About us…
WE ARE A NETWORK OF BIPOC ARTISTS, EDUCATORS, HEALERS, resource & community CARE PROVIDERS !
Our Network consists of intentional partnerships + co-curators that work closely with us to implement community creative, educational and civic programming. You can see them below:
THE HONEYCOMB COMMUNITY NETWORK.
About US:
THE FOUNDER: Denise S. Ruiz
About Denise (She/Her/Ella):
Denise S. Ruiz Raised and living on the traditional unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Daughter of Mary & Kenny. Mother of Elijah & Coda. Guided by her ancestors and Divine Spirit.
Denise is a queer Boricua from the Humboldt Park community of Chicago. She is a creative designer, community cultivator and artist. She is also a trauma informed, harm reduction trained, certified community herbalist. Denise has over two decades of direct social service and educator experience. Her visionary work is known throughout Chicago and beyond!
She is the founder and director of The Honeycomb Network (est. 2020 - present), a holistic, multi-functional community space + network in the Humboldt Park community of Chicago, offering co-working, co-creating + collective care services. The physical & digital space hosts a boutique apothecary gift shop, community events, + a BIPOC Network of healers, makers and holistic service providers.
She was the visionary, co-creator and co-founder of Books, Brunch & Botánica (est. 2017 - 2020) which was the first collaborative project that exclusively centered Womxn of Color healers and creatives from across Chicago communities as facilitators, makers and leaders in a quarterly offering of wellness workshops, used books, markets and accessible plant based nourishment.
She is the founder and designer at Madre de Perla Designs (est. 2013) which utilizes vintage and upcycled elements creating one of a kind bags and accessories that celebrates diasporic Caribbean culture. Her installation art + design work has been featured at The Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City (2023), The Brujeria Festival in New York (2023), & The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (2024)
As a writer she is a two time Gwendolyn Brooks open mic poetry finalist. And she has been on stages in Chicago, and New York.
To connect with Denise for 1:1 consultations in:
1.) Design Work for Space or Adornment
2.) Creative Event Curation, Coordination + Workshops
3.) Ideation and vision partnering
Our COLLABORATIVE NETWORK. COCREATING COLLECTIVE CARE, resources + well being services.
Below you can tap into our offerings through our community partners:
To connect with our tele-health team of BIPOC therapists, coaches and wellness guides click the button below:
Erin Matthews (She/Her)
Founder
https://livinginempathytherapy.com
Marisol Rodriguez (She/Her)
Life Coach | Facilitator | Soulful Guide
www.awakentolifecoach.com
Dahlia Quintanilla (She/Her)
Somatic Healer | Facilitator | Circle Keeper | Co-founder Embodied Alchemy
www.liberatedlearning.org
(DAHLIA) LIBERATED LEARNING IS ALSO THE CO-CREATOR OF “EMBODIED ALCHEMY”
A PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HONEYCOMB NETWORK WHICH OFFERS A 4 WEEK VIRTUAL COHORT ACTIVATING TRANSFORMATION AND THE HEALER WITHIN THROUGH SOMATIC MOVEMENT, PLANT MEDICINE, LIBERATORY WRITING AND ELEMENTAL RITUALS.
Tracie D. Hall She/Her
Is the co-curator of The Honeycomb Network’s community library and reading room. The library, titled “Litanies For Survival” is a liberatory learning space where the reading of diverse narratives and critical histories by marginalized voices is encouraged rather than censored and stifled.
The Litanies For Survival library, features BIPOC and censored or banned books and celebrates writing, reading, and sharing of this literature as a form of resistance.
Tracie is a librarian, artist, and founding curator of Rootwork Gallery which operated in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago from (2016-2020). During its operation, Rootwork’s exhibitions took inspiration from texts by authors such as Gloria Anzaldua, James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Octavia Butler, Lucille Clifton, Franz Fanon, Bessie Head, and Audre Lorde.
Nationally regarded for her leadership and activism in the library and arts sectors, Tracie is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Foundation and recipient of the Medal for Freedom of Speech and Free Expression from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Institute.
If you are (or know of) a BIPOC healer, herbalist, wellness practitioner or coach and want a more intentional membership with us, which taps into our community members, stakeholders, support opportunities, space access, marketing on our community network page & workshops:
We invite you to join our network by applying to become a member here: