Akwaaba is a common greeting in the Akhan language used in Ghana. It means “welcome.” The phrase perfectly embodied what Nana Ouro-Agoro hoped to support in the Quad Cities — a welcoming place for all. Ouro-Agoro is the founder of Akwaaba QC, a nonprofit that supports immigrants and refugees from Read more…
Maanya Pandey’s life is a balancing act. The Waukee native is in her junior year at the University of Iowa. She’s majoring in public health on the pre-medicine track, preparing to take entrance exams for medical school. She’s a member of a South Asian fusion dance team. She’s also the Read more…
Connection is one of our Fearless core values. We strive to connect our audience with new thoughts and perspectives in our weekly e-newsletter. Guest contributors are key to this. In 2024, we published columns about barriers to homeownership for women, mental health care in Iowa, investing and reaching financial success, Read more…
Hope Ministries will open a new 100-bed center this fall that will greatly expand the organization’s abilities to serve women experiencing homelessness in Des Moines. The new facility has space for amenities the organization hasn’t been able to provide before. Dedicated classrooms for learning instead of couches and kitchen tables. Read more…
By Macey Shofroth, Fearless staff writer Mary Harris had only been selling her food at Home Slice for two weeks before her signature cinnamon rolls became the talk of the region. Harris owns Taste of Comfort, through which she sells home-baked goods and meals. She’s become a staple of farmers Read more…
As told to Mathany Ahmed Natalie Andrade founded an organization to support the needs of Latina students in 2020 and helped them tell their stories for the first time. She advocated for survivors of sexual abuse, with a focus on the particular challenges of Latina survivors. Last year, she shared Read more…
BY CALAN SMIDT Editor’s note: This essay discusses suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. As a parent, one of the most harrowing experiences imaginable is watching your child battle with any illness Read more…
Jefas to partner with Fearless initiative BY CHRISTINA FERNÁNDEZ-MORROW, JEFAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editor’s note: Fearless will be sharing one Jefas Magazine story in the first e-newsletter of the month through November. In this column, Jefas Editor-in-Chief Christina Fernández-Morrow shares more about the new magazine’s origin and purpose.Jefas: Latinas in Business Magazine showcases Read more…
BY EMILY BARSKE WOOD, SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR, AND NICOLE GRUNDMEIER, STAFF WRITER Connection is one of our Fearless core values. We strive to connect our audience with new thoughts and perspectives in our weekly e-newsletter. Guest contributors are key to this. Those who contribute opinion and commentary pieces ensure Fearless is inclusive by giving Read more…
(Editor’s note: A press release for this award popped into my email recently. It made my week. I had not seen Barbara Mack’s name in print for so very long. Mack, a longtime Iowa State University professor and First Amendment lawyer, was a previous recipient of the Young Women’s Resource Read more…