The Sun & Sea Story:
The South Bays First Curated Pop Up Market

Sun & Sea Collective started in December of 2020 in a backyard in Redondo Beach. I owned an apparel business called Esplanade Brand and my dream of owning a storefront felt a million years away, so I decided to find a new way to sell to my customers in person: pop up markets. The first market had 12 vendors (mostly friends I begged to join my crazy vision), a DIY ribbon backdrop I threw together, my mom checking people in, a friend of a friend flipping burgers in the driveway… and about 350 customers who showed up excited to support their community.

From that first day I knew I had created something that small business owners in the South Bay not only wanted, it was something we all absolutely needed.
And I couldn’t wait to see it grow.

I came up with the idea of Sun & Sea Collective as an answer to my own need to find a way to sell Esplanade in person. It became a unique way for all kinds of small businesses to get in front of their own community. The first pop up market led to another two weeks later, and then 12 more in 2021, and from there it became a bi-monthly staple in the South Bay. We have popped up at The Point, local coffee shops and breweries like Offset & Strand, The Promenade PV, The Works El Segundo, Cabrillo Aquarium, and in the middle of Fiesta Hermosa. Every year we grow and change in an effort to best serve our local small business community.

We believe in community over competition

What Sun & Sea is Today

Pop Up Markets

Sun & Sea Collective is a bi-monthly
pop up market in the South Bay of Los Angeles. We create a space for small businesses, creatives, artists & makers to sell in-person to customers in their local community.

The Collective

The Collective is a membership community for small business owners who want more than just market days. It’s a space to connect, collaborate, and grow alongside other creatives who understand the journey. Through intentional connection, shared resources, and opportunities to show up together, we’re building a community rooted in collaboration over competition.

The Academy

The Academy is an extension of the Collective where we focus on small business education & growth. We give you the tools to turn a hobby into something more, share your creative project with the world, make money doing what you love, and learn how to turn your dream into a successful business venture.

Meet the Founder

My name is Jessica Hickerson and I am the founder of Sun & Sea Collective.

I am also a photographer, owner of a local apparel company called Esplanade Brand, social media manager, small business coach, and most importantly a mom to three little girls.

So, yeah, you could say I wear a lot of hats. (I think I am what they call a “serial entrepreneur.”)

I started my first business when I was 19. I was in college and dreamed of being a wedding photographer… so I posted an ad on craigslist. Spoiler alert: it worked.

Within a few years, that first Craigslist wedding led to photographing love stories in Joshua Tree, Big Sur, Yosemite, Maui, and beyond. It also taught me how much you can figure out by starting before you feel completely ready.

In 2016 I launched Esplanade Brand, designing apparel and lifestyle goods inspired by life in the South Bay. Around that same time I became a mom. I wanted to be home with my daughter and keep pursing the work I loved, so I found my own way to do both. Balancing work and family kind of became my super power (and honestly it is always a work in progress!)

Esplanade took off during covid when everyone needed a little boost of joy. I decided to try out a pop up market in Dana Point Nov 2020, and instantly came home searching for something similar in the South Bay.

When I couldn’t find it, I decided to create it.

Three weeks later, I hosted my first market with 12 vendors in a backyard in Redondo Beach. And, well, the rest is Sun & Sea history.

What started as a way to sell my own products became a place for local makers, artists, and small business owners to connect with customers (and with each other.) The South Bay showed up for our mission of shopping small and supporting local, and that momentum continues today.

In 2025, I started to feel a pull towards education.With almost 15 years of small business experience behind me, I wanted to share what I’d learned: the lessons, mistakes, and strategies I wish someone had shared with me sooner.

That became Sun & Sea Academy, where I offer practical guides and personalized coaching for small business owners. Through The Collective, our membership community, I also help create opportunities for ongoing connection, collaboration, and growth beyond market day.

Today my collection of work brings together the things I love most: creativity, community, and helping small businesses get seen. Whether I’m hosting a market, creating content for a local business, or talking through someone’s next big idea, I bring the perspective of someone who has been in their shoes.

I know what it feels like to have a dream, a full calendar, and no clear idea of what to do next. My goal is to help you find that next step, and build a business that fits the life you want to live.