Bright future Bright future Bright future

When Shanise Kemp, ’18, started making wax candles in her garage during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a way of connecting with her husband Marcelus. She never imagined that she’d someday be running her own luxury candle-making business. Nonetheless, Entity Candles was born in July 2020 as a small business and has since grown into a retail storefront and event space in Seattle’s Crown Hill neighborhood.

“It started as a way for Marcel and me to grow and bond in our marriage,” says Kemp. “He kept bringing candles home during the pandemic. This was something new that I didn’t know about him, and I was curious. My supply-chain mind started thinking about what if we ordered wax by the pound and glass containers by the case. It would be a huge cost savings. And something we could do together. So we bought all these candle-making supplies.”

While pursuing her bachelor’s degree at UW’s Foster School, Kemp studied with Michael Verchot. He forecasted to his students that the job outlook for supply chain management looked good for new grads. That led Kemp to choose her focus, which she knew would suit her love for problem-solving and make good use of her ability to evaluate and interpret information. “I was 28 when I was at The Foster School, but it really helped me understand how to think critically and solve situations with my own thought process.” Kemp also praised Jack Rhodes, who taught marketing, and what she learned from him about increasing sales. After graduating, Kemp held several jobs with major companies doing purchasing, procurement and supply chain coordination. “All the tips and training and processes that I learned throughout Foster, I still use to this day.”

Though candle-making began as a hobby for Kemp’s family, it has grown into something much bigger. By watching YouTube videos, reading about candle-making in online Facebook groups and doing independent research, Kemp developed candle recipes with her husband that use high quality, non-toxic fragrance oils, wooden wicks and cleaner-burning coconut apricot wax. “My husband is very health conscious,” she says. “We wanted to make something that we’d want to burn in our own home.”

After friends and family encouraged them to sell their wares, Kemp built an online store, drawing upon skills and experience that she had gained in another class at the UW. And during the pandemic, the couple took their candles outdoors and sold them at events like the Saturday South Lake Union Market and the Fremont Sunday Market. Eventually, their customers started inquiring about candle-making workshops.

“We didn’t offer classes at the time we were asked, so it took us about three months to put something together,” Kemp says. Seventeen people signed up for her first class. She used the money from that workshop to buy more candle-making materials.
Then one day when she was out looking for a storage unit for their growing business, she found a small storefront in Crown Hill. “The leasing agent loved our idea and had always wanted a candle shop. We had no idea what to do with a retail space. But we were eager to offer classes and offer a place where our customers could restock.”

Becoming a brick-and-mortar business in July 2023, Entity Candles continues the values and personal touch of being family owned. Kemp takes pride in being born and raised in Seattle. She grew up in the Central District and SeaTac, where she went to Tyee High School and later Highline College. Now, she’s pleased to be putting something positive back into the community. The shop features cozy sitting nooks, carefully curated shelves where customers can sample candles and fragrance oils and a fun selfie wall where workshop participants can pose with their new creations. The brand’s most unique candle may be its “Nature’s Scent” offering—a fragrance hand-blended by Kemp’s 10-year-old son that features notes of spearmint, eucalyptus and rainwater.

Kemp has big dreams. One day, she’d like to own a warehouse and become the largest candle manufacturer on the West Coast. She’s currently working on getting her candles sold through Amazon and Seattle-area businesses as well as at festivals like the Bite of Seattle in July.