Lindsay Pinchuk, small business advocate and founder of the “Dear FoundHer…” podcast, chatted with Studio 512 about Texas-based women who are making history during Women’s History Month.
1. Jaclynn Brennan, Founder of Fyli
“Austin-based Fyli is a company investing in the future of female entrepreneurship as a community catalyst and mastermind of female business owners. Fyli helps early stage female founders succeed in all aspects of their lives. They offer education, mentorship, accountability, leadership advancement and funding opportunities.”
2. Heather Miller and Alexa Curtis, Founders of GrasshoppHer
“Based right here in Austin, GrasshoppHer is a career road mapping platform and community, designed to connect you with industry leaders and empower you to reach your fullest potential. Whatever it is you’re looking for – simply upping your game, or landing your next gig or being your own boss, Heather and Alexa have assembled an affordable membership (there is a virtual option OR one that meets right here in Austin in real life!). They are changing the way that women access experts and advice.”
3. Karena Dawn, Founder of Tone it Up and The Big Silence
“You may know this Austinite from her incredible fitness company, Tone It Up. but Karena Dawn is changing the conversation surrounding mental health through her non-profit: The Big Silence, which provides resources and support to anyone impacted by mental illness. Karena knows from experience that suffering in silence only reinforces the stigma surrounding mental health issues, so she’s doing something about it.”
“Dallas-based Ampersand is incredible as they are eliminating the education to employment skills gap through their offering. Ampersand is a professional development training platform that businesses, career services departments, non-profits, municipalities and job seekers use to create a more thriving workforce. They teach new professionals how to be professional. As an employee, you can take their courses to achieve career readiness. As an employer, you can use their program to upskill new hires in an easy and cost-effective way. Ultimately this helps to retain employees and sets your team up for long term success.”
5. Mahisha Dellinger, Founder of CURLS and Black Women Making Millions Academy
“While Mahisha has built an empire from her haircare products, she’s passing on the lessons she’s learned as a founder through the Black Women Making Millions Academy, which is set to help 25,000 Black female-owned businesses with over 450 million dollars of free resources. She knows good mentorship is priceless, and Mahisha is determined to return the favor to other Black women who encounter obstacles in the business world.”
6. Tammy Spencer of the Dyslexia School of Houston
“After working for many years in the Houston Public School system, Tammy Spencer saw first-hand that there just weren’t enough resources for kids with a dyslexia diagnosis. To solve these problems and provide what so many of her students come to know as “the first good instruction,” she launched a school specifically for students who aren’t receiving the education they need through traditional curriculum, changing hundreds of lives at a time.”
7. Susie Sarich, Founder of Susie Cakes
“You may know Susie for her amazing bakery which has many Texas locations, but something you may not know is that part of why Susie started her company was to provide a place where women could work in hospitality AND have a family because they weren’t working all night or all weekend long. Family is so incredibly important to Susie and that is apparent in everything that she does.”
“Jean and her Dallas-based brand is changing the face of beauty by offering beauty products for simply $1. Jean and her team have revolutionized the process of getting quality products into the hands of consumers at a reasonable cost by eliminating marketing costs, cutting packaging costs and the overall process of working with manufacturers.”
9. Tara Ballantine, Founder of Bright Littles
“Tara is changing how conversations are had between parents and kids. She has two core products: Conversation Cards and her Journals. Tara says that we get ONE SHOT as parents to get it right. Today’s word is so complicated and Tara’s products are helping parents navigate through the complications and have open and honest conversations with their kids. Her products change lives.”
Lindsay’s interviewed all of these women and so many more for her “Dear FoundHer…” podcast. You check out the podcast for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Also take a look at The “Dear FoundHer…” website and Instagram, @dearfoundher for even more amazing women. If you’re a founder and want to share your story, head on over to DearFoundHer.com.
