When Jessica Trinidad decided she wanted to pursue a new career in voiceover work, she simply found someone she admired and reached out. “Before I even knew what networking meant, I just started to connect with people,” Trinidad said. “I found my coach in New York in a post on Read more…
The Business Record has named Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines president Kristi Knous the 2026 Women of Influence Alum of the Year. The annual award was launched in 2024 to celebrate one of the past Women of Influence who has continued making an impact since being honored by the Read more…
Heather Schott calls herself a disruptor. “That’s who I am, through and through,” she said. “If you give me a process and I see efficiencies, I’m going to work towards it. I enjoy looking for better ways or disrupting the way we have always done things.” Disrupting has looked like Read more…
Author’s note: This article is the third in a multipart series exploring the power of mentorship in shaping modern leadership. Inspired by a recent Fearless survey in which 86% of respondents reported that a mentor directly supported their career advancement, I set out to understand why mentorship remains one of Read more…
Author’s note: This article is the second in a multipart series exploring the power of mentorship in shaping modern leadership. Inspired by a recent Fearless survey in which 86% of respondents reported that a mentor directly supported their career advancement, I set out to understand why mentorship remains one of Read more…
Angela Franklin believes in remaining open to unexpected opportunities. It’s been a staple of her career. She planned to become a clinical psychologist and haveher own mental health practice. After completing her undergraduate degree from Furman University and her doctorate in clinical psychology at Emory University, she took a position Read more…
Patricia Barbee has worked with children her entire career, but she noticed a dearth of services for middle school-aged kids when she began substitute teaching for Des Moines Public Schools. “Elementary school programs get funding, high school programs get funding. Middle school is like the land of the lost. Who cares Read more…
By Kate Hayden At some point in January 2020, I could tell my body was struggling. I knew how to listen. By then, it had been 12 years since I was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and I was long past the carousel of medications and strict routines Read more…
Editor’s note: Names of the three campers in this essay have been changed to protect their privacy. I first met Lylah, Grace and Josie when they were 14. Each girl bounded up the stairs into the circle of cabins with wide smiles on their faces, clamoring to get inside and Read more…
What if the biggest barrier to women’s leadership isn’t a lack of ability, but a lack of self-recognition of their identity as leaders? I’ve seen this phenomenon in action. When I worked in financial services, I had a colleague named Patricia, a talented woman who — even without formal authority Read more…