Rico, Seattle, The Finger Lakes in NY, and Nantucket. They had plans for a big trip to Italy and Switzerland, which was unfortunately cancelled due to Coronavirus. Now, they are more excited than ever to travel, whenever if it becomes safe to do so.
2. They both grew up in south New Jersey, only 45 minutes away from each other. Yet, they didn’t meet until they both lived in Philly. Now, they love to spend their summer days in Long Beach Island, NJ!
3. Kasie’s favorite TV show is Friends and Gianni’s favorites are Mad Men and The Wire.
4. Kasie adopted Pax almost three years ago. Since he was a rescue, they don’t know his exact breed, but their best guess is a Collie-Shepard mix!
5. When it comes to their favorite spots around Philly, they love having picnics in Washington Square Park and grabbing a drink at Hale & True or Race Street Cafe. They also enjoy getting their morning coffee and bagel at Lombard Café and going to The Good King Tavern for a local date night!

Their Local PHL Journey

            When the Coronavirus pandemic hit, Kasie and Gianni knew that they wanted to help out local creators. They had always supported local brands as much as possible, but they knew brands would be struggling more than ever with the pandemic, since stores were closed and events were cancelled, and they wanted to do more. With more time on their hands, Kasie and Gianni got to work on what became Local PHL Market.

            Kasie does most of the work on the website, signing on creators, and running the Instagram. Whereas, Gianni runs the Facebook, builds the social media ads, and does a lot of creator sourcing.

            Kasie and Gianni are well on their way to making Local PHL Market a go-to online shop for everything Philly, from coffee to ceramics to towels. But they don’t want to stop there. One day, they hope to open a physical location and find new ways to support both the creators and the customers.

            To follow along on Kasie and Gianni’s Local PHL Market adventure, follow @localphlmarket on Instagram and join the email list! Get to know them and the Local PHL Market Creators by checking out their Creator Highlights, posted every other Tuesday, and their Creator Chats on Insatgram Live on the alternate Tuesdays!