Ashley Busenius Coy

When Ashley Busenius Coy moved from Vancouver, B.C., to the Coachella Valley 14 years ago, she came for love — and stayed to grow a business that has become part of the fabric of the desert. As co-owner of  Windmill City, she heads up operations and major accounts, producing custom merchandise for clients ranging from Stagecoach to Desert X and running the company’s souvenir shop, Windmill City Super #1. “We produce two-thirds of our merch ourselves in collaboration with local designers,” she says, “in addition to providing California-based small-business brands and goods.”

Coy joined Windmill City as a stopgap between jobs but quickly discovered a passion for the work. Alongside her husband, she has grown the business by 1,000 percent, expanding into wholesale while continuing to emphasize well-made products and local partnerships. “We’ve been able to collaborate with some amazing local businesses and organizations,” she says, noting products that have raised funds for Mojave Desert Land Trust, Desert X, and Chuckwalla National Monument. Seeing their pieces “out in the wild,” worn and loved long after they leave the store, will never get old.

“One of our guiding principles at Windmill City is to create quality products that stand the test of time,” Coy says. “We want to create something that leaves a positive impact.”