At its various educational programs – be they presentations at schools or summer camps, booths at libraries or parks, or talks at any number of other Cincinnati events and locales – volunteers for the 501(c)(3) non-profit RAPTOR Inc. tend to describe their organization quite succinctly: we’re a hospital for birds of prey. 

Burnet Woods, the 90-acre park near the University of Cincinnati in Clifton, is an important stopover for many migratory bird species. After an arduous flight north or south, a brief sojourn in the park for a scarlet tanager in the spring or a pine warbler in the fall could mean the difference between life and death. Here, beside a pond of gently quacking pairs of mallard ducks, I had the delightful opportunity to meet Ash Conway, the founder of the birding group Queer Birders of Cincinnati. 

I met with Amanda Laskowski on a rainy spring day at Vessel Collective in Bellevue, Kentucky. Although the weather was dreary, the space where we sat was bright and welcoming: two words that also spring to mind to describe Amanda and the energy she brings to Cincy Postpartum and her work with new moms all over the region.

What can be better than attending an event full of people dedicated to energizing their city and each other? Everything feels more meaningful when you think about the time, energy, sweat, and tears that go into organizing a book reading, or speaker series. By being intentional with our time, our empathy, and our cash, we can support the people building up communities and uplifting others. 

With new art exhibits, performances, Black History Month programs, Women’s History Month events, concerts, sweet treats, and more, you can celebrate our community by supporting locally organized events. 

Soumya Jaiswal drives the fight for reproductive health care and abortion access on and off UC’s campus. Throughout our conversation, Soumya mentioned the tenets of the reproductive justice movement – centralizing the inherent right of bodily autonomy, addressing other issues that quell an individual’s rights, uplifting intersectionality, giving the power to govern back to the people, and emphasizing the strength of collective movement. 

Findlay Kitchen on Elm St. is alive with energy and smells. At its core, Findlay Kitchen is a co-working space for those whose business is really good food. In the early hours of the morning, sounds of timers beeping and phones answered with a “Yes, chef?” echo through the halls lined with kitchens – offices for food making. Assistants cart bread through the halls, and cookies bake in an oven nearby as I talked with Dora Cheng. 

With each spring comes the growing flowers and the opportunity to grow our connection to our community. With the warming weather and daylight here to stay, we can foster our neighborhood roots by supporting local small businesses and encouraging others to shop small too.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Cincinnati wrestling champion and trailblazer Heather Owens at the Northern Wrestling Federation's Bonekrushers National Pro Wrestling Training Center. 

This month, we spoke with Ashley Glass of Black Women Cultivating Change about the journey of entrepreneurship. 

We celebrate Black stories all year. Women of Cincy’s staff gathered just a few snippets from interviews over the years that celebrate the unique perspectives, culture, mindsets, familial and community connections, and influences that arise from the Black experience. Celebrating Black stories is not just one action but instead is made up of many individual stories that coincide together. You can celebrate more Black stories with us here. 

This semester we welcome three new residents to our team! Over the course of the semester, these students, Karley Cappel, Isabella Avendaño, and Angie Bolan, will have hands-on experience editing articles, writing social media posts, creating newsletters, researching projects, and much more! We’re excited to have them as a part of the Women of Cincy community. 

Ready to escape the grey clouds and cold weather? We are, too! That’s why we assembled just a few of the many events happening around town this month. With new art exhibits, dance performances, Black History Month programs, sweet treats, crafting, and more, you can celebrate our community by supporting locally organized events.

With the weather turning, and the Cincinnati summer fading as the months march on, our community continues to reveal hidden treasures, and I’m sure many of us only brushed the surface. With new and recurring events, gatherings, and get-togethers, there are numerous ways to support and connect with your community this autumn.

The Women of Cincy residency isn’t like any other journalism or communications internship; our residents are not nameless fact-checkers – we want them to leave with both professional and personal growth; we want them to go out into the world more confident and capable human beings.

Each June for 35 years, Lydia Morgan has brought the Cincinnati community together to celebrate Juneteenth – gathering in Eden Park to eat, listen to music, dance, connect, and remember. Lydia takes us through the complicated feelings around the holiday, the family-friendly activities at the Festival, and relearning history through joy and celebration.

Mothers are pathmakers for the younger generation. Caretakers who lead with courage, strength, and empathy – all values which we uphold at Women of Cincy. To little surprise, when asked who the most influential woman in their life is, many of our interviewees immediately thought of their mother.

March is here, and with it, the promise of spring and warm weather – it’s also time for Women's History Month!

Each Women’s History Month provides a unique opportunity to celebrate the contribution that women in our community, and around the world, have made throughout history and today. Women, especially women of color, have historically been kept from the conversation, and their contributions and talent are buried or overlooked.

The Women of Cincy residency isn’t like any other journalism or communications internship; our residents are not nameless fact-checkers – we want them to leave with both professional and personal growth; we want them to go out into the world more confident and capable human beings.

Welcome to 2022. I want to share emotional and life-defining decisions accompanied by a three day thought process.

Like many people throughout the world, I encountered losses due to Covid-19. My Covid-19 Calendar has birthed (and continues to birth) “seasons of challenges”.

We know that the past two years have been rough for everyone – us included. But, we’re still here and the need to create more empathy and connection across our communities is growing. Centering diverse voices through story is how we begin to break down barriers and local stories are important vehicles in which we can learn from one another and create change in our communities.

Y’all, I’m so thrilled to share this one with you finally. I had the chance to have a phone conversation with Natalie Andrews, a sex and relationship therapist, to address a few things that we, as women, deal with daily!

As a Women of Cincy resident, I had the opportunity to interview a team member for this month’s Community Mix Collection. Abby Farr, business owner, and free-spirited entrepreneur talked with me about her store, Tillage Clothing. Her store sells sustainable clothing and a portion of each profit is donated to an organization that directly aids survivors of sex trafficking.

As a life-long writer, Kristyn has always had a knack for storytelling. Her writing background eventually led her to Women of Cincy, where she has been a writer for nearly four years. Since joining the team, Kristyn has used her aptitude for writing to help others share their stories and speak their truth. She has also used her editing skills to become the founder and entrepreneur of Krystal Clear Editing LLC.

At the end of every interview, we ask our interviewees about influential women in their lives, and each Mother’s Day, we compile the times our interviewees mentioned their mothers in their answers. Across all these interviews, one thread is evident: to be a mother is to persevere, constantly.

At Women of Cincy, our feature articles are in the Q&A format because we want our interviewees to speak to our audience in their own words. However, as journalists and editors, sometimes things get cut for time or clarity. Editors live and die by time and clarity, and editing for these principles is a daily practice in all newsrooms, including ours.

Okay, y’all. Now that we have rounded the corner into 2021, let’s talk about things we need to keep and things we need to let go of this year!

Blackness should be celebrated year-round, not just in February. However, this month brings the chance for people to intentionally reflect and learn more about the long, and often hidden, history of Black people in our country. High school history classes around the country are profoundly guilty of omitting Black history in their curriculum, and 28 days is certainly not enough time to dismantle a long cycle of educational exclusion. We’ve curated a list of books specifically detailing the history of Black people in Cincinnati by local historians, scholars, and writers as one way to help fill this gap.

This isn’t your typical “letter from the executive director,” nor your typical year at your typical nonprofit. 2020 began with high hopes and expectations as Women of Cincy entered our first year as a nonprofit organization. From our origin as an Instagram account in 2017 to evolve into a full-fledged media organization, Women of Cincy’s journey to this moment has been wild. In 2020, we quickly realized that not only was the year going to throw curveball after curveball into our plans – but it was also going to be the year we had to fight to survive, take a hard look at ourselves, and rewrite the rules.

Be so real with me right now. Dating was already tough pre-pandemic, then add on everything else that has been 2020. And what now? Are we supposed to date virtually? I mean it was already confusing enough trying to figure out which app to use, and which pictures to upload.

Dr. Hou-mei 后楣 Sung 宋 knows the challenge of overseeing an East Asian collection in a Western art museum. The collection, housed in a wing of the Cincinnati Art Museum, consists of paintings on scrolls, pottery, statues, plates, knives, armor – and one very special mirror – that were gifts, donations, or are on loan. Throughout our time together on a cold February afternoon, Dr. Sung emphasized the importance of art education in breaking down cultural and language barriers. 

Ready to escape the grey clouds and cold weather? We are, too! That’s why we assembled just a few of the many events happening around town this month. With new art exhibits, dance performances, Black History Month programs, sweet treats, crafting, and more, you can celebrate our community by supporting locally organized events.

As another year comes to a close, we are reminded again of how important it is to support your local small businesses during the holiday season. Where you spend your dollar matters – using your dollar to uplift local businesses strengthens the community and our city. The good news is that we have a wealth of hidden small business treasures all around, ready to be found! The holidays are a time to give to our loved ones – let’s include our city and community on our list this year.

There may be no better place to spend a rainy Monday evening than amid the shelves of a cozy bookstore. Add coffee, laughter, and great conversation, and it’s instant magic.

This was the setting in early June when I sat down with Sheila Williams at Roebling Point Books & Coffee. Williams is the author of six novels, including Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, adapted into a Netflix film starring Alfre Woodard in 2018, The Secret Women, and the recently released Things Past Telling. Today, Williams calls northern Kentucky home, but she proudly notes that she is “a product of Columbus Public Schools.”

A career in fiction writing seemed out of reach for Emery, but she had been writing from a young age. She started writing with silly, sarcastic, and fun end-of-year newsletters that her parents sent out to their friends – in one, she talked about how her brother won the Nobel Prize at 10! So it makes sense that she eventually landed in writing young adult fiction and that she’s still writing today with five books published. Emery and I talked about being passionate about what you’re writing, the core questions at the center of books, and whether writers are our characters.

Each day begins with big toothy smiles,

But these tragic events have left us all in denile.

There is no answer or magic potion

No way to quell the brimming sea of emotions.

Anne Saker is a firecracker of a woman. In her line of work, you have to be. A self-proclaimed “servant of the people,” Anne has taken her role as a journalist with great pride and even greater dedication. She’s had an expansive career from North Carolina, to Portland, to Cincinnati. It was in Cincinnati that she chose to finish her years as an active journalist at the Enquirer.

Even before I had the chance to meet her in person, I had a hunch that Kathryne Gardette’s energy was something special. Her texts and emails regularly begin with anything from “magnificent Monday” to “spectacular Saturday” and always ALWAYS sign off with an invitation to “share your joy.”

“Cincinnati Is Beautiful.”—This simple and colorful mural in Camp Washington, just off Martin Luther King Drive near its overpass with Central Parkway, catches my eye every time I drive past it to get to the University of Cincinnati. Heading downtown, as I walk or drive around Over-the-Rhine, I take a closer look at the doors and walls of some boarded buildings and am often surprised to find them painted with cute door knobs, windows, and flower boxes.

How can you sum up a person in just a few sentences with a few lines of text on a page? Raneem Salem is too infinite to be condensed into a few paragraphs, especially when his life is about creating space; space for freedom, for creative self-expression. He creates spaces like Girls Rock Cincinnati, a music and arts camp for girls and gender-variant youth, where he serves as executive director. Raneem co-founded the Cincinnati branch of Girls Rock in 2018; it’s a space he wishes he had as a child to explore his own gender and power. Raneem identifies as transmasculine but chose to interview based on his historical proximity to womanhood.

Blackness should be celebrated year-round, not just in February. However, this month brings the chance for people to intentionally reflect and learn more about the long, and often hidden, history of Black people in our country. High school history classes around the country are profoundly guilty of omitting Black history in their curriculum, and 28 days is certainly not enough time to dismantle a long cycle of educational exclusion. We’ve curated a list of books specifically detailing the history of Black people in Cincinnati by local historians, scholars, and writers as one way to help fill this gap.

To step into Grainwell is to step into a rustic charm interior design wonderland. Nestled within the historic, red-bricked West Pike Street in Covington, Kentucky, Grainwell has established itself as the go-to place for sentimental family gifts and modern design.

The sisters behind the shop and business – Christine, Michele, and Melyssa – never set out to create a multi-faceted business; rather, it snowballed into one. They began by pursuing their interests in design by making items for family and friends while they were in school. Eventually, they teamed up and brought their collective skills together to form Grainwell. Their business now provides custom corporate work, wholesale items, and in-store shopping.

Erika Nj Allen is a soft, spoken, beautiful soul from Guatemala. She’s been on my mind for the past two days as I ponder what to write for her introduction. Should I describe Erika’s studio, where everything had a purpose and a reason why it was there? Should I describe her beautiful soul? Or maybe I should take a cue from her story and highlight how Erika comes full circle over 30 plus years – all of it starting in Guatemala with a letter of invitation to a U.S. art school she couldn’t, at the time, accept.

This list began with a simple question that came to me one evening. It was after a long day of reading about the protests in Cincinnati sparked by the death of George Floyd. As the wave of peaceful protesters marched down the historic streets of our city, the question emerged, “What do I know about the history of Black people in Cincinnati?” The answer was a resounding, “Almost nothing.”

In this weird, uncertain time it is more imperative than ever to showcase female-owned businesses in our area and financially support our plucky entrepreneurs. It’s also not a bad time to treat yo’self as we hole up at home.

For the three hours we visited with Radha, Emily and I were transported into her enchanting world. We drank refreshing herbal tea in a home filled Indian artifacts on walls, tables, couches - even the teacups felt unique. The most seemingly innocent item in the house has its own story, and Radha is a beautiful storyteller who knows how to invite you in her world in which, for those moments, the enchantment is quite real.

I had gone from being a happy, energetic college student to someone who could sleep for 12+ hours and still lack the zest necessary to pour a cup of tea. The transformation was truly bewildering. This was no simple vitamin deficiency or hormonal imbalance. I was suffering from seasonal affective disorder. 

So, it started when I met this woman, and she was collecting saris – which are Indian fabrics – for refugee women to make purses. She showed me some pictures of those purses, and, you know, in the back of my head, I was like, "Do they sell these? They should be selling them.” They looked outstanding.

I asked her, and she said, "No, we just make them for fun." From there I started brainstorming ways to help them sell those products and get a little bit of financial independence. I knew that immigrant women – especially when they don't speak English – don't have a lot of freedom on what they can do. So that's where it all came about. I was able to relate their experiences to my own immigrant experience. While I only understand a snippet of their struggle, it drove me to want to make a change.

Q: Who is Ratee at this moment?

A: I'm a newly retired professor from the U.C. College of Business. I taught international business for 17 years. I am the founder of the Cincinnati Sister City Association (Mysore, India) and also the founder and executive director of the Indian Film Festival. I'm also a co-founder and vice president of the consulting firm, Artesia Global Consulting, and an entrepreneur. I run a commodities business called Tellicherry Pepper.

We met Chris Ashwell and Shawn Braley at MOTR, the place where it – Cincy Stories’ first event – all began. Cincy Stories is a nonprofit centered around community and storytelling. In a time of divide, Chris and Shawn realized that sharing stories helps connect people; storytelling is what helps us come together and relate to one another.

Michelle’s studio is the result of a desire to uplift others and share confidence with everyone who walks through her door, and it shows. My chat with Michelle was memorable, enthusiastic, and even a bit emotional. And you better believe I tucked a few of her quotes away for days I need a little reminder that I, indeed, am capable of most anything.  

Cincinnati is a city alive with art, music, and theatre. Art is the heartbeat of our culture. It is present in every corner of the city, and it didn’t happen by accident. ArtsWave (formerly the Fine Arts Fund) focuses on funding the future of the arts and bringing it into the community. Alecia Kitner, president and CEO of ArtsWave, strives to keep the organization’s focus on what Cincinnati needs from the arts. That focus also helps ArtsWave make its funding decisions. We sat down with Alecia to discuss the upcoming POWER OF HER project and what that looks like for the community. 

Continuance is a community arts collective that takes memories and turns them into art. For the past year, they have collected memories in response to the prompt, "tell me about a place you cannot return to." The memories come in many forms: handwritten notes, letters, emails, audio recordings, Instagram messages, photographs, video interviews, and family dinners.

Women Breaking Boundaries is a new exhibit exploring the role of women in art and art history at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The exhibit is a part of a larger initiative called Power of Her, a collaboration of organizations across the greater Cincinnati region united to activate and amplify women’s voices in the arts.

The exhibition was curated by the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Dr. Ainsley M. Cameron. We caught up with Dr. Cameron in the October edition of Community Mix to learn more about the motivation behind Women Breaking Boundaries, the women featured, and Dr. Cameron’s own connection to the exhibit.

Summer is finally here and with it the thrill of finding a new favorite shop. If you need gifts for friends, want to reconnect with family, or are eager to stock up your summer reading list, ensure you support your local businesses and fellow Cincinnatians. With the sun out, explore your city – and bring your sunscreen!

Health Care Resources Plus, Inc. (HCRP) is a community-based healthcare company whose mission is to promote the health and safety of individuals, families, and communities through the provision of equitable health and medical services by positively impacting organizational policies that affect health. Everyone deserves access to quality health care. To that end, HCRP makes available diverse healthcare services that improve the quality of life and prevent unhealthy conditions. These services include nursing and medical services, education, training, occupational/worker, health care programming, and management. 

Findlay Kitchen on Elm St. is alive with energy and smells. At its core, Findlay Kitchen is a co-working space for those whose business is really good food. In the early hours of the morning, sounds of timers beeping and phones answered with a “Yes, chef?” echo through the halls lined with kitchens – offices for food making. Assistants cart bread through the halls, and cookies bake in an oven nearby as I talked with Dora Cheng. 

Galia began as a hope to modernize mental healthcare for women. Girls and women have long been struggling under the weight of the world's expectations with far too few resources and support. We are here to elevate the impact on girls and women by strengthening their mental health. 

This month, we spoke with Ashley Glass of Black Women Cultivating Change about the journey of entrepreneurship. 

This month, we meet with Dr. Emma Scmidt, founder of Emma Schmidt and Associates, Sex + Relationship Therapy, to discuss her experiences as a small business owner and how she takes care of herself while managing a busy life as an entrepreneur. 

Each month, we will ask one or more UPLIFT entrepreneurs about their journeys, and we’ll discover a new business and a new journey of entrepreneurship.

Small businesses embody everything we love about our city: their ability to create something out of nothing, operate with passion and attention to detail, foster community, and keep our dollars local is nothing short of amazing. At Women of Cincy, we know firsthand the work, care, and love that goes into these businesses because we’ve spent so many hours telling the stories of the faces behind the counter. So trust us when we say, SHOPPING LOCAL MATTERS. Read on to hear from the folks who make it work every day, and visit womenofcincy.org/uplift to view our directory of women-led products and services!

As another year comes to a close, we are reminded again of how important it is to support your local small businesses during the holiday season. Where you spend your dollar matters – using your dollar to uplift local businesses strengthens the community and our city. The good news is that we have a wealth of hidden small business treasures all around, ready to be found! The holidays are a time to give to our loved ones – let’s include our city and community on our list this year.

Growing up in Hong Kong, visiting bakeries every day for bread or pastries for breakfast was a big part of my life. It was something I dearly missed when I moved to the United States. I had a hard time finding creative pastries until roughly two years ago when my roommate brought home some ube croissants from Cafe Mochiko. Since then, I witnessed how the business and its reputation grew.

As a pastry lover and cafe explorer, I was over the moon when I found out Mochiko opened up its own brick-and-mortar cafe on Madison Road. I visited the sunlit cafe on a chilly fall morning. As I was sipping my hojicha milk tea, it felt like home. That was the moment I decided to chat with the cafe owners.

From her childhood stories to getting a physical space for Cafe Mochiko during COVID time, co-founder and chef Elaine shared with us her journey of finding herself and her connection with communities through cooking and food.

Spring has sprung again in the tri-state, and with it, picnics, graduation parties, and family reunions. Whether you’re looking for something special for Mother’s Day, a gift for the hostess, sweet treats to bring to a get-together, or new spring swag, make sure you’re supporting your local businesses and fellow Cincinnatians. With the flowers in bloom, explore your city – and here’s hoping the warm weather stays!

When we first met with Tia Rochelle, it was the beginning of 2020, just before all of our worlds upended. On the very last day of 2021, I spoke with Tia and we were at the height of the pandemic, unsure if things would ever return to “normal.”

Tia will tell you herself that when Women of Cincy first interviewed her, she wasn’t exactly sure where her business, JahniSpot, was heading. She was adjusting to being an entrepreneur, balancing work and home, and ensuring her family was secure even though she was taking a risk.

Our city thrives when we support local Black business. Where you spend your dollar matters – shop local Black-owned businesses, including those featured on this list and in our past gift guides. You can satisfy your sweet tooth, buy a new outfit, and sport your Bengals pride while also supporting the local economy!

Have you ever met someone with a really big heart who can’t help but spread compassion all around? I recently had the pleasure of interviewing one such woman, who even uses her business platform to keep a life-stream of compassion flowing. Megan Grote is the owner and founder of With Grace B. Bold (W.G.B.B.), a “clothing brand that empowers women to unveil their self-esteem and rebuild their identity after a diagnosis with breast cancer.”

At Women of Cincy, we believe that when you uplift women, you uplift everyone. After a hellish 12 months, we think that all of us could use a little uplifting – especially those who own or lead small businesses and nonprofits. In our experience, if you build it – the community will come. So let’s get to work.

For Quinn McIlhargey-Nicholson, a simple scrap of forgotten leather tells a story – it has a hidden history, a character that’s only enhanced with time and wear. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Quinn, owner and founder of Baqette. Her handcrafted bags are making a name throughout the city, and each bag – made from recycled leather – has its story to tell. Quinn’s own story is about taking a leap and trusting yourself to find the way.

When you enter the Covington Farmers Market, you’re greeted with a warm hello and a spritz of hand sanitizer. People browse the stalls with masks and gloves – always making sure to follow the arrows on the ground. At 11 a.m., market volunteers shout over a megaphone for vendors to pause what they’re doing and sanitize their tables. These are just some of the new changes Covington Farmers Market has adopted to keep up with the new normal of COVID-19.

I think it’s fair to say 2020 didn’t pan out how we were expecting. But the holidays will be arriving soon, and like most things this year, they’ll look different. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Festivus will be over Zoom, through the mail, and socially distanced. However you’re celebrating this year, the act of giving – to loved ones and to yourself – is as important as ever.

It was a bit surreal walking into an empty waiting room at Grace Kerr Orthodontics. Usually full of teenagers trying not to make eye contact, COVID had rendered it – like so many places – quiet and bare. But it was the perfect backdrop to talk with Dr. Grace Kerr about her thriving orthodontics practice.

To step into Grainwell is to step into a rustic charm interior design wonderland. Nestled within the historic, red-bricked West Pike Street in Covington, Kentucky, Grainwell has established itself as the go-to place for sentimental family gifts and modern design.

The sisters behind the shop and business – Christine, Michele, and Melyssa – never set out to create a multi-faceted business; rather, it snowballed into one. They began by pursuing their interests in design by making items for family and friends while they were in school. Eventually, they teamed up and brought their collective skills together to form Grainwell. Their business now provides custom corporate work, wholesale items, and in-store shopping.

We connected virtually with Melis Aydoğan, founder of the Turkish coffee brand, Rüya – “bold coffee for the immigrant dream.” In fact, Rüya means “dream” in Turkish. It’s aptly named as Melis does more than make a tasty source of caffeine. She creates community connections, pushes herself and others to dream big, and is a strong voice for immigrant families, such as her own.

Getting to sit down a Wednesday evening and learn about the only diaper bank, Sweet Cheeks, in Cincinnati was such a treat. We first interviewed Sweet Cheeks founder Megan Fischer in 2018, but with so much changing for non-profit organizations during a pandemic, we knew we had to catch up with her.

I quickly learned what a well-oiled organization she began single-handedly. Megan left the corporate world and launched her original site in her home in 2016 after a year-long nudge in her gut wouldn’t quit – at the time, there wasn’t a single diaper bank in the entire greater Cincinnati area.

Sitting in her car between errands, Cristina Davis, C.E.O. of Davis Cookie Collection, shared her journey to entrepreneurship. Although our interview was virtual, I could feel her energy and excitement about her business and the forthcoming opening of her first brick-and-mortar store through the screen. I knew instantly that this is a woman who can successfully juggle many roles: business owner, baker, mother, wife, mentor, community leader. Whether describing how to make it work as a wife/husband team or how she thinks up her next cookie recipe, Christina shows how her creativity and perseverance make it possible to live her dreams.

Meet Barb Smith, co-founder and president of Journey Steel. She is the living embodiment of Journey Steel’s motto: “We build and support dreams.” Barb spoke with us via videoconference about the values upon which she built her company and how she kept it afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic by sticking to those values. She also talked about what it’s like leading in a male-dominated sector as a Black woman.

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist; that's my foundation, professionally at least. I'm also a wife and mom to four young kids: My daughter is almost six months old now and then [my other children are] two, five, and seven.

My professional background is specialized in the treatment of eating disorders; that’s where my dissertation research and all my clinical administrative experience was. I went to grad school at Xavier, and did the doctoral program in clinical psychology there. I love that work. I did it for almost 10 years following graduate school, and I never ever thought I would stop doing that – well, I haven't really stopped doing that work.

We talked with Christine in late April about what it’s like to manage a company through a crisis (or two) with two young boys, a husband, and a dog in her immediate space. With characteristic candor and compassion, we learned not only about the struggles she and her colleagues are facing, but she talks first-hand about the struggles of the families, teachers, and school systems who are Possip users.

In this weird, uncertain time it is more imperative than ever to showcase female-owned businesses in our area and financially support our plucky entrepreneurs. It’s also not a bad time to treat yo’self as we hole up at home.

We sat down with Tia back in February at First Financial Bank to talk about the toll that planning, organizing, and prioritizing for others took on her mental, emotional, and physical health. And, more specifically, she talked to us about how she prepared for the loss of the corporate benefits she and her family relied on – healthcare, life insurance, employee assistance – as she prepared to leave a secure corporate job for the journey of entrepreneurship.

At its various educational programs – be they presentations at schools or summer camps, booths at libraries or parks, or talks at any number of other Cincinnati events and locales – volunteers for the 501(c)(3) non-profit RAPTOR Inc. tend to describe their organization quite succinctly: we’re a hospital for birds of prey. 

Burnet Woods, the 90-acre park near the University of Cincinnati in Clifton, is an important stopover for many migratory bird species. After an arduous flight north or south, a brief sojourn in the park for a scarlet tanager in the spring or a pine warbler in the fall could mean the difference between life and death. Here, beside a pond of gently quacking pairs of mallard ducks, I had the delightful opportunity to meet Ash Conway, the founder of the birding group Queer Birders of Cincinnati. 

“Best all-around gal” was how the C-Ring Women's Leadership Award was first presented in 1922. It was an award given by the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department. The award, like the world around it, has evolved and transformed in the more than 100 years since it was first presented. 

The C-Ring award is now presented by the UC Women’s Center and is awarded to a woman-identifying or non-binary graduating senior student who demonstrates outstanding leadership on and off campus. Faculty and staff nominate students, and the lengthy selection process begins. Through rounds of interviews and applications, five final nominees are ultimately chosen, with one winner picked by the selection committee.

Dr. Kara Ayers knows the importance of empathy to change hearts, minds, and actions. From navigating a disability, finding community support, expanding her research and prolific career, lobbying policymakers, and raising her family, empathy underscores Dr. Ayers’ life. The summer sun poured into her brightly colored office at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as we talked about why community connections change lives, what’s missing when we talk about disability, and how we can do better in caring for each other.

There is a special election in August for Ohio. In November, there will be a general election. State constitutional amendments, school board members, and other government positions are on the ballot.

However, Ohio’s voting laws have changed since the last election. You will need to show an unexpired photo ID to vote in person. We have compiled the information you need for both the special election and the general election.

Soumya Jaiswal drives the fight for reproductive health care and abortion access on and off UC’s campus. Throughout our conversation, Soumya mentioned the tenets of the reproductive justice movement – centralizing the inherent right of bodily autonomy, addressing other issues that quell an individual’s rights, uplifting intersectionality, giving the power to govern back to the people, and emphasizing the strength of collective movement. 

On a ridiculously windy February afternoon, I met Executive Director Karen Kahle at the Civic Garden Center (C.G.C.). Tucked away at the corner of William Howard Taft and Reading Road, the C.G.C., located inside the Hauck Botanic Gardens, is a plant lover's dream. Despite the cold, the property is full of life and activity as Karen and I sit down to chat about history, native plants, building community, ecology, and how we can all be better stewards of this place we call home.

Do you know those people that make you feel welcome with their smiles and warm invitation? Janelle McClain is one of those rays of light. She is a wealth of knowledge, and her passion for people is palpable.

Janelle McClain, affectionately often referred to as “the boobs lady,” is the C.E.O. and executive director of the community health maternal and child health services nonprofit program, Breastfeeding Outreach for Our Beautiful Sisters, also known as B.O.O.B.S. She proudly serves the community as a counselor, trainer, and advocate for mothers and babies. She is driven by her desire for a healthier, more supported community. I left our meeting feeling inspired by Janelle and her team’s work to promote breastfeeding awareness, education, and resources to Black women.

Each June for 35 years, Lydia Morgan has brought the Cincinnati community together to celebrate Juneteenth – gathering in Eden Park to eat, listen to music, dance, connect, and remember. Lydia takes us through the complicated feelings around the holiday, the family-friendly activities at the Festival, and relearning history through joy and celebration.

In December 2021, after the city council and mayoral elections, it was announced that a new committee would be tackling climate change in our city: the Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, with Councilmember Meeka D. Owens as its chair.

When I sat down with Councilmember Owens, it was clear that she is passionate and knowledgeable about the environmental issues we are all having to face – but beyond that, she is hopeful. She has faith in our people coming together. She sees light in Cincinnati’s future.

Anne Saker is a firecracker of a woman. In her line of work, you have to be. A self-proclaimed “servant of the people,” Anne has taken her role as a journalist with great pride and even greater dedication. She’s had an expansive career from North Carolina, to Portland, to Cincinnati. It was in Cincinnati that she chose to finish her years as an active journalist at the Enquirer.

Recently, I sat down and talked with Kersha at P.P.S.W.O. to get a glimpse into life at the clinic.

Kersha has been invested in Planned Parenthood in a variety of roles for 16 years. She was a patient, then volunteer, intern, and became an employee of Planned Parenthood’s national office. She led the political and advocacy teams and eventually became the president and C.E.O at P.P.S.W.O. Her motivation comes from ensuring access to quality healthcare for all, allowing our community to reach its full potential.

Even before I had the chance to meet her in person, I had a hunch that Kathryne Gardette’s energy was something special. Her texts and emails regularly begin with anything from “magnificent Monday” to “spectacular Saturday” and always ALWAYS sign off with an invitation to “share your joy.”

As the official Campus Advocates for the University of Cincinnati, Zoe and Cheniece are responsible for creating awareness and education around gender-based violence. The pair focus on connecting students who have experienced gender-based violence to appropriate resources, being a confidential support system for survivors, and more.

Have you ever met someone with a really big heart who can’t help but spread compassion all around? I recently had the pleasure of interviewing one such woman, who even uses her business platform to keep a life-stream of compassion flowing. Megan Grote is the owner and founder of With Grace B. Bold (W.G.B.B.), a “clothing brand that empowers women to unveil their self-esteem and rebuild their identity after a diagnosis with breast cancer.”

How can you sum up a person in just a few sentences with a few lines of text on a page? Raneem Salem is too infinite to be condensed into a few paragraphs, especially when his life is about creating space; space for freedom, for creative self-expression. He creates spaces like Girls Rock Cincinnati, a music and arts camp for girls and gender-variant youth, where he serves as executive director. Raneem co-founded the Cincinnati branch of Girls Rock in 2018; it’s a space he wishes he had as a child to explore his own gender and power. Raneem identifies as transmasculine but chose to interview based on his historical proximity to womanhood.

Monika Royal-Fischer built her career by helping others achieve success. She understands that sometimes, you just need a little help to get started. For Monika, building strong networks led to career opportunities that allow her to serve her communities and make an impact. She is the founder of the Career Closet at the University of Cincinnati’s Clermont campus. Career Closet is a non-profit that provides students with interview-ready clothing and is the new campus director for Tech Elevator here in Cincinnati.

We cap off our series with our very own, Chelsie Walter, executive director and co-founder of Women of Cincy. Chelsie talks about how this idea to capture a few inspiring stories grew into a volunteer-driven media outlet that has published nearly 400 stories in just three years. She shares how she’s dealt with this rapid growth, a global pandemic that sent the organization into a tailspin, and how she stays committed to the Women of Cincy mission by keeping empathy at the heart of everything she does.

Skeptical about Facebook romances? Not if you’re Beatrice, the Black lady from Kenya.

You will understand later why this is relevant. For now, let me walk you through Beatrice’s world. She and her husband own Stop N Go, a popular convenience store in Clifton. She divides her time between managing the store, completing her nursing degree, and working as a state tested nursing assistant.

Sitting on the sprawling front porch at Amanda Sinclair’s charming home in Norwood, Ohio was the perfect backdrop to learn more about the Gem of the Highlands 5k, now it’s third year. As Amanda shared her passion for her Norwood community as well as building bridges among its diverse community members, it was no wonder to me that she felt compelled to launch the annual race three years ago.

Getting to sit down a Wednesday evening and learn about the only diaper bank, Sweet Cheeks, in Cincinnati was such a treat. We first interviewed Sweet Cheeks founder Megan Fischer in 2018, but with so much changing for non-profit organizations during a pandemic, we knew we had to catch up with her.

I quickly learned what a well-oiled organization she began single-handedly. Megan left the corporate world and launched her original site in her home in 2016 after a year-long nudge in her gut wouldn’t quit – at the time, there wasn’t a single diaper bank in the entire greater Cincinnati area.

Erika Nj Allen is a soft, spoken, beautiful soul from Guatemala. She’s been on my mind for the past two days as I ponder what to write for her introduction. Should I describe Erika’s studio, where everything had a purpose and a reason why it was there? Should I describe her beautiful soul? Or maybe I should take a cue from her story and highlight how Erika comes full circle over 30 plus years – all of it starting in Guatemala with a letter of invitation to a U.S. art school she couldn’t, at the time, accept.

From its compassionate mission to its food and drinks, BLOC Coffee, established in 2007 at the heart of the Incline District in Price Hill, has something really special going. The location may seem top-secret to many Cincinnatians, but this hidden treasure needs to be exposed.

Having just wrapped up a sweet conversation with one of its founders, Stephanie Young, it’s no secret why it’s a success. Not only does her very presence radiate joy, but her outlook of “I get to do this” is also so authentic. But what exactly is “it” that she gets to do?

As the writer and creator of "Home Away from Home" I would be remiss not to speak on what it’s like to create a home as an immigrant in a country strife with racism – deliberately practiced or unwittingly doled out; institutional or personal. As such, I decided I needed to explore my own coming to America story within a racial context.

As I knelt in the front line of the crowd and everyone around me chanted, “Hands up; don’t shoot,” I was struck by the simple privilege of being able to reach into my pocket for my phone while staring the police in the eye. I was part of a barrier of white people called forward to shield our Black cohorts – despite the fact that it was 1:30 in the afternoon and the event had been peaceful so far.

As white folks are called forward to literally place our bodies in defense of the oppressed Black community, the question on our minds shouldn’t be, “Has it really come to this?” but rather, “How the hell did we let it get this far?”

And more importantly: “What are we going to do about it?”

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist; that's my foundation, professionally at least. I'm also a wife and mom to four young kids: My daughter is almost six months old now and then [my other children are] two, five, and seven.

My professional background is specialized in the treatment of eating disorders; that’s where my dissertation research and all my clinical administrative experience was. I went to grad school at Xavier, and did the doctoral program in clinical psychology there. I love that work. I did it for almost 10 years following graduate school, and I never ever thought I would stop doing that – well, I haven't really stopped doing that work.

When you hear the word "immigrant," what picture does your mind conjure up? Whatever that picture is, I bet it's not a blue-eyed, blonde-haired, Australian dancing queen.

We met Claire Stewart at Lola's Coffee House, pre-COVID-19. Lola's, she would tell us, is her favorite Coffee Place in Cincinnati. She's Australian, but the coffee house is filled with French motifs. She loves Lola's, "because apart from Australian coffee, Lola's has the second-best coffee." Apart from her love of coffee, and her husband and son, her love is the Cincinnati dance group the Red Hot Dancing Queens, which she founded in 2015.

As a resident of Women of Cincy, I was charged to create a capstone project, something that would top off this experience and serve as a culmination of my work. While at Women of Cincy, one of the most surprising aspects was the emphasis on empathy. I’m always astounded by people taking the initiative for others, or wielding selflessness for the health of a community.

Growing up in Hong Kong, visiting bakeries every day for bread or pastries for breakfast was a big part of my life. It was something I dearly missed when I moved to the United States. I had a hard time finding creative pastries until roughly two years ago when my roommate brought home some ube croissants from Cafe Mochiko. Since then, I witnessed how the business and its reputation grew.

As a pastry lover and cafe explorer, I was over the moon when I found out Mochiko opened up its own brick-and-mortar cafe on Madison Road. I visited the sunlit cafe on a chilly fall morning. As I was sipping my hojicha milk tea, it felt like home. That was the moment I decided to chat with the cafe owners.

From her childhood stories to getting a physical space for Cafe Mochiko during COVID time, co-founder and chef Elaine shared with us her journey of finding herself and her connection with communities through cooking and food.

As the official Campus Advocates for the University of Cincinnati, Zoe and Cheniece are responsible for creating awareness and education around gender-based violence. The pair focus on connecting students who have experienced gender-based violence to appropriate resources, being a confidential support system for survivors, and more.

As a resident of Women of Cincy, I was charged to create a capstone project, something that would top off this experience and serve as a culmination of my work. While at Women of Cincy, one of the most surprising aspects was the emphasis on empathy. I’m always astounded by people taking the initiative for others, or wielding selflessness for the health of a community.

The Women of Cincy capstone project allows residents to take on a project that’s wholly their own – from ideas to research to interviews and production. When I began thinking about my project this summer, I couldn’t get away from the subject of farming.  

Yes, farming. It’s not something we usually think about despite its prevalence in our day-to-day lives, but having had the opportunity to take a class on the subject last spring, I wanted to dive deeper. How does farming affect our lives here in Cincinnati, and how can that relationship change?

I’m a journalism student at the University of Cincinnati, and throughout my four years of writing, I never felt as though the stories I tackled truly challenged me. So for my capstone, I wanted to choose a topic that would do just that: challenge me, make me look at something in a different way, and shine light on an important issue. After reading Women of Cincy’s housing insecurity series, I decided to look at gentrification in Over-the-Rhine.

Being a woman today can be extremely confusing. We’re living in a time when the word alone carries a million different meanings. For my capstone project, I set out to find what being a woman means to those in our community.

At various points during the interview, trains rattle by the house, and we pause when they whistle their arrival. When they fade into the distance, Budhi continues, sharing with us her love story, journey, and the differences between the life she led in Nepal, and the life she’s created in Cincinnati.

On a rainy Cincinnati day washed in diluted sunlight, Mariam Alzoubi sat down with Women of Cincy editorial resident, Lauren Lewis, to share stories about her life in Syria, her journey to the United States, and the adjustments she’s made since starting a new life in Cincinnati.

In the week leading up to Thanksgiving, Dr. Karen Bankston and Sara Burke of the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing squeezed me into their busy schedules. The enthusiasm they carried about their impressive careers and hope for the future was felt throughout the room. “It’s not your mother’s nursing school,” Dr. Bankston says as she reflects on the differences of nursing education through the years. While some aspects have stayed the same, both of these women find their passion in driving change beyond hospital walls.