Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Keene & Karima Crawford.
Hi ladies, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are Taylor Keene & Karima Crawford, Co owners of GENESIS Downtown. Our story didn’t start 3 years ago; we actually met in high school through mutual friends. While we were never really ‘best friends, we always kept in touch and would reconnect a couple times a year since we both were in the events industry. Fast forward to 2020, Covid hit, and I (Taylor) was furloughed from my full-time hotel job, so I started to get to work on my dream of opening a wedding & events venue. I reached out to Karima and pitched the idea of her company (The Planning Bee) being the preferred in-house wedding planning company to service clients. Well, little did I know, on that phone call, Karima revealed to me she was actually working on opening her own wedding venue. Karima pitched the idea of us partnering together, and to be honest, I was hesitant! I said “Let me pray about that,” and I would get back to her in a week. After consulting with my husband, mom, and a mentor, I came to a decision. A mentor asked a profound question: “Would you rather she be your partner or your competitor?”. That sealed the deal! We formed our company on May 28, 2020, and the rest is history!
No. Haha. It has not been a smooth road. While we have worked well together, the journey itself has been challenging. We faced 4 major delays and were faced 2-3 times with making that dreaded decision of pulling out of the project. From finding out the HVAC unit had a 5-month backorder to learning that the previously examined power lines to the building were in fact shot and would require shutting down a major street Downtown to tap into a different power source, we found ourselves discouraged on multiple occasions. What’s interesting and ultimately kept us going was that anytime we were met with adversity, we experienced little reminders to keep going. Whether it was a random text from friends, an email from a vendor saying how excited they were for us to open, or receiving new leads from potential clients, we felt it was a sign from God saying, “Don’t quit!”.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
GENESIS Downtown is Columbus’ newest wedding and event venue. Located in the heart of Long Street, just steps away from the Discovery District, the 1st floor of the historic Standard Building has been transformed into a modern, chic event space offering 2,700 square feet of flexible space.
We wanted to provide a space downtown where clients could truly create their perfect event by providing flexibility as it relates to vendors. We wanted to especially support the small business community by allowing outside vendors and caterers and giving them a platform to showcase their craft. As it currently stands, many venues in the market have preferred or exclusive vendors, which makes it challenging for those up-and-coming entrepreneurs, particularly caterers, to get their foot in the door.
We want to be a part of the city, not just in the city. Simply put, we want to be a resource for our community, clients, and vendors. We want people to know the people behind the brand. Our brand represents authenticity, creativity with a touch of glam. We designed the space intentionally to be a neutral, chic & modern space that can be designed anyway or sit beautifully on its own.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We love to meet new clients and vendors! To stay up to date on our latest endeavors & promotions, or get behind-the-scenes content of running a small business, join our email tribe! You can simply sign up on our website at www.genesis-downtown.com.
We are on Facebook and Instagram @genesisdowntown.
For vendor collaborations or media inquiries, e-mail us at hello@genesis-downtown.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.genesis-downtown.com
- Instagram: genesisdowntown
- Facebook: genesisdowntown
Image Credits
Janeen Holmes
