Meet the Designer

 

Michelle Cadore is the Designer, CEO, and visionary behind YES I AM, Inc, which she established in 2016. From an early age, Michelle has always been passionately involved in entrepreneurship and inspiring others. She was the little girl who set up her parents' picnic table in front of the family's driveway and enlisted her little neighborhood friends to help sell lemonade, old books and toys to passing cars on her childhood block in Brooklyn. As she grew older, Michelle continued to carry this entrepreneurial spirit, often leaping into new ventures.

As a graduate of the Zicklin School of Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, Michelle has built a career around helping others realize their personal, professional and entrepreneurial goals. Her career began briefly in finance as an analyst for JP Morgan in the Chief Investment Office. Following a trip to South Korea where she was selected to aid a small business through Financiers Without Borders, Michelle quickly realized her passion for helping small businesses. She then spent three years in Public Administration as a Small Business Program Manager where she helped fund NYC small businesses to expand their workforce with training grants. She then served three years as an Assistant Director for Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration, Brooklyn's longest standing community-based organization helping residents to "Dream and Do" .

A true renaissance woman, Michelle is also the Co-Owner of DA SPOT NYC, a unique fashion boutique located in Downtown Brooklyn. "DA SPOT"  features 25+ independent creative brands by people of color including YES I AM and the C.A.N.V.A.S Art Gallery. Originally launched in May 2017, in a 100 sq foot retail space in Dumbo, the boutique opened with just three indie brands in shop. It has since housed over 50 indie-creative brands.

In August 2019, Michelle brought to life her vision for a festival called Dear Summer Vibes in celebration of the indie-creative culture. In partnership with the DUMBO Business Improvement District, this annual event takes place in the Dumbo Archway under the Manhattan Bridge and highlights local creatives in art, fashion, music, food and lifestyle. 

In November 2019, DA SPOT expanded to a 1,000sq foot retail space in City Point Mall historically known as Albee Square. By December, Michelle left her job to help run the new location and realized her dream of becoming a full-time entrepreneur. She also launched her business consultancy firm Cadore Advisory Group to help other small business launch and grow. 

Even with her boutique's door being closed for 6 months in 2020, Michelle and her team continued to forge on for the creativity community. She was named Entrepreneur of the Year by NYS Entrepreneurs Assistance Centers and was featured in local and national commercials by Mastercard. Her boutique also  launched the Black Creatives and Culture Market and Art Show in partnership with City Point Mall in February 2021 to create more opportunities for the creative community. 

In 2021, Michelle has been named a Luminary Fellow, and a McBride Sisters "She Can Thrive" Grant Recipient. She successfully completed the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business program for which she spent 3.5 months as scholar on behalf of DA SPOT NYC. She also pitched and won the 1010 Wins Small Business $10K Pitch competition. DA SPOT was also granted a 10 day residency in Bryant Park through the Bank of America and Urban Spaces Minority Small Business Spotlight. 

YES I AM Clothing has been featured in the Create and Cultivate NYC Conference. DA SPOT NYC has been exhibited at various events including Essence Street Style, RuPaul's DragCon, and AirBnB Experiences. Michelle is  featured in MasterCard's "Her Ideas are Priceless" campaign for small women-led businesses and she sits on the Small Business Advisory Council for Mastercard. Her brands have also been featured on the Today Show, Yahoo Finance, CNBC news and multiple news and social media outlets. 

Michelle is a big advocate for speaking positive words into your life and manifesting  your goals into existence. She encourages others to stay inspired with the tagline “YES I AM”. Through her work, Michelle plans to continue building a platform for others to be encouraged to realize their dreams.

When Michelle is not grinding 24/7, she is spending time with family, traveling abroad and helping others.