Our Story

 

The Heart Behind the Flame

I am Linda Sofia Ortiz — a proud Puerto Rican woman, a Nana, a maker, and a dreamer rooted deep in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York.

I didn't set out to build a candle business. I set out to build a life that felt like mine — one shaped by intention, by beauty, by the kind of warmth that doesn't come from a switch on a wall. Candles found me the way most true things do: quietly, and at exactly the right moment. The first time I poured wax and watched it settle, something in me settled too. I knew I had found my hands' purpose.

Every candle I pour at Jenire Designs carries the spirit of my heritage — the richness, the color, the resilience of a culture that has always known how to turn hardship into celebration and a simple room into a sanctuary. That is what I am trying to give you. Not just a scent. A feeling. A moment that is yours.

My two granddaughters are the flame behind the flame. My youngest, who is autistic, has been one of my greatest teachers. She has shown me how to slow down, how to look closer, how to find wonder in texture and light and the smallest details most people walk past. Because of her, I pour with more patience and more presence than I ever thought I was capable of. My oldest fills our home with laughter so pure it feels like sunlight. Together, they remind me every single day why this work matters — and who it is for.

At Jenire Designs, a candle is never just a candle. It is a vessel. It holds memory, comfort, and intention. The soft crackle of a wood wick. The clean, slow burn of small-batch soy wax. The fragrance that finds you in a quiet moment and says: you are home.

When you bring one of my candles into your space, you are choosing handmade over mass-made. You are supporting autism awareness. You are standing behind a Nana from a small town with a big dream and hands that pour every single one with love.

Learn more about how we make our candles. About Jenire Designs →

Thank you for being here. Thank you for letting my light be part of your story.

— Linda Sofia Ortiz, Founder, Jenire Designs