CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Made Cleveland is a home for local artists, but a handful have recently pulled the plug on their partnership after allegedly not being paid for months.
As of Thursday night, there are five small claims disputes filed against Made Cleveland in the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court.
Those that have filed disputes include:
- Krystal Cain
- Oh So Dapper Soap Co.
- Lucy Bailey (x2)
- Gina Wilkolak
Two more planning to file or have recently filed are Allie Morris and Levaille Eitzman.
The most recent small claims dispute listed in court records was on Dec. 11 by Krystal Cain. She owns The Salty Hive Company.

Cain said her company has set up shop in Made Cleveland’s brick-and-mortar location since the summer of 2022.
“I really felt like I had the Cleveland area locked down finally,” she said. “The only problem that I had in the first few months is I would get my pay and they'd be a month late, but I have so many different platforms I sell on. It's not a big deal if it's a month behind. It was not a concern to me. I wasn’t hurting for that money.”
As time went on, Cain said she started noticing her pay was several months behind, but she would see her products selling online through an invoice portal set up by Made Cleveland.
Cain’s small claims dispute shows she’s reportedly owed $1,296.97.
According to the contract between Made Cleveland and its vendors, 60% of each product sold goes to the artist, and 40% goes to Made Cleveland.
Those payouts are processed every seventh of the month, according to the contract News 5 was provided with.
Cain said she decided to take the legal route because communication was lacking on Made Cleveland’s end.
According to emails sent from Made Cleveland to vendors, the last mass email containing updates on payments was sent on Sept. 18. The promise in that email was that all unpaid invoices would be paid out no later than Oct. 14.
Another email followed from a former vendor and manager of Made Cleveland, Levaille Eitzman, saying there would be an update on payouts by the end of the day on Nov. 13.
Cain claims she hasn’t heard a word about the money she is contractually owed since then.
Eitzman is also rowing the same boat.
They said they started working as a vendor at Made Cleveland in April of 2024. Their business is Citrus Witchcraft.

“At first, things were great. I was really excited to be there. I was really honored to have my own retail space. I was really proud,” Eitzman explained.
Eitzman said they started getting questions from other vendors about missing payments and wasn’t sure what was going on.
“Ash kept making these promises that we were paying the vendors soon or in a month or next month or next week or in two weeks. It felt like the goalpost kept getting moved back every time we would finally get close to a deadline. It started to get a little wishy washy,” they added.
Eitzman estimates they’re owed about $500 in past-due sales.
According to screenshots provided to News 5 of Made Cleveland’s Shopify statement from July through September, there were several transactions to McDonald’s, DoorDash, Uber, Splash Zone Waterpark, and Starbucks.
“Something more is happening that has come to light,” Eitzman said.
I reached out to O’Connor several times this week for an interview. She sent a statement instead.
Any bank statements employees claim to have obtained would have been done so unlawfully and are part of an ongoing legal matter that I cannot comment on at this time. Screenshots are just that and do not offer the full context of a situation.
As of Wednesday night, Eitzman has not filed a small claims dispute yet but plans to do so Thursday.
“This has greatly impacted me. I do a lot of vending as an artist like table sales and a portion of my inventory isn't there to sell because it's at Made Cleveland. Not anymore, but it was. How many of them would have sold if they had seen the design that they liked? Everything that I make is one of one. I live paycheck to paycheck. I'm well below the poverty line. Sometimes I have to choose between rent, groceries, and my car bill and if I had that $500 then I wouldn't have to choose,” Eitzman stated.
In addition to reportedly not seeing the profits from her sales, Eitzman said Made Cleveland has paid her under the table as an employee. She said O'Connor would sometimes pay her through Venmo.
“I'm anxious I'm going to get audited by the IRS and have to pay taxes on my pay stubs, which I don't have,” they said.
Eitzman said O’Connor has now given a payout date of Dec. 31.
However, another former vendor of Made Cleveland, Gina Wilkolak, said the lack of communication makes her think otherwise.
Wilkolak started selling handmade earrings at Made Cleveland in 2022. She left the business in November this year.
“The idea of Made Cleveland was really interesting to me because it really lowered that barrier of entry to getting into a creator space in the area,” she said. “Over the course of my time as a vendor at Made Cleveland, I was having a little bit of trouble getting my vendor payouts. My earrings were selling. I was able to see that they were selling, but I was not getting paid for them.”
Wilkolak estimates she is owed $642.66 and hasn’t seen a payout in the last six months.
“There are people out there in the Cleveland area wearing my earrings, wearing other people's stuff, buying their art, thinking that they've been supporting a small business, a small artist, a small creator. But those people actually haven't been getting the money owed to them for their sold products,” Wilkolak shared.
She said she hasn’t heard from O’Connor since October.
“There was no transparency that the store was struggling over these last two years, despite our creations actively selling,” Wilkolak added. “The store was actively searching for and bringing in new vendors while the current vendors hadn’t been paid.”
The final former vendor and employee of Made Cleveland I spoke with is Allie Morris. She owns The Wonder Strand.

Morris said she started as a Made Cleveland vendor in November of 2023.
“It was really lovely,” she explained. “For the first two months I was there I got my payments on time, and it was a huge step in my art career for me. After February, I stopped getting payments and communication with the store really ceased.”
She said she started noticing other vendors were experiencing the same issue and wanted to help, so she took on a part-time co-manager position.
“Ash controlled all the money, and we didn't have access to that,” Morris said.
Morris said she’s owed $821 going as far back as June 2024.
She has yet to file a small claims dispute but plans to soon.
That brings the total of current and potential small claims disputes against Made Cleveland to seven.
“I contacted [O’Connor’] again last week. I never heard anything. She’s not the best with communication. It’s very frustrating,” Morris said. “It took her a week to even respond to my resignation. It's not just her business. It's the business of not just myself but almost 100 other vendors that are owed, and we all rely on this money.”
She said while the situation is not ideal, the experience has introduced her to like-minded creators in Northeast Ohio.
“I've gotten to meet a ton of other fantastic artists and makers and creators. That has been great and that kind of has created a real sense of community, which is why it's so frustrating that this is failing because there is a need for stores like this in our local community. If they're run ethically and can support our local artists, I think they're one of the best stores out there,” Morris explained.
I stopped by Made Cleveland Thursday night and spoke with O’Connor, but she wished to only chat off the record.
A couple of hours later, she sent the statement below.
Made Cleveland’s mission has always been clear - to celebrate and uplift local makers and artisans by providing them with a platform to thrive.
Like many small businesses, I’ve encountered significant challenges over the past few years. Navigating the pandemic as well as the complexities of running a grassroots operation have required resilience and determination.
Like many small business owners, I have felt the weight of working many roles within the business, and have been forthright in taking full responsibility for missteps as well as holding myself accountable for the challenges Made Cleveland has faced.
I fully recognize that, due to these challenges, some payments to our valued vendors have been delayed. For this, I am deeply regretful. We have been actively working to address these delays while ensuring we maintain the integrity and sustainability of Made Cleveland. To do so, we have implemented and executed a weekly payout schedule to our vendors to increase their cash flow, reduce their liability, and regain their trust.
This is not reflective of the respect and appreciation we have for the incredible artists and entrepreneurs who have trusted us with their work. In fact, Made Cleveland looks to continue to work with and support our current vendors, the partnerships here running 50+ deep. Our organization, built on the pillars of transparency and integrity, has always prioritized serving the community with honor and commitment. I sincerely hope that our community continues to support these artisans.
In addition to Made Cleveland’s statement, O’Connor attached three other statements from Northeast Ohio businesses boasting both her name and Made Cleveland.
“Ash has always been exceptional at helping us secure custom work and has never taken a cut for it. She’s a passionate advocate for small businesses, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to succeed through her efforts. The store is a fantastic addition to the community and the only one of its kind on this side of town. The pricing model is more favorable than others we’ve worked with, and we’ve sold more at Made Cleveland than through any other similar setup. While there have been occasional delays with payments, Ash has always been honest and transparent—qualities we haven’t experienced in other places. The store has consistently been about supporting the artists, never about Ash,” Leah Beaver with Light Up Labs said.
“Based on my experience, Ash has always been supportive, welcoming, and takes pride in showcasing local artists. I hope she will continue her mission, thrive, and remain a vital part of our neighborhood,” Gadi Zamir with the Negative Space Gallery stated.
“Ash and Made Cleveland have been an asset to Coventry Village, as well as great neighbors. She has collaborated on many projects to benefit the neighborhood and volunteered countless hours to help boost our visibility. She has shared innovative ideas to benefit all businesses, including spearheading the Cleveland Heights holiday passport program, and continues to support the Coventry Vacancy group, ARPA initiatives, and more. I believe she will work toward righting her financial commitment to the many artists and vendors who have been a part of Made Cleveland. Please continue to support local retail and artists during this holiday season and year-round,” Kathy Blackman at the Grog Shop shared.
The five small claims disputes filed as of Thursday night will go before a Cleveland Heights Municipal Judge beginning in February.
Cain is hosting an upcoming local artistry market and said several of those who used to sell products at Made Cleveland will be in attendance.
The Creatures Alternative Market will be held Saturday, Dec. 14, from 2-7 p.m. at the Missing Falls Brewery in downtown Akron.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to remove information that does not meet our editorial standards.