The women- and minority-owned businesses will receive one year of free rent as vendors at the Downtown Boston marketplace.
From left to right: Lisa Murray, Massachusetts President at Citizens; Silpa Pande, owner of Melt in Your Mouth; Aelen Unan, owner of Ninawa Zero Waste Clothes; and Cheryl Cronin, CEO of Boston Public Market. (Photo courtesy of Boston Public Market)
July 1, 2025 | 1:01 PM
2 minutes to read
The Boston Public Market revealed the winners of its third annual Entrepreneurship Forum Incubator Competition last week, which was supported by Citizens Bank.
After completing a comprehensive six-seminar series and participating in a competitive pitch contest, two local women- and minority-owned businesses will now have the chance to sell their products rent-free at the Market. An honorable mention was also given to another deserving business.
“These innovative entrepreneurs are not only creating valuable products — they’re building vibrant communities through sustainability, creativity, and dedication. We’re thrilled to partner with Citizens and offer these talented business owners the platform to grow, connect, and thrive,” Cheryl Cronin, CEO of the Boston Public Market, said.
Ninawa Zero Waste Clothes and Melt in Your Mouth were selected as this year’s winners, receiving up to a year of free rent to sell their products at the Boston Public Market.
Founded by Aelen Unan, Ninawa Zero Waste Clothes is a sustainable upcycling business stemming from Aelen’s experience in a women’s shelter while facing homelessness in 2019. The business specializes in turning unwanted textiles — such as curtains, sheets, and old clothes — into eco-friendly products like tote bags, aprons, tea towels, and other kitchen accessories.
Melt in Your Mouth, founded by Silpa Pande, is a woman-owned business that specializes in handcrafted, all-natural desserts made with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
Born from Silpa’s desire to create healthy, lactose-free treats for her infant, the business quickly expanded into a broader mission: offering desserts made from real, clean ingredients — free from preservatives, artificial colors, and high-fructose corn syrup. Their product line includes a variety of flavors, from traditional vanilla to more globally-inspired offerings like rose cardamom. Melt in Your Mouth will be popping up weekly at the Market starting in the fall of 2025.
Wicked Bess, a minority-owned business specializing in fruit vinegar drink mixers was awarded honorable mention. As a result, they will have the opportunity to host pop-up events at the Market.
Launched in 2022 in partnership with Citizens, the Entrepreneurship Forum is a two-part program designed to promote education, access, and opportunity for women- and minority-owned small businesses. This year’s cohort featured 24 small businesses — of which nearly 85% were women-owned and over 61% were minority-owned. These businesses participated in workshops covering crucial topics such as financial literacy, business development, and effective go-to-market strategies.
Looking ahead, the fourth annual Entrepreneurship Forum powered by Citizens will launch in the fall of 2025. Applications opened on June 26, 2025, with a deadline of September 8, 2025. Interested entrepreneurs can apply through the Boston Public Market website at bostonpublicmarket.org/entrepreneurship.
Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.
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