About Us

Hi! I’m Melissa, The CEO of Uplighten!

I was in tech for 14 years, working with start-ups and large companies designing user experiences and interfaces. 

At the end of 2020 I got really sick. Viral meningitis sick. It knocked me out big time, and my whole family was thrown into survival mode. While we don’t know exactly where or how I got it (not anxiety inducing AT ALL, right?), I do know that my recovery took much longer because I hadn’t been taking care of myself before I got sick...weighed down by the stress and pressures of life. 

When I got better, my husband J. A. and I decided to prioritize putting light into the world (hence the name Uplighten). We wanted to make fun and meaningful accessories to help others feel lighter in this sometimes very heavy world we live in. 

We are a family business (including our 7-year-old), and we hand-make everything in our shop.

You can follow us on Instagram @uplightenlife or TikTok @uplighten to see what we're up to and follow along with new product updates. You can also find us every Sunday at the Farmer's Market at High Street across from Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix, Arizona. We would love to see you!

With 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 (love),

Melissa and J. A.