Steph Krim

Steph Krim is the founder and creative force behind Good Things Vending, a Chicago-based company that reimagines vending machines as community-driven art galleries and treasure hunts. She launched the company in 2018, drawing on her background in hospitality and non-profit work to create something that blended her love of playfulness with practical business.

Krim's fascination with vending machines began during her early life in Japan, where her family's antique toys and games auction business exposed her to unexpected forms of commerce and community interaction. Her mother, a working artist, provided a creative foundation that would later inform Good Things Vending's artist-first ethos.

Based in Chicago, Good Things Vending places machines in cultural venues, breweries, galleries, and public spaces, each stocked with rotating local art, vintage items, and oddities. The company has become a fixture in the city's artistic ecosystem, collaborating with hundreds of local makers and drawing media attention from outlets including USA Today, WBEZ, and the Kelly Clarkson Show.

Krim's approach is rooted in accessibility and joy — she believes vending machines can serve as spontaneous storefronts that introduce people to new artists and nostalgic objects in everyday settings. Under her leadership, Good Things Vending has expanded from a single experimental machine into a fleet of locations, while maintaining its commitment to community collaboration and creative risk-taking.