Meet Ashley Venegas | Papel Picado Artist & Founder of Mema and Mija

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Venegas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The idea for Mema and Mija bloomed during the 2020-2021 school year–the year of virtual learning. I was a high school teacher and, like many people during the height of the pandemic, I found myself undergoing a lot of personal changes. Opening a shop was a lifelong dream I shared with my Mema (grandmother). She taught me the importance of community and pride in my culture. Mema and Mija is a culmination of those two values. She used to talk about opening up a small neighborhood store and together we’d dream up things to sell. My Mema passed away almost 15 years ago, but this online shop has been a way to honor her memory. It originally started as a passion project while I was taking a one-year sabbatical from teaching, but over the course of the last two years, it has morphed into a full-time endeavor for me. This small business looks different than the neighborhood shop she and I dreamed up back then, but the spirit of it remains the same.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My papel picado art is born out of a deep pride in my Mexican-American heritage. The subjects I choose for my designs often come from my love of stories–books, movies, and television. Nerd culture, pop culture, cinema, literature, and art meet papel picado in my work.

Being a one-woman small shop owner means that I wear a lot of hats. It can be difficult to play the role of newsletter author, papel picado artist, website designer, product photographer, social media marketer, etc. But I’m very lucky to have the support of close family and friends. It’s not always perfect, but overall I’ve found my small business journey to be so fulfilling.

Along the way, I’ve learned the importance of patience. I worked on the concept and designs for my business for over a year before I ever hit publish on my online shop. There is so much behind-the-scenes work in running a small business and I’ve had to learn that just because something isn’t finished doesn’t mean it’s not in progress. There are so many new avenues I want to explore, more design and product ideas I want to try, and I’ve had to learn the importance of patience. Quality is incredibly important and I don’t want to take on too much, too quickly. Patience and steady growth are important to me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A great day in Riverside would start with eating Mexican food at El Trigo and then visiting The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture. It’s the first museum in the US to devote itself entirely to highlighting Chicano art and culture. Afterward, you can grab dinner at Tio’s Tacos and explore the folk art that surrounds the restaurant grounds-including a one-of-a-kind beer bottle chapel!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A special shoutout to the community I’ve built around Mema and Mija. As a one-woman shop, I rely on so many people to support different facets of my business. I’ve gotten advice, leads, opportunities, support, and encouragement from countless pop-up market owners and small business owners, in particular women-owned and Latinx-owned businesses. People liking and re-sharing designs on social media helps me to reach new audiences across the country that wouldn’t have heard of my work otherwise. This expanding community has been integral in helping me to spread the word about my work and make this lifelong dream of mine come to fruition. Also, one last special shout-out to my close family and friends who volunteer their time and effort to help me during pop-up markets!

Website: memaandmija.com

Instagram: @memaandmija

TikTok: @memaandmija