Thirty Days of Giving. Thirty Days of Stories.
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.
We want to continue telling the stories of the people in our city. But our future isn’t guaranteed and it’ll take a community to keep this beautiful collection of people, talents, and connections, thriving.
Introducing…. Thirty Days of Giving. Thirty Days of Stories.
From November 15 – December 15, we’re sharing a story a day and with your financial help, we can continue telling stories and create a long-term ripple effect that supports a more just future. We reached out to our friends and asked them to share what makes Women of Cincy special and why they believe Women of Cincy is important. We hope their responses echo your own feelings and experiences with us.
Support future storytelling with a donation here.
Photo by Karly Nemeth.
Chelsie Walter
Executive Director at Women of Cincy
What makes Women of Cincy special?
For too long, the stories of everyday women haven’t been told and we’re changing that. Women of Cincy is creating the next generation of civically engaged storytellers dedicated to telling diverse stories. In 2021, over 72% of our Feature stories are the stories of women of color. The stories we publish are powerful and we have so much to learn from the folks who share their words with us. We are documenting the lives of unsung heroes and celebrating their voice, lived experience, and hopes for the future. I haven’t seen anything quite like Women of Cincy before – this community truly is special.
Sandra Okot-Kotber
Women of Cincy Team Member/Communications Director
What makes Women of Cincy special?
Women of Cincy is special because we narrow in on marginalized voices and give them a platform. We don't just honor CEOs, we celebrate everyday people who are doing incredible things in our region. On the internal side, we mentor college students and that's such a formative time in one's life. It's powerful that we're introducing them to countless humans, organizations, and issues today.
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Women of Cincy is important because we provide a necessary angle to creating change in our city. Our love for this city is strong but we recognize that it's not the best that it could be. We delve deep into personal stories and humanize faces, statistics, and strangers. These stories not only uplift Cincinnati's changemakers but pave the way for and inspire our youth.
Photo by Chelsie Walter.
Suzanne Wilder
Women of Cincy Writer
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Women of Cincy provides a space for us to tell our stories and to be heard. This is a community built to listen to each other, on an individual level in interviews, and collectively, with our community of volunteers and readers. When I interview women, I learn about their lives, their experiences, and their passions. Their stories and their voices build empathy in new and wonderful ways every time. This is true for every story I read on the site and the beautiful photos that capture their joy, strength, and wisdom.
Sally Bishop
Women of Cincy Resident
What makes Women of Cincy special?
As a resident in my second semester, something that makes Women of Cincy special to me is their trust and confidence in their residents. I became a resident in May of 2021 and I knew at my first meeting that this was not only a place, but a family, that made me feel heard, respected, and appreciated. I’m not just an intern grabbing coffee for my supervisors. I am constantly given tasks like editing features, writing social media posts, and building our website. Women of Cincy even gives their residents an opportunity to be a part of the hiring process, which is one thing that truly made me realize how valued I am as a resident. These duties have challenged me and have pushed me to be a better student, editor, and person, all with the help of a wonderful team of women right behind me. I have grown so much during my time here and I know I will carry the things I have learned at Women of Cincy when I graduate this spring.
Shamekko Early-Coleman
Women of Cincy Ambassador
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Women of Cincy is important because it celebrates and highlights women in our community who are doing the work and making it better. We must uplift these unsung heroes through the medium of storytelling.
Kelsey Graham
Women of Cincy Features Writer
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Women of Cincy is important because it highlights everyday people in Cincinnati who are helping to change our city and world. The individuals we feature share their highs, lows, and everything in between, making them relatable and inspiring, and even more, they help paint a picture that success doesn't happen overnight. Each person we feature is paving their way in this world, and by sharing their stories, helps encourage others to do the same to make the world a better and more empathetic place.
Angie Lipscomb
Women of Cincy Photographer
What makes Women of Cincy special?
Women of Cincy is a unique amplifier for the voices, lives, and stories of women doing remarkable things in the Cincinnati area.
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Sharing our experiences keeps us in communion with others; this builds empathy and hope, as well as a common understanding of humanity and universal themes that inspire us to create, share, build, and become.
Blaire Bartish
Women of Cincy Writer
What makes Women of Cincy special?
Women of Cincy showcases the women of the area who often get overlooked. These are the stories you will not see in Movers and Makers or the Business Courier but will nonetheless be impressed by. Their stories are moving and unforgettable. They show empathy and grit. And they show over and over again why the future of Cincinnati is female.
Photo by Kasey Bird.
Photo by Suzanne Barton.
Ayana Rowe
Women of Cincy Editor
What makes Women of Cincy special?
Before Women of Cincy, I didn't know of a publication dedicated to highlighting the stories of women around the city. Scrolling through the website, there are so many incredible stories that make me proud to be a part of this community.
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Women of Cincy has highlighted the stories of people who are dedicated to making Cincinnati a better city. Even as a Cincinnati native, I learn so much from these interviews, and they have inspired me to tune in more to my city, and to do what I can to improve my part of the world.
Kelsey Johnson
Women of Cincy Co-founder + Features Editor
What makes Women of Cincy special?
Women of Cincy is a glimmer of hope, empathy, and connection. It can be so easy to get caught up in all the bad news, but Women of Cincy showcases people from all different backgrounds doing their part to bring some good into the world. It’s so powerful and inspiring to hear people open up and share their stories, and to build these incredible connections – between our team's writers and photographers, residents, interviewees, board members, you name it. Women of Cincy has a way of inspiring people to share a story, a laugh, a moment.
Abbey Bruce
Women of Cincy Writer
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Women of Cincy lifts up voices that would normally get lost in the noise of media and all the bad news that clogs up social media. These stories highlight members of our own communities that are making a huge impact. These stories help inspire others to get involved and reinvest in communities. These stories need to be told, and Women of Cincy has a dedicated team of talented individuals to deliver them.
Abby Farr
Women of Cincy Writer
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Women of Cincy is a bedrock to the Cincinnati community for numerous reasons. The publication illuminates females in our area that are breaking ground in their unique and essential fields. Highlighting such women creates a ripple effect, networking with other people who could benefit from their talents and business. Plus, each individual provides contagious inspiration for generations to come.
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any," Alice Walker. The mission behind Women of Cincy allows writing to transform into activism for the good of all. And I cannot miss out on such an opportunity.
Photo by Sam Chase.
Photo provided by Venita Thomas, M.A., Ed., PhD (c)
Venita Thomas, M.A., Ed., PhD (c)
Women of Cincy Writer
What makes Women of Cincy special?
Women of Cincy is a great entity for the literal fellowship of liked-minded women concerned with real life issues that empower and enhance EVERYONE.
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Importance is as doable and necessary as every aspect of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Women of Cincy helps readers actualize, appreciate, connect and live within their realm of authority, their own importance, and how to empathetically show importance to others. Importance equals love.
Hailey Semchee
Women of Cincy Resident
What makes Women of Cincy special?
What makes Women of Cincy special is the care that everyone behind the scenes has for the stories they’re telling, and for the people whose stories they are telling. As a resident, I’ve had the opportunity to have a peek into how these stories are put together, and the care and attention that goes into each and every one of them is an amazing thing to see every time. I feel so lucky to be a part of the Women of Cincy team.
Courtney Reynolds
Women of Cincy Writer
What makes Women of Cincy special?
Women of Cincy is special because it operates as a co-op. There is no hierarchy of stories to tell; everyone's is equally important and I love that about Women of Cincy the most. We feature womxn from all over the tri-state area doing outrageously awesome things and we are just there to highlight it and let them lead us as we tell their story.
Why do you think Women of Cincy is important?
Small independent publishing has basically died, so we have lost that connection to news in our local community. But with Women of Cincy, we have this thread to connect us directly to the community be it through activism and workshops to marches to needs in our community to nightlife and it's all because we simply tell the tales of some fantastic women who would normally be glossed over. We share what makes our city so damned great and Cincinnati is lucky to have Women of Cincy for that.
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