Meet Ali
Ali Hynek created Nena & Co. in 2013 to bring a piece of her Guatemalan culture to your colorful lifestyle. In Spanish, “nena” means “baby girl” or “darling” and is a nickname Ali’s mother affectionately calls her still. Growing up, Ali loved learning about her Guatemalan heritage through the food her mother and Abuelita (grandmother) cooked, and through the holiday traditions they shared with her. As an adult she became particularly interested in Guatemalan weaving and quickly learned that each loomed fabric has a story to tell.
Visits to her mother’s homeland became an adventurous addiction as Ali and her mother/business partner, Cony, began tracking down the country’s best weavers and sourcing vintage Huipils (fabrics used for Nena & Co.’s one-of-a-kind bags). As the mother-daughter duo ventured into the textile business, they learned of the rigorous and ancient methods of traditional Guatemalan weaving. The more they learned, the more they realized it was necessary to honor the men and women they worked with by creating more reliable opportunities for them to earn a decent income through traditional weaving and leather craftsmanship. Nena & Co. is dedicated to paying fair wages, designing products that pay tribute to the beauty of the hand-loomed textiles, and to only using quality materials and craftsmanship to assemble products.
Ali’s flare for design isn’t the only thing that draws attention to her; she gave birth to triplets in March of 2016! Penelope, Ethan, and Alejandra, who she affectionately calls “Sweet PEA” are 16 months old now and have won the hearts of many admirers around the world through various media outlets and through Ali’s personal Instagram (@ali_hynek). They have gained a fan base of their own through Ali’s Instagram posts of their daily outfits and some of their day to day routines. Ali is very candid and open about her journey to motherhood. “We went through several years of infertility treatments, which is emotionally taxing and many times, a depressing experience. I was able to distract myself with exercise and by focusing on my company, Nena & Co. Everything I did to create Nena & Co., I did with gusto because I needed to. I needed to surround myself with the positivity that our company mission entails. And in the end, it was great because I was able to create two extremely positive outcomes: one with my business and more importantly, my family."
Ali has been featured on many well-known media websites, being interviewed about her life as a mother, wife, designer and entrepreneur. On the sites below, she has shared her story of love, infertility, work, and the pure joy of motherhood!
Click on the links below to learn more about Ali.