When my good friend and now client, Katie Hujer, approached me about her startup idea, I couldn’t have been happier. I knew Katie was an art teacher at heart, and that after staying home to raise her three kids for a few years, she was ready to get back to her passion. Rather than return to the classroom, though, she wanted to make art kits, complete with supplies and instructions, and ship them around the country. My colleagues at Colligan Law and I formed the business for Katie and helped guide her through the startup process. Katie’s art kits were a huge success—as confirmed by my five-year-old nephew, who loved getting art kits as gifts and repeatedly asks his mom, “Can I do an art kit today?”
After months of making and shipping art kits, Katie decided she wanted her own art studio, centered around kids and families. So it was time to look for a space. After finding a great location in a strip of women-owned businesses on Parkside Avenue—right across from the Buffalo Zoo—Katie asked me to negotiate her lease. As a result, Katie operates Making Waves Art Studio at 285 Parkside Avenue. This summer, she’ll be offering art camps for kids, birthday parties, and drop-in art making session for the whole family.
Colligan Law was honored to help Katie return to her passion and is thrilled, but not surprised, to see her early success.
"I taught for a total of ten years. Then I was going to stay home for a year when I had my first baby. Then I had a second baby, then a third baby, all in thirty-six months. So I decided with my husband that it was time for a transition. Then the pandemic hit. So I was home for another couple years. During the pandemic I was inspired to start doing something with my passion, my expertise and my background again," said Hujer.
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