Meet 5 inspiring Iowa women in this year’s Fearless publication
Four 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 audience members and offered analysis of gender inequity in our state. We will continue to do so as we move into year five and beyond. We could not do this work without Iowans being willing to share their stories and audience members who care very deeply. Learn more about our statewide initiative here.
Marshalltown’s Natalie Andrade turned self-advocacy into advocating for others
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 her thoughts with legislators at the state Capitol.
Her advocacy is just getting started, as she only graduated high school this May.
A medical scare helped Tara Geddes, a Le Mars nursing leader, better understand empathy
Tara Geddes started her nursing career in 2001, first providing specialized care for surgical and oncology patients. Having built some management experience, in 2014, Geddes joined Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars as community health manager, a public health position particularly important during the pandemic, before being named the chief nursing officer in 2021. As she’s risen through the ranks in her industry, she obtained education for the skills she felt she lacked. A terrifying medical experience in her own family has informed the kind of care she hopes to provide patients.
Black Iowa News founder Dana James connects Iowans
Dana James was born and raised in Des Moines, and she’s made it her mission to tell stories that center Black Iowans’ lived experiences and amplify their voices. She founded Black Iowa News in 2020 and the Black Iowa Newspaper in 2023.
She writes the column New Black Iowa on Substack as a member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative and is a member of the national Black News Link.
How Sara Kurovski, Pleasant Hill’s first woman mayor, led her city through a devastating tornado
Sara Kurovski is the mayor of Pleasant Hill and is also the president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Iowa. On April 26, an EF-2 tornado tore through her Des Moines suburb of more than 10,000 residents. Kurovski had learned an important leadership lesson from previous emergencies: In those first critical moments, you have to sit back and wait while your team does its job. Her first job out of college was with Metro Waste Authority, which quietly put her on the road to becoming Pleasant Hill’s first woman mayor at 29 years old.
How trailblazing immigrant Trang Pham empowers other women, girls with the Eggroll Ladies
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 the military was lifted. Pham was born in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, and immigrated to the United States at 6 years old in 2000. A self-identified troubled kid with a rebellious streak, she became the first girl to play tackle football at Stilwell Junior High School in West Des Moines. Pham started her business by making egg rolls and selling them for friends and community members in need of financial assistance. The Eggroll Ladies officially became a business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
