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Beads lay scattered in a home studio where Jennifer Ramos threads stories of two countries into jewelry, each piece reflecting the journey that shaped her.
“Being Colombian-American means I have options,” Ramos said. “If I want to be bold and strong, then I have that New York side. If I want to talk about why I am the way I am … then I go back to my little pond in Colombia. It means being able to switch and include one or another.”
Ramos is the founder of Karonka, a jewelry brand rooted in ancestral techniques and personal history. Her designs blend the vibrant colors of Colombian markets with the sleek edge of New York fashion, transforming heritage into wearable art.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Ramos worked in finance, a male-dominated environment.
“I already had this wall up, and I learned to cultivate it as I continued to develop my career in that industry,” Ramos said.
As a Latina with curly hair, she faced constant judgement.
“People judge,” Ramos said. “People would ask, ‘Oh my God, you don’t blow dry your hair?’ Why? Am I supposed to look more professional if I have straight hair?”
New York sharpened her. She recalled the city’s constant movement, its unapologetic ambition and its fashion. It was the place where she began her entrepreneurial journey. Spending her days working full time at a job she didn’t like, inspired her to gravitate towards what she loved. Ramos later enrolled in continuing education programs at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design to study fashion and accessories design, skills she hoped to use for future endeavors.
Before she created jewelry, Ramos said she wanted to create a handbag collection. She sketched concepts and gathered fabric swatches, but motherhood shifted everything.
“At this point, it becomes a matter of economics,” Ramos said. “There’s no way I can go to school full time and have my partner support both of us on just one income. I continued to work but continued it on the side.”
Instead, Ramos began creating jewelry she could make during the nighttime–beaded earrings, colorful necklaces and hand-painted pieces. Those designs became the foundation of Karonka. Encouraged by her husband, John Moreno-Escobar, she leaned into the story behind her work.
“She pushed herself every day,” Moreno-Escobar said. “People don’t see the hours or the strain, but her resilience comes from watching her mother struggle as an immigrant.”
That resilience now carries Karonka beyond Ramos’ studio and into boutiques, including Herswagshop in Key Largo, Florida, owned by Leisis Stevenson. Stevenson discovered Ramos’ work in 2020 and immediately recognized its impact.
“The pieces are statement pieces, but they’re featherweight. [They’re] big and bold without heaviness. Artistically and design-wise, it’s genius. She takes traditional Colombian folk art and turns it into something anybody can enjoy.”
Stevenson, a woman business owner herself, sees strength in Ramos’ approach.
“You have to have the guts to take something you enjoy and put everything you’ve got into it,” Stevenson said. “It takes courage to say, ‘I think it’s worth a damn, and I’m going to show it to the world.’ That’s totally woman.”
Ramos draws constant inspiration from Colombia’s ecosystems–its jungles, beaches and wildlife–infusing nature into every design. Customers say they feel that intention when wearing her work.
She said she hopes her business becomes a platform that celebrates womanhood and culture and inspires other entrepreneurs to enjoy every moment.
“Follow your heart and do things at your own pace,” Ramos said. “Hone your business, hone your craft. Even the tough parts shape it into what you want it to be, don’t give up.”
Ramos claims she has a long way to go, but she said she’s happy, enthusiastic and passionate about what she does.
Today, Ramos continues building Karonka with quiet persistence, driven by creativity, culture and responsibility–to her son and to the women watching her story unfold. Her version of girl power isn’t loud or performative. It’s intentional, rooted and unapologetically whole.