When you take care of yourself, you take care of your community. At least, that’s what Kobi Gregory and Tashi Harris have found running their candle-making business, Kobi Co., in downtown Minneapolis. 

Gregory began Kobi Co. in 2020 as a 17-year-old DeLaSalle High School student, born out of a need for self-care during tumultuous times. After gaining traction with her candles, Gregory’s mother, Harris, stepped in to help, turning what was an at-home hobby into a way for Gregory to fund her college tuition.

When the mother-daughter duo initially moved into Kobi Co.’s first space in 2021, they operated out of a large office space in downtown Minneapolis with no street access. But, in April of 2023, they upgraded to a storefront in the same building. These days, in addition to online sales and private events, Kobi Co. attracts a good amount of foot traffic, thanks in part to its location across the street from the downtown Target store.

“There’s a noticeable increase in street traffic, cars and foot,” Gregory wrote in an email to Downtown Voices. “Customers stop in randomly and intentionally. Our candle-making workshops are a big draw to our studio.”

Each of Kobi Co.’s candles is labeled with a scannable Spotify code that leads one to a curated playlist, like the "Purple Reign" candle that pays homage to Prince. The store also sells bath bombs, room and body sprays, wax melts, and perfumes. 

Alongside in-store candle workshops, Kobi Co. offers a corporate candle gifting program, and it brings other self-care product workshops to corporate workplaces.

Throughout the building of Kobi Co., Gregory and Harris have remained committed to uplifting marginalized groups, especially people of color. That mission is clearly interwoven through their business, from donating a portion of proceeds from a Black Lives Matter candle to local families impacted by police and gun violence, to awarding an annual scholarship to a woman of color who’s seeking higher education. 

The pair is constantly working to support fellow Black-owned businesses. For example, some of Kobi. Co’s local partners are Lutunji’s Palate, The B Suite, Strive Bookstore, and Klassics Kitchen & Cocktails, all located downtown. 

“We build community by collaborating with local Black-owned businesses, promoting them in store, and supporting them whenever possible,” Gregory wrote. 

The future looks bright for Kobi Co., which recently received $125,000 in funding from the New Impact Fund (NIF), a local nonprofit dedicated to providing financial and social capital to BIPOC-owned businesses in the Twin Cities. 

“We had our initial meeting with our NIF advisors, and it was clear from the start that they are highly engaged and strategic in their input and thought leadership,” Gregory wrote. “One NIF cohort member [Raphael Golberstein, CEO of Pace Loan Group] truly backed up their words with action by supporting our corporate gifting program with an order of 500 candle units.”

Kobi Co. plans to use the funding to offer more of its award-winning candle and sugar scrub workshops, expand its corporate gifting programs, and start a candle of the month subscription.

The duo shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to learning and growing the Kobi Co. brand, while keeping the BIPOC community central to their mission.

Kobi Co.’s storefront at 48 S. Ninth St. is open Wednesday through Saturday.