Janna

Janna Willoughby-Lohr is an artist, poet, musician, speaker and entrepreneur. Her business, Papercraft Miracles, is an eco-friendly handmade paper art company. They make magical things out of paper that bring meaning and connection to people's lives. Specializing in sustainable weddings, events, corporate gifting and custom orders, Janna and her team create “miracles” that are handcrafted with love and a little bit of magic at their solar-powered studio in Buffalo, NY.

She was awarded a $25,000 Ignite Buffalo Grant in 2018 and was named 40-Under-40 from Stationery Trends Magazine in 2019. In 2021, her team created 500,000 seed bombs for Lowe’s Spring Garden Giveaway event. Janna was also a contestant on Meet Your Makers Showdown, a crafting competition TV show on discovery+. She was awarded the Women in Manufacturing Award from Business First in 2023. Additionally, she was the winner of the She Means Business pitch competition in 2024. She was named NAWBO Top 10 Women Business Owner of the Year in 2021 & 2025. She was also named the 2025 SBA Women-Owned Small Business Person of the Year for the Buffalo District and was given a Luminary Award from the University at Buffalo Startup & Innovation CoLab.

Her paper flowers were included in Before & After Again at the Buffalo AKG Museum–an exhibit honoring the victims of the mass shooting at Tops grocery store in Buffalo. Janna’s work has been also displayed at the Aspen Art Museum, Weeks Gallery, 500 Main Gallery, WNY Book Arts, CEPA, Castellani Art Museum, Carnegie Arts Center, Hyatt’s, Eden Cafe, Merge, Impact Gallery, Rust Belt Books & Space 224. She’s created custom art for Pinterest, Twitter and Capital One and recently created custom gifts for Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire.

She is the host of Reach the Stars Podcast--which features inspiring stories of persistence, passion and purpose. Janna is a board member and Chair of the Economic Development Committee and the DEIB committee for NAWBO’s Buffalo/Niagara Chapter and is a founding member of their Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. Janna recently launched a course called The Art of Business & The Business of Art–a comprehensive masterclass in creative entrepreneurship. She is using a portion of the proceeds to fund an initiative called the Mama Birdie Childcare Fund to provide childcare at professional development events.

Janna is a proud mama to three little kiddos. She likes bright colors, giggling and things that are small.