Karla Rendall arrived in Des Moines in 1999 with a new degree in special education and the goal of finding a teaching job. While the path she eventually took has allowed her to educate others, it looked much different than she anticipated. “I had gone into a local commercial bank Read more…
NAWBO Iowa’s past presidents share perspectives Iowa’s chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners gathered on Dec. 2 for its 2025 Celebration of Excellence and honored the accomplishments of women business owners across the state. The group honored three women: Barb Kniff McCulla, hall of fame legacy honoree; Read more…
Five years ago, the Business Record launched Fearless. Our goal is simple: We want to empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. Through our weekly e-newsletter, ongoing print features and events, we have worked to live up to our mission. We’ve told countless stories that have both inspired Read more…
As told to Macey Shofroth | Photo by Duane Tinkey Lalonyo AnyaCeng was born in a refugee camp in Uganda. Her parents had fled conflict in South Sudan while her mother was pregnant with her. She spent the first 16 years of her life in refugee camps. Her family was Read more…
When Tar and Erika Macias, CEO and publisher of Hola America Media Group, opened registration for the first Latina Business Excellence Summit in 2024, they hoped to get 150 participants. They reached that goal quickly. So they opened up 50 more tickets. Then they reached 200 participants, so they opened up 50 Read more…
Jenny Steffensmeier’s journey to owning Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing was not easy. But it began with a love story. Her husband, Ben, owned the small business in Pilot Grove, Iowa. He learned blacksmithing and welding from a local man named Butch, who was said to be the best of the Read more…
Women business ownership rates are growing at a rapid pace. Even so, female entrepreneurs continue to face barriers in accessing capital and opportunities to grow their businesses. The Fearless team hosted our first Fearless Focus event of 2025 on April 17, focusing on women business owners and their entrepreneurship journeys. Read more…
Event details:Thursday, April 17 | Noon to 1 p.m. | Virtual | Register for free The 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report showed that women-owned businesses employ almost 12.2 million people and that the number of women-owned businesses between 2019 and 2023 increased at nearly double the rate of those owned 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…
NAWBO Iowa honors exemplary local women business owners at 2024 Celebration of Excellence One day last month, I had a typical day of meetings and errands: I had a coffee meeting at a local establishment; popped into a neighborhood salon to get a gift certificate to give to a friend; Read more…