By Emily Kestel Imagine pulling open the door to a small neighborhood bakery. The homey smell of yeast, butter, sugar and spices gently wafts through the air. You peruse the counters for freshly baked sourdough bread and pie to take home to share with the people you love the most. Read more…
By Emily Kestel We’ve all been to business industry conferences where schedules are packed-to-the-gills with sessions on strategies, innovations and words of wisdom. The first-ever FemCity Des Moines Beyond Business Conference went, well, beyond that. The conference, which was geared toward women and gender-nonconforming business members and entrepreneurs, mostly focused Read more…
By Emily Kestel If you had told Dr. Andy McGuire in 2002 that in 20 years, the United Way of Central Iowa’s Women United program would raise more than $26 million toward early childhood education, it’s safe to say she wouldn’t have believed you. “We had no idea this thing Read more…
By Suzanna de Baca, President and CEO, Business Publications Corp. When I was starting out my post-MBA career in the male-dominated world of investment management, there were few women in the business. I got a lot of comments about my appearance. One of my colleagues regularly and publicly remarked on Read more…
By Sara Bishop, communications specialist, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa’s “I Am Enough” mentoring program empowers young girls in our community. “I am proud to serve as an ‘I Am Enough’ champion alongside 30 phenomenal women. These women are outstanding community Read more…
By Emily Kestel When a group of 27 women met at the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act was weeks away from becoming law. Hillary Clinton was a year away from giving her famous “women’s rights are human rights” speech. Third-wave feminism was Read more…
By Emily Kestel, Fearless editor The ideas of how people perceive success and ambition have always piqued my interest. For a while, I equated success with making a lot of money, achieving big things and having an outsized impact on the world. But as I got older and joined the Read more…
By Sarah Bogaards, Business Record staff writer Hometown: Mount Pleasant/Clinton Education: Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Wartburg College; Juris Doctor, University of Iowa; Ph.D. in education, Drake University Family: Husband, four children Age: 52 Contact: president.keck@grandview.edu Since July, Rachelle Keck has been getting acquainted with Grand View University, its students, Read more…
Three members of first Idea Accelerator Iowa City cohort study child care workforce crisis By Emily Kestel If child care workers in Iowa were given a $4 per hour pay increase, what would that give them? Breathing room. Ease of mind. A weight off their shoulders. A feeling of validation Read more…
A Closer Look: Sheri Penney, employer engagement director, Iowa Women’s Foundation By Emily Kestel Hometown: Lives in Osage, originally from Williamsburg Family: Husband Chris; twin 10-year old boys, Hayden and Holden; daughter Caroline, 8 Education: Kirkwood Community College, bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Iowa Hobbies: Teaching fitness classes, Read more…