As families make their way to the Detroit Zoo, they will be walking into a new experience.

Rebel Nell is a jewelry company that turns crumbled graffiti into beautiful necklaces, earrings, and more.

DETROIT – The founder of a Detroit company has come up with a simple and affordable way to bring more attention to businesses that are run by women. People pay $35 for a book with coupons for more than 35 Detroit small businesses that are all owned by women. She came up with the idea to sell the coupon books to support these businesses. READ: Detroit company Rebel Nell working to empower women through jewelry“What it is is making so many people aware of the amount of talented, incredible women-owned businesses here in Detroit and how can we support and uplift them,” she said. She and so many other female-owned businesses in Detroit had to prove they’re as tough as the city they work in.

Mitch Albom first met with Rebel Nell in 2014, a company that makes the majority of their products out of graffiti. Albom says he was drawn to the company because of their mission to provide employment opportunities to underserved women in Detroit. Since the pandemic began, Rebel Nell started a nonprofit wing of their organization to protect their employees. Each piece from Rebel Nell is one of a kind, and is made out of recycled materials. For more information on Rebel Nell watch the video above.

Back in 2014, we sat down with Amy Peterson and Diana Russell of rebel Nell, the Detroit centric jewelry company that uses graffiti to make beautiful jewelry. What resonated with me is their mission to provide employment opportunities for underserved women in Detroit, many of whom are homeless. Watch the story above. For more information Rebel Nell, visit their website here. More: Heart of Detroit stories