Jenny Kinne is the new owner of Books & Mortar, Grand Rapids, Mich. Two years after Jonathan Shotwell and Christopher Roe founded the bookstore, they announced Wednesday in a letter to customers that the business had been sold to Kinne, a former staff member who will assume ownership of the store, effective November 1.
"At the onset of our business venture, we always knew Books & Mortar was going to be a start-up project for us," Shotwell and Roe recalled. "We are starters, entrepreneurs, visionaries and creators. We know ourselves well enough to always be on the lookout for the sustainers who can come alongside us and eventually take over for the long haul; so goes the life of a true entrepreneur."
Their plan was always "to find our sustainer in year three, four, or five, but the universe has sent us our sustainer early and we are responding by welcoming her along for the ride.... Jenny's love for books, her progressive values, and her commitment to organizing the community for positive social change was a perfect fit for the store as an employee and, as an owner, will sustain the well known ethos of Books & Mortar long into the future."
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Christopher Roe, Jenny Kinne and Jonathan Shotwell. |
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Noting that Grand Rapids is her hometown, Kinne wrote that she is "extraordinarily honored to lead Books & Mortar into its next chapter here in Grand Rapids. I have worked alongside Christopher and Jonathan for the past year as Bookseller Jenny, soaking up as much of their wisdom, kindness and book smarts as possible. I cannot imagine two better visionaries and mentors to look up to as I step into this exciting space."
In addition to her role at the bookshop, she works for the Michigan League for Public Policy. "In fact, I have spent most of my young adult life pursuing a career in public policy and advocacy," she said. "Making the decision to leave my public policy career in order to run Books & Mortar is tough for me. I am deeply passionate about studying public policy and working to change our political system. Thankfully, Christopher and Jonathan have embraced this passion of mine, and they have demonstrated how political activism can become an integral part of a bookstore's mission."
Shotwell and Roe concluded their letter by observing: "As we have said from day one, the true testament to this community is not in Jonathan & Christopher for creating and operating this bookstore, but in you, the people, who have proven that this community deeply cares for a progressive, independent bookstore and will stop at nothing to see it remain a vibrant and robust fixture in our community. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for two of the most magical and formidable years of our lives. Your endless support over these past two years and your continued support of Jenny means more than you will ever know. Keep reading, keep resisting, and keep repeating."