Ryan Nakhleh is on a mission: to connect Vermont products to the people and people to the products. He’s committed to finding ways to help entrepreneurs strengthen their business and to introduce consumers to the myriad products crafted by Vermont’s talented farmers, culinary creators, and artisans. Here’s a look into the burgeoning success story known as Local Maverick.
Edible Vermont: Explain Local Maverick.
Ryan Nakhleh: Local Maverick is a curated marketplace for high-quality Vermont products. We’re both a digital platform where small businesses can offer their products and a brick-andmortar where customers can shop in person. Our mission is to support and celebrate highquality, small businesses in Vermont.
I love the name of your business. How did you land on it?
RN: If you think about it, entrepreneurs and small business owners are mavericks and trailblazers. By nature, they’re innovative thinkers who are undaunted by failure and embrace challenges. Establishing your own business is one of the hardest things ever, so you can’t be worried about failing or looking like an idiot. All entrepreneurs have failed or struggled, but that just pushes us to evolve.
And your vendors?
RN: Right now, we represent about 55 active businesses and work with another 50 or so at occasional events. Our vendors are among the who’s who of Vermont artisans, offering handcrafted food and drink, jewelry, pottery, maple products, world-class chocolates, wellness and apothecary items, apparel, art, and décor. It’s pretty amazing what these entrepreneurs are creating.
Tell me about the storefronts.
RN: We’ve moved around a bit as we’ve evolved, and now we have some great locations. We opened our first store in 2023 at 110 Main Street in Burlington and stayed there for two years. Then we moved into a retail space at Hotel Champlain in February 2024, and we opened at 100 Bank Street in Burlington in May. We also have some products—Vermont cheese, crackers, meats, and maple syrup—at Split Spirits tasting room at Arts Riot on Pine Street in Burlington. Will Drucker, Split Spirits owner, is an amazing person and a great partner with us. We’re always on the lookout for partner locations that provide visibility for our vendors’ products. There are a few locations in the works that may be announced by the time this issue comes out! We also opened a shop in June 2024 in The Oculus in New York City, a part of The Westfield World Trade Center.
“We’re both a digital platform where small businesses can offer their products and a brick-and-mortar where customers can shop in person.” –Ryan Nakhleh
What inspired you to open that branch?
RN: Having a presence at The Oculus, which draws New York City locals and tourists from around the world, allows us to be a touchpoint that introduces people to Vermont and our products. Vermont is a strong brand. Most people have a specific picture in their mind when they think of this state and what it represents: beautiful landscapes, artisan makers, amazing farms, great food and drink. Visitors see the gorgeous photographs and videos in our shop; touch, feel, taste some products; learn about some of the makers and producers. Then they take home a piece of Vermont.
What value-added services do you provide your vendors?
RN: Our goal is to be more than just a place to shop. We want to be a resource for businesses to tell their stories. We offer access to photographers and videographers and assistance with content creation, helping business owners market their product in a high-quality way. Our pop-ups and events allow consumers to learn about and connect with products they might not encounter or experience otherwise.
And what attracts customers?
RN: People often use Local Maverick as a tool to sample and discover new products. They come into the stores or hop online and have access to curated items from a wide range of producers. And they can learn about the people behind these businesses.
How did Local Maverick begin?
RN: In January 2020, I was working to create a website or an app that could track and assess how consumers interacted with a business when they went into the store. Then, the pandemic hit. So we pivoted, partnered with the Burlington Farmers Market, and developed a digital platform that supported farmers and producers and helped them connect their products directly with customers. That was August 2020. Our initial vendors were Maple Wind Farm, The Vermont Marshmallow Co., Sobremesa, Agricola Farm, Stony Pond Farm, Slowfire Bakery, Hudak Farm, and 1,000 Stone Farm. We set up an online store through Shopify for their products and promoted them on social media. Customers placed their orders online, the vendors dropped off the products at our location in Burlington, and I drove around on Fridays delivering to people’s doors. By April 2021, we had increased to represent 30 businesses, the majority of whom we still work closely with, such as NU Chocolat, Brio Coffeeworks, Jasper Hill Farm, Mixed Up Craft Nut Butter, and AO Glass.
“Vermont is a strong brand. Most people have a specific picture in their mind when they think of this state and what it represents: beautiful landscapes, artisan makers, amazing farms, great food and drink. Visitors see the gorgeous photographs and videos in our shop; touch, feel, taste some products; learn about some of the makers and producers. Then they take home a piece of Vermont.” –Ryan Nakhleh
The majority of your businesses are women-owned or family-owned. Was that by design?
RN: That actually came organically. Many of our original businesses from the summer of 2020 happened to be owned by women and families, as well as members of the BIPOC community. These entrepreneurs embraced the support we were able to provide to help them grow their businesses. Approximately 85 percent of our vendors are women at this point.
Describe your background and your inspiration to create this model.
RN: I have a degree in psychology and minored in business administration and marketing, and I’ve always been interested in consumer behavior. Earlier in my career, I was in the luxury fashion and ski apparel industry. I worked on a project that involved the intersection of technology, business partnerships, and marketing. I wanted to bring that concept from an international level and find ways to elevate the local experience here in Vermont by using business as a force for good.
Talk about your passion for Vermont.
RN: My mom is a third-generation Vermonter, and she met my dad at UVM. I grew up in Vermont and feel deeply connected here. I’m always looking for ways to give back and strengthen our broad community. I have this weird obsession with building relationships, connecting with people, and finding ways to improve things.
What’s next on your dream board?
RN: We would love to scale Local Maverick and bring the concept and approach across the United States. And after that, to the rest of the world! Vermont has so many incredibly talented producers, and we’re doing what we can to support them and connect consumers to their stories and products.
LOCAL MAVERICK’S PHYSICAL LOCATIONS
- 100 Bank Street, Burlington, VT 05401
- Hotel Champlain, 60 Battery Street, Burlington, VT 05401
- Split Spirits Tasting Room at Arts Riot, 400 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401
- 185 Greenwich Street | Unit LL 4365, Westfield World Trade Center | New York, NY 10007
- Hula, 50 Lakeside Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401 opening targeted for May
- 96 Depot Street, Manchester Center, VT 05255 coming in June
