Gold & Grit, was started by native-born Brooklynite, Melissa Fernandez. "My parents owned and operated an a shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and at the time, I was designing jewelry, setting up in mostly outdoor markets throughout NYC. Depending on the season, the weather would become a challenge. So after I had my daughter, my parents thought I should try displaying my jewelry in their shop. Needless to say, I did pretty well, so when the opportunity to rent a space in 2016 came around, I gave it a shot."