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Matti Leva poses with a display of her creations at Matchbox Candle Co.
Some necklaces made by 12-year-old Matti Leva for her business, Made by Matti. You can find Matti’s jewelry at numerous shops around the Colorado Springs area, including FestiviTea, Matchbox Candle Co., Faery Grove, and even Revolution Dance Academy, where Matti takes dance lessons. She also partners with various businesses, like Balance and Breathe, for unique products.
Matti Leva, 12, with some of the necklaces she makes.
Matti Leva’s Made by Matti jewelry also includes earrings.
Matti Leva poses with a display of her creations at Matchbox Candle Co.
At the age of 12, most kids are in the beginning stages of discovering their passions. Mattison “Matti” Leva, though, has already built a successful small business around her passion for making jewelry and interest in becoming a young entrepreneur.
“I really like jewelry and I wanted to learn how to make it,” Matti said. “My dad’s also going to help me learn laser cutting, and I’m also practicing making handmade scrunchies to sell, too.”
Matti started her business, Made by Matti, when she was 10 years old. She started out by selling pieces at local craft fairs. It was at those fairs that she met other small business owners like Margo Wells and Jenny Bolt of FestiviTea, a Colorado Springs tea shop that has a community room and space for local entrepreneurs like Matti to sell their products.
“She does a really good job of networking herself,” Matti’s mom, Ashley Anderson, said.
In the beginning, Matti’s family helped her purchase all the supplies she needed to get started. Now, Anderson said Matti has a separate account and buys all her supplies herself while learning about business and personal expenses in a real-world setting.
Some necklaces made by 12-year-old Matti Leva for her business, Made by Matti. You can find Matti’s jewelry at numerous shops around the Colorado Springs area, including FestiviTea, Matchbox Candle Co., Faery Grove, and even Revolution Dance Academy, where Matti takes dance lessons. She also partners with various businesses, like Balance and Breathe, for unique products.
“The deal when we started was that half goes into her adult life savings account and the remaining half is split equally between replenishing supplies and personal spending,” Anderson said. “And she does a really good job staying on top of that.”
Shortly after Matti started selling her creations, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks insulin cells in the pancreas. Despite constant fatigue that made schoolwork difficult, Matti persevered. While figuring out a diagnosis and beginning treatment, Matti maintained straight A’s and continued to grow her business, which she now uses to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes to help find a cure.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of a year, that’s for sure,” Anderson said. “There have been lots of changes, but we have figured out a way to make it all balanced.”
Inspired by the craft fairs she attended, Matti decided to host her own craft fair to benefit the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes in Aurora. While the event, called “All I Want for Christmas is a Cure,” is planned for November, the 12-year-old has already raised over $2,000 so far in vendor fees, with 42 vendors signed up so far.
Matti also started a new collection called “It’s Cool To Be Kind” to spread awareness and advocate for herself and others with Type 1 diabetes.
Matti Leva, 12, with some of the necklaces she makes.
“I want to inspire other kids with Type 1 that they can still achieve their dreams,” said the Colorado Springs resident and Grand Peak Academy student.
The collection features beautiful earrings, necklaces and more uniquely handcrafted by Matti. Each one comes with a note on the back with a reminder to be kind to yourself and others.
Profits from the “It’s Cool To Be Kind” collection go toward the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, where Matti receives her treatment. Forty percent of patients of the center are underinsured or uninsured, so Matti hopes to make a positive impact on some of the families that receive treatment there.
Most of all, Matti wants others with Type 1 diabetes to know it’s not their fault. She aims to educate others on what the disease truly entails.
“It’s not preventable,” she said. “There are a lot of misconceptions around Type 1 diabetes. My pancreas just stopped working.”
Matti has also taught jewelry-making classes around the region, including in the community space at FestiviTea and at Matchbox Candle Co., which has locations in Monument and Colorado Springs.
Matti Leva’s Made by Matti jewelry also includes earrings.
“We have a big heart for supporting the community and giving a place for the community to meet, and that’s what our shop is all about,” FestiviTea co-owner Margo Wells said. “Matti’s creativity is astounding. Her attention to detail for her age is really surprising. She’s very inspiring.”
Anderson hopes everyone who interacts with Matti and buys her jewelry comes away with a new awareness and inspiration.
“She does a really good job advocating for herself and telling her story,” she said. “And I do think she inspires a lot of people and helps spread awareness. I hope that they can take away a boost of confidence, boost of kindness, something that they can maybe spread to others.”
You can find Matti’s jewelry at numerous shops around the Colorado Springs area, including FestiviTea, Matchbox Candle Co., Faery Grove in Monument, and even Revolution Dance Academy of Colorado Springs, where Matti takes dance lessons. She also partners with various businesses, like Balance and Breathe, for unique products. During the last holiday season, Matti’s jewelry was put into bath bombs for a unique gift.
Learn more about Made by Matti and find more information about her upcoming craft fair, “All I Want for Christmas is a Cure,” set for Nov. 12 at Grand Peak Academy in Colorado Springs on her Facebook page, facebook.com/madebymatti.