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…
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…
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…
As told to Nicole Grundmeier Trang Pham is the owner of the Eggroll Ladies in Des Moines. She also works full time for the Iowa Army National Guard, where in 2016 she became the first Iowa woman infantry officer after the ban on women to serve in combat arms within Read more…
BY CHRISTINA FERNANDEZ-MORROW FOR JEFAS: LATINAS IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE Editor’s note: Fearless will be sharing one Jefas Magazine story in the first e-newsletter of the month through November. Jefas: Latinas in Business Magazine showcases Latina entrepreneurs. Find the magazine online and at Latina-owned businesses across Iowa, the Quad Cities, Chicago and Nebraska. To Read more…