|
|
| Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo and Rebecca Fitting | |
After 12 years as co-owner of Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y., Rebecca Fitting has sold her share in the company to fellow co-founder Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo. In advance of this, they have been actively working on internal changes to ensure that operations will continue to run smoothly upon Fitting's departure. The ownership transfer, which has been in the works for some months, is effective immediately. Greenlight had recently announced changes to its managerial team and buying department. Fitting is also president of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association.
Founded in 2009, Greenlight Bookstore has grown to encompass two bookstore spaces on Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue; a sister stationery store, Yours Truly, Brooklyn; kiosks at partner cultural institutions; and co-hosted events throughout New York City.
"This wasn't an easy decision," Fitting wrote in a letter. "I am looking forward to watching Greenlight, which I am emotionally and financially invested in, continue to grow, evolve, and prosper, and it is exciting and a relief to know that everything will be in the capable hands of Jessica's leadership, and the staff's stewardship.
"Greenlight has soul; it wouldn't exist without its communities and its customers. Back in 2009, we answered a passionate call from the neighborhood of Fort Greene, whose residents wanted a local, independent bookstore. With their support, we built our first beautiful bookstore on Fulton Street. Seven years later, again with community support, we built another beautiful bookstore in my home neighborhood, this time on Flatbush Avenue. We went on to launch a stationery store, Yours Truly, Brooklyn, that turned out to be a perfect complement to the bookstores. It has been amazing to be a part of creating, building, and growing each of these stores, and over the years I have loved seeing Greenlight extend its reach beyond the walls of our brick and mortar stores."
Fitting noted that while owning a small business has always been deeply rewarding, it is also challenging, and when combined with parenting through a pandemic caused her to rethink personal priorities and decide "to make this major life change as a sort of personal sustainability insurance policy so that I can be a more present parent during these unprecedented times, and while my son is still young. I like to think that we've reached an inflection point, where so many people are reclaiming this moment of adversity by making life-altering changes....
"So thank you, Brooklyn and beyond, from the bottom of my bookselling heart, for making Greenlight into the cultural institution it is today, one that will continue to grow and serve its communities for years to come. As for me, I am looking forward with excitement and my next chapters are wide open."
Noting that Greenlight Bookstore "wouldn't exist without Rebecca Fitting," Stockton-Bagnulo observed: "Her expertise, creativity, and passion have shaped the company as it has grown from one store to three, from seven employees to over 50, and as it has become part of the fabric of Brooklyn literary and neighborhood life. I have such enormous admiration for Rebecca as a bookseller and as a human being; I'm honored to have been her partner in this endeavor for over a decade, and grateful for what we've been able to create together. The book world is richer for her contributions--as a bookseller and a literary citizen. We all wish her all the best in wherever her future endeavors take her."
Stockton-Bagnulo added that the only reason she is not daunted by the prospect of going from being a partner to a solo owner "is that I'm far from solo in this venture now. The managers and staff at Greenlight are an incredible team, teaching and learning from each other and always thinking about how to continue to make the company better for staff, customers, and community; you'll be hearing more of their names and their voices going forward....
"As Greenlight moves forward into this next chapter in its existence, we have a lot of hope, and a lot of ideas. Our customers have supported us through all of our transitions, and we're continuing to find new ways to serve them, in our neighborhoods and in the digital realm of ecommerce and social media. We remain committed to our community partnerships, as we seek even more potential for collaborations to do good work. Greenlight's managers and staff are full of innovative and far-reaching ideals, and we'll discover together what an independent bookstore can be. And I'm looking forward to the chance to look at the bookstore from a fresh perspective, and renew my commitment to participation and contribution in the book industry and my own community.
"My goal is for Greenlight's evolution to be always in the direction of creating more welcoming spaces, and for its success to be always tied to the success of everyone in our communities. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do this work, and I look forward to the future of Greenlight with you."