Mod Market

01/06/2026

01/03/2026

01/02/2026

Next up… our calm, compassionate, & collaborative job coach, Nadia Skillman!

Nadia Skillman began her journey with MOD Market as the Living and Learning Vocational Skills job coach assigned to the store while she was home from college on breaks. She quickly proved to be a natural fit for the retail environment, becoming adept with our back-office systems and website. Recognizing her strengths, we invited Nadia to continue supporting MOD Market during holiday seasons and summer breaks.

MOD Market was a perfect complement to Nadia’s role as a job coach, and her coaching experience made her an ideal team member when working alongside our artists and empowered employees. In addition to her work with Living and Learning, Nadia has also served as a caregiver, consistently sharing her compassionate heart and thoughtful care with others.

Nadia is currently studying nursing and will undoubtedly be an exceptional caregiver. She is intelligent, compassionate, self-driven, and a natural problem solver—truly an all-around remarkable human. Nadia has quickly become an integral part of the MOD Market family, and we look forward to seeing where her studies and future career lead her.

01/01/2026

Our next feature is our ever cool, calm and collected job coach Lydia Boynton!

Lydia Boynton has been a job coach with Living and Learning Enrichment Center since 2021 and was assigned as the dedicated job coach for MOD Market in late 2024. Her goal when working with members is to help them build independence and develop valuable skills for both life and employment. Lydia’s approach is thoughtful and intentional—she intervenes only when needed, first encouraging each member to attempt a task independently while she carefully observes and remains ready to support.

Lydia has a keen ability to identify areas of opportunity and recognize ways individuals can build capability. She introduces practical strategies and tools that empower members to succeed, and we have witnessed tremendous growth in those who have had the opportunity to work with her.

Beyond her effectiveness as a job coach, Lydia has a genuine heart for serving others. Her care is evident in the strong relationships she builds with the members she supports, her connections with the MOD Market team, and the way she engages with the broader community.

Lydia is also a world traveler with a love for adventure and, more importantly, a passion for making a meaningful impact. In 2024, she served on missions to Nicaragua and Guatemala and is planning another mission in 2026. We know Lydia will give generously of her heart to those she encounters, and that her own life will be deeply enriched by these experiences. We are inspired by Lydia’s compassion and grateful for her dedication to the success of MOD Market.

01/01/2026

The next feature we have is the fabulous Christina Bair!🐘♥️🦒

Christina Bair began volunteering at MOD Market in late 2020, bringing with her a natural talent for decorating, merchandising, and warm, welcoming customer service. Her contributions played a significant role in the store’s overall appearance, eye-catching window displays, and in helping customers understand and connect with the mission behind MOD Market. Christina’s years of generous volunteer support eventually led to a small paid role about a year ago—an acknowledgment of the expertise, care, and consistency she brought to MOD Market week after week.

Christina’s involvement was inspired by her son, Nick Bair, a MOD Market artist who has been part of the market from the very beginning. Volunteering also gave Christina the opportunity to support Nick as he worked alongside her at MOD Market. As Nick’s confidence and comfort grew, Christina thoughtfully stepped back, allowing him the space to build independence while continuing to thrive.

Generosity defines Christina in every sense. She has freely given her time and talents to MOD Market, Living and Learning, and numerous special projects along the way. As Nick’s mom and business manager, she has been nothing short of extraordinary—guiding and supporting his art business as it has flourished during his time at MOD Market. Christina is a rare combination of keen intellect, a calming presence, a thoughtful communicator, and a truly generous heart.

While Nick’s continued personal and professional growth will undoubtedly keep Christina busy, we know that both she and Nick carry with them an extended family formed through their time at MOD Market—a community that will always be proud to support them.

01/01/2026

Next up… the lovely Leanie Bayly!!💐👒

Leanie Bayly truly answered our call for a “unicorn.” When MOD Market posted an as-needed position for sales support—both in-store and at pop-up events throughout the metro area—Leanie’s strong ties to Northville, broad experience with nonprofits and corporations, and high energy made her an ideal fit. She joined the MOD Market team in late 2023, jumping right in during the busy holiday season, even through cold and blustery pop-up events.

Leanie’s role began as a very part-time, as-needed position, but her value quickly became clear. Her strengths as a salesperson, relationship builder, and thoughtful team member—particularly in her ability to work with our empowered artists and employees with care and the right balance of encouragement and challenge—led to an expanded role in the store. Leanie embraced the challenge of increasing sales while inspiring the team to do the same.

Through coaching and hands-on support, Leanie helped our empowered employees build additional skills and confidence. She encouraged them to learn about the artists they represent, engage more deeply with customers, and practice through role-playing opportunities—fostering both confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

Not only is Leanie an incredible asset to the MOD Market team, she is also a talented artist. Leanie holds a BFA in Ceramics and has many creative and artistic pursuits. Leanie has sold her handmade hats at MOD Market—most notably her beautifully embellished witches’ hats, a customer favorite for Witches’ Night Out, as well as her striking designs created for the Kentucky Derby and the Victorian Festival. Her work consistently wows customers and adds a touch of creativity and whimsy to the MOD Market experience. Leanie has a great sense of humor, is friendly, organized, and a tremendous problem solver. She has quickly become a vibrant and valued part of the MOD Market team. We have all become a family over the years and we are comforted to know that although MOD Market has closed, we will all be connected for years to come.

01/01/2026

Next up.. our very own social media coordinator, Emily Wiedmaier! ✨

Emily Wiedmaier, owner of Ta**us Trading Co., joined MOD Market as an artist in early 2021. Her handmade goods—thoughtfully repurposed from treasured quilts—are unique and highly sought after. The demand for her work keeps her very busy! Emily is an incredibly talented maker, and her work can be found at .
When MOD Market had the opportunity to add a team member in late fall of 2021, Emily was immediately recruited—and for good reason.

In addition to contributing her knowledge and experience in retail sales, merchandising, and small business organization, Emily has been the voice of MOD Market for the past four years. She has managed our social media presence with creativity and intention, crafting posts that authentically tell the story of the work we do. Under Emily’s leadership, our Facebook following has grown by nearly 400% and our Instagram following by almost 200%—a true testament to her impact.

Emily’s content has helped the broader community understand and connect with our mission: providing employment training for adults with disabilities and creating a welcoming space for community artists, including artists with different abilities. Through her storytelling, our followers became engaged supporters and advocates for our artists, trainees, and empowered team. Her work fostered understanding, connection, and lasting community support—and for that, we are deeply grateful.

We wish Emily the very best as she continues to grow Ta**us Trading Co. and determines her next steps. Any organization or business will be incredibly fortunate to have her talent, creativity, and heart.

01/01/2026

First up we have our amazing Assistant Manager, Shelly Boynton! 🥳

01/01/2026

We want to THANK YOU from the very bottom of our hearts for all the support and generosity you showed our shop, our artists, and our members this past month, and these past 6 years! 🎉🥹♥️

While our mission, programming and artists have always taken center stage, we wanted to pay tribute to the pivotal people running our operation behind the scenes…!! We could not have accomplished the scale of successes we did without these incredible people, and we hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about these incredible humans before we say our final farewell! 🥹

12/30/2025

Today is our final day open! 🥹🥳 If you’ve been waiting to pop by, please do! We’d love to give you a final hug, share a favorite memory, or help you find that last little special gift. 🎁

It has been an honor to build this amazing community these past 6 years.

As the year transforms before our eyes, we’d like to share with you a few of our hopes and dreams as this MOD Market chapter closes…

✨We hope you’ve learned about what it truly means to shop in an inclusive environment. ✨
✨We hope you’ve seen first hand how transformative and impactful inclusive environments are for individuals with special needs.✨
✨We hope you’ve witnessed the breadth of talent and sheer artistic genius of the artists and makers within our autism community and beyond. ✨
✨We hope you’ve left MOD feeling cared for and excited about the items you’ve adopted into your life.✨
✨We hope you’ll continue to seek out ways to support local artists, including those with different abilities.✨
✨Lastly, we hope you continue to stay curious and open hearted to all those who may appear different from you - because at the end of the day, we really are all seeking the same things - kindness, understanding, community, and purpose!✨

Cheers to the most amazing 6 years and a very Happy New Year! 🎊

12/28/2025

If you’re coming by the shop in the next few days, look for our HEARTS!!! 💙🩵♥️💛Our heart on a piece of artwork means it was created by an artist within the autism community. Since day one, we have championed the artists of those within our community - the artists who may not have had the same opportunities or access, whose barriers to breaking into the art world are tougher, who are so talented and whose voices deserve to be heard! 📣

We invite you to continue to support our amazing roster of Empowered Artists long after we shut our doors on December 30th. The talent we have had the honor of selling in MOD Market is vast, and we feel so grateful to have been a small moment in their greater artistic journey.

Stop in SOON!
Sunday 12-4p
Monday 10-6p
Tuesday 10-6p (our last day open!)