Best of Brooklyn: Brooklyn woman named finalist in Etsy Design Awards

Etsy is one of the more popular e-commerce websites out there, and it is based right in Brooklyn.
As part of the company's first-ever design competition, a local businesswoman has made her way all the way to the finals.
Linda Wong started her company, Canopy Verde, about 10 years ago, but she says it wasn't until a few years in when things really took off.
“I started out with a very small handbag collection at first. The last three years, I expanded the range so I've had card cases, wallets, those are on the lower end of the price range, I'm doing backpacks, now travel bags,” says Wong.

Wong created an eco-friendly vegan handbag line, even though she had no design experience.

“I’m inspired by kind of random things. I love ceramics, I love Scandinavian furniture, and so I kind of go to those and think how would I translate these into bags so very simple lines, but interesting textures different colors,” says Wong.

Her most popular seller and what landed her a finalist in the Etsy Design Awards is the “Greenpoint vegan backpack.”
It is a backpack that doubles as an oversize tote for work or for play.

"I don't care that much about the prize, I would just be so honored, I mean I'm already honored to be a finalist. I don't aspire to win it, there's so many makers on Etsy, but that would be icing on the cake,” says Wong.
Wong tells News 12 she's just happy that for the past 10 years that she's been able to do what she loves.

"I wanted to create a company on my own terms, small batch production, not so much waste, eco-friendly and handbags that I would carry myself,” says Wong.

So what's next for Canopy Verde?
“I think I need more medium-sized bag, some more like a hobo handbag type bag, so I'm working on that now,” says Wong.

Wong will find out next week whether or not that $15,000 prize and Etsy trophy are headed her way.