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EAGLE MOUNTAIN — Social worker Carissa Thurman is aiming to connect Eagle Mountain residents to small businesses while uplifting people through community classes.
As someone who does contract work and has a home-based business, Thurman noticed Eagle Mountain has a large amount of small businesses that are also home-based. She said she wants to help support local businesses, but it can be hard to find them all when there isn't a physical community center.
Thurman said in her opinion, Eagle Mountain lacks space for small businesses and needs more mental health services.
"Community classes can be therapeutic even if they're not therapy, and bringing people together is meaningful, and having people share their skills is meaningful," she said.
With all those thoughts swirling around, Thurman knew she could create a community center even without being able to afford a space for it. She also wanted to start building connections for small businesses.
So she decided to start Texturs — a virtual community center that can function as a multivendor marketplace to uplift and connect residents through community classes.
The Texturs website said its goal is to support Eagle Mountain residents by assisting in finding spaces to learn, grow and share through community classes and resources.
Small businesses can sell classes from the website, and community members can easily find new hobbies and activities to partake in to connect them with others. People can also list spaces available to rent so people who want to host events can find venues for their endeavors.
As a mom running a business, Thurman said it can be hard for her to find time for therapy or activities that improve mental health. She hopes her website can help others in similar situations to be connected with resources despite busy schedules.
The business listings range from sports to financial advice to wellness activities, technology skills or artistic lessons. She's encouraging any businesses that want to be part of it to start adding themselves on because she knows everyone has unique ways they can serve the community and build trust between community members.
"There's something magical to be like, 'Hey, I know the owner of that, and I have a relationship with them,' and therefore, you have a stronger desire to go there," Thurman said. "I want to go because I know the person. I want to go because I want their business to succeed."
Texturs is hosting a Microburst Community Classes event on June 20 at the Overland Barn, where people will rotate through mini classes from local businesses including cake decorating, cleaning, budgeting and more.
"I want other people's businesses to succeed. I feel like the person-to-person connection is important," Thurman said. "We want to facilitate connections and uplift people and support local communities — whether that's my local community or someone else's."
Thurman said Texturs will start doing microburst class events quarterly, but she hopes it can expand into a true community center like Thanksgiving Point which has businesses, gardens, classes and other ways for the community to come together.
Thurman said there's potential in what she has created with Texturs, and she hopes other cities find value in it and can build something similar to benefit them.
