In the world of artisan markets and pop-up events, success depends on more than just securing a venue and inviting vendors—it requires strategic vendor selection, data-driven decision-making, and clear communication between coordinators and sellers. Yet, many event organizers struggle to find the right vendors, track event performance, and build long-term relationships.
Chinwe Oparaji, founder of The SMILE Market, recognized these challenges firsthand. But before building a solution, she needed to answer key questions: Does the market want this?
Is vendor matching really a major pain point for event coordinators? Would a digital platform help solve the problem?
To find out, Chinwe turned to TechX, a program designed to help entrepreneurs validate and develop tech-based solutions.
How TechX Fueled Market Research and Validation
TechX provided the perfect testing ground for The SMILE Market. Through customer discovery, industry research, and mentorship, Chinwe was able to refine her concept and ensure there was real demand for her solution.
The program helped her conduct market research to understand the biggest challenges for event coordinators, validate the problem by speaking with market organizers, vendors, and industry expert, develop a data-driven approach to vendor selection and event performance tracking, and refine the product roadmap to create a solution that would truly meet coordinators' needs. After this layer of concept development, The SMILE Market was referred to Rev1's Bootcamp for high-growth customer discovery as a next step in product development. Read on to learn what happened next.
The Pivot: From Vendor Ratings to Event Optimization
Originally, The SMILE Market was designed as a tool to help artists evaluate market events. But through and expanded research process, Chinwe discovered that market coordinators themselves needed better tools to attract the right vendors, track event performance, and improve transparency.
This insight led to a major pivot—instead of focusing solely on vendor reviews, The SMILE Market evolved into a platform that empowers event organizers with:
Data-driven vendor matching to help coordinators find the best-fit sellers.
Event performance insights based on sales, foot traffic, and vendor satisfaction.
Streamlined communication tools to improve vendor relationships and event logistics.
Utilizing the knowledge gained from TechX and Rev1's Concept to Customer Bootcamp, Chinwe successfully validated the problem, refined her solution, and confirmed market demand prior to fully developing the platform's MVP, which is currently in progress. Empowering Event Coordinators Through Tech Innovation
For Chinwe, The SMILE Market isn’t just an app—it’s a mission to help market coordinators run more successful, high-quality events. Thanks to the support and guidance from TechX, she’s building a powerful, research-backed tool that will transform how vendor events are managed. As The SMILE Market prepares for launch, Chinwe continues to apply TechX’s customer-first approach to enhance the platform and ensure it delivers real value. With this innovation, she’s helping event coordinators take the guesswork out of vendor selection and turn great events into extraordinary experiences for vendors and attendees alike.
Are You a Founder with a Big Idea?
The TechX program is dedicated to helping diverse founders like Chinwe turn innovative ideas into real-world solutions. If you’re looking to validate, develop, and launch a tech-based product, TechX provides the resources, mentorship, and support to help you succeed.
Interested in joining the next TechX cohort? Learn more here.
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