MIA KAPLAN
Production Specialist
she/her
Mia is the production specialist at Emily Chelsea Jewelry and makes sure jobs move from A to Z and go from a design to a finished product. She does a little bit of everything in the store, including bench work, sales, and production management. Mia studied Studio Art at Earlham College with a focus in metalsmithing and recently was a Core Fellow at the Penland School of Craft. Previously, she was an intern at Brooklyn Metal Works as well as at Liberty Arts Sculpture Studio & Foundry. She is the most recent addition to the team and moved to Philly from North Carolina. Mia has been honing her metalworking skills for seven years and has a love for creating and craftsmanship.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to cook and try new recipes and to enjoy food with other people. I love biking to a park and then playing a card game or enjoying a pastry. I like to play pick up soccer and to run and laugh and tumble all over the field. I’m a huge fan of drag performers and dance parties and transforming myself in a costume or through make up for a night out.
What is your life motto or inspiration?
Have a gratitude practice. Remind yourself what you’re grateful for every day.
What motivates you to do what you do here, and how do you contribute to the customer experience?
I have a strong appreciation for craftsmanship and how we can make a piece of jewelry be incredibly beautiful as well as sturdy and functional. I love the skill, attention, and detail that goes into every piece we make. I also love seeing the queer couples that come into the store, because I’m queer myself. I want to help give them a positive experience, especially because other places might not have welcomed them in the same way.
What's a random fact that not many people know about you?
I love anime and manga - horror/fantasy genre specifically.
Natalie Kerrigan
CAD Designer
she/her
Natalie works on all of the designs using CAD, computer aided design. She may provide you with renderings of your custom designs and facilitate wax model reviews. Natalie received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry/Metals/CADCAM from Tyler School of Art in 2015. Natalie has worked in the jewelry industry since 2015 and has specialized in custom design the last five years.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I love to stay active by running and biking around the city. When I’m not out and about I’m exercising my creative brain by either drawing, crocheting or working on home DIY projects.
What is your life motto or inspiration?
Expect nothing, appreciate everything.
What motivates you to do what you do here, and how do you contribute to the customer experience?
I enjoy collaborating with clients and colleagues to develop a totally unique idea from start to finish. I’ve got a passion for designing with colorful gemstones and heirloom stones. I love to help you come up with the best way to maximize their beauty.
What's a random fact that not many people know about you?
I have a pet chinchilla named Princess Leia.
Sam Malandra-Myers
Sales Specialist
they/them
Sam Malandra-Myers is the sales specialist and fields all purchase inquiries while maintaining the quality customer service that is expected of the ECJ experience.
Sam has been with ECJ since April 2021, and has since completed the Applied Jewelry Professional program at GIA. They graduated with their masters degree in art history from Tyler School of Art after completing their thesis, "Preserving a Legacy: The Dox Thrash House Project," in 2022.
Sam previously graduated with honors from the University of the Arts with a BFA in photography and a minor in art history, with a semester spent studying art theory at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. They have enjoyed being both published as an art historian, as well as included in craft and fine art exhibitions throughout their career.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
You can often find me outdoors, hiking and camping. When I’m not able to leave the city, you can find me cuddling my cat, designing my future engagement ring (over a hundred times over now, oops!).
What is your life motto or inspiration?
Trust the process, and Go Birds.
What motivates you to do what you do here, and how do you contribute to the customer experience?
Coming to work everyday is a treat thanks to being able to work with such amazing clients. From couples sharing a part of their love story with me to folks celebrating milestones to someone looking for a little self care—they’re the reason I love doing what I do. From first interaction to handing your finished piece, I’m with you throughout the whole process.
What's a random fact that not many people know about you?
I only work in analog photography, specifically wet plate collodion and large format film.
Kate Scott
social media specialist
she/her
Kate Scott is the Social Media Specialist at Emily Chelsea Jewelry and is also responsible for all of the product photography you see on our website and social media accounts. Kate came to ECJ in December 2019 as an intern and is the company’s very first employee.
Kate attended school for Graphic Design at Stevenson University in Maryland, and has completed the Applied Jewelry Professional program at GIA.
What do you like to do in your spare time?:
Kate enjoys traveling, going to the gym, and spoiling her two cats Andy and Baby Cat.
What is your life motto or inspiration?
When you’re downie eat a brownie.
What motivates you to do what you do here, and how do you contribute to the customer experience?
The first time I watched Emily do a final reveal of a ring I was overcome with emotion when seeing the customer’s reaction. I knew in that moment that every person should get to feel that joy and have that experience and I wanted to be apart of it. I love creating beautiful, fun, and useful content that helps clients with design and style decisions, as well as getting to chat with some of our clients and fans in our direct messages.
What's a random fact that not many people know about you?
Kate deadlifts 200lbs
ADRIAN KRAWIEC
SENIOR DIRECTOR
he/him/his
Adrian Krawiec is the Senior Director at Emily Chelsea Jewelry, specializing in sales, management, business navigation, operations, human resources, and marketing. Adrian graduated from Rutgers University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.
Before joining ECJ Adrian has worked in various roles in the retail industry both in the US and internationally, ranging from department manager, supply chain analyst, country performance leader, and country category manager, among others. He has a passion for leadership and driving exceptional business results through people.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I generally like to stay fit and exercise, so hiking and biking are two activities that I find tremendous joy in. My wife Emily and I have fond memories of living in California and visiting this country's beautiful national parks; it's always at the top of our list when we plan our vacations! In addition, we love cooking, eating, and exploring new restaurants of the great city of Philadelphia.
What is your life motto or inspiration?
“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.”
What motivates you to do what you do here, and how do you contribute to the customer experience?
I am driven by bringing value into the world. Anyone can make a simple product and sell it, but the challenge is enabling a business's contributions to the greater good of the world. Customers deserve products and services that take care of people and the world wherever possible.
What's a random fact that not many people know about you?
I earned my black-belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2016.
Emily Phillippy
owner
she/her
Emily Phillippy is the owner and founder of Emily Chelsea Jewelry. Emily received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in jewelry/metals/CADCAM from Tyler School of Art in 2011 and is a certified Graduate Gemologist through GIA. Emily has worked in the jewelry industry since 2011 and opened Emily Chelsea Jewelry in 2015.
Emily is from central PA, but started Emily Chelsea Jewelry while she was living in Orange County, California along with her husband and fur baby. After many adventures up and down the West Coast, moved back East. Her little family officially settled down in Philadelphia and opened the first ECJ store in Fishtown in 2018.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I’m hanging out with our 1.5 year old son, finding new ways to make him laugh. I love to hike, bike, do yoga and stay active. If we aren’t hiking in the Wissahickon, we are planning a camping trip to the next National Park on our checklist.
What's your life motto or inspiration?
What's life if you're not having fun? I stopped trying to be an adult and learned to embrace my inner child. AKA, I love to laugh.
What motivates you here at Emily Chelsea Jewelry and how do you contribute to the customer experience?
Wow... so many things! But one thing that I probably don't say enough: I love to design something that's never been done before and I'm driven by always aiming to be one step ahead when it comes to design. If we can deliver a truly one of a kind piece that is both fine jewelry AND a tiny wearable work of art, then I feel like I did what I came here to do.
What's a random fact that not many people know about you?
I was a contestant on The Price is Right. :)