The Business Shower Guide

Shine Registry launched in 2016 with the bold vision to introduce a new kind of tradition. Because if you can buy your friend a gravy boat when they get married, you can help get them the stuff they need when they’re starting a business.

So we created a platform for anyone launching a new idea into the world to ask for what they needed. This included monetary and non-monetary asks - like equipment and ingredients for a new beverage company, social media follows for first-time freelancers trying to reach new clients, beta testers for new tech, and so much more. More than 500 registries were created and during the COVID-19 pandemic we worked with regional economic development groups across the U.S. to help get resources to small businesses that were navigating storefront closures and supply chain mess. Many of our users used our tools to host “Business Showers“ where they brought their communities together to support them on their startup journeys. Our work was featured in the Washington Post, Stylist Magazine, and others, and our founder gave a TEDx Talk.

We never quite found product-market fit and after several prolonged attempts at keeping the dream alive, made the difficult decision to shut down the platform in 2023. But we kept the URL and are making an attempt to redistribute some of what we built, mainly the resources we put together for people launching, celebrating and supporting small businesses, creative projects and new ideas. We’re working on adding more during the summer of 2026 and hope you enjoy!