Our Beginnings

Dweller comes from a way of living that finds light in everyday life.

From showing up quietly. From giving fully, even when there was little to give.

We learned this way of living from Nene.

A way of seeing the world

Nene noticed small things. She had a way of making ordinary moments feel light.

Nothing needed to be grand to matter.

Nene's way of seeing shapes how we work.

We pay attention to what is close.

We choose ingredients that have long been part of daily life.

A way of making choices

Choices were simple. Use what is near. Waste nothing. Do right by people.

If something could be done with care, it should be. If it can be rushed, it shouldn’t.

This guides how Dweller grows.

A way of showing up daily

Nene didn’t speak much about principles. She showed them in the way she lived.

Steady. Reliable. Fully present.

Giving with a full heart, even on days when there was little to give.

That way of showing up lives on

It lives on in the women who prepare each ingredient and know these fruits and herbs by memory, and in the quiet dignity of work done with care.

It shapes how we work, and what we choose to make.

Dweller is how I learned that staying close can be a way of growing.

- Eli, Dweller

For a long time, I thought Dweller was my story of coming home.

It was the truth, but not the whole truth.

It came from my Nene.

Read Eli's note