RaJean Beauty’s Megan Seard on Self-Care, Shea Butter, and Realizing Your Dreams
RaJean Beauty’s Megan Seard on Self-Care, Shea Butter, and Realizing Your Dreams

Cincinnati is full of so-called local celebrities; they grace nightly newscasts and are shown in The Enquirer on a regular basis. Founder and CEO of RaJean Beauty, Megan Seard, just might be considered one – after all, she estimates her products are in more than 1,500 tri-state homes! However, when taking into account the way one feels after using her shower scrubs and shea butters, the title “local goddess” might be more appropriate.

With a passion for self-care, a relentless customer-first mentality, and a hell of a lot of determination, Megan has been to nearly every corner of Cincinnati and Indiana – with her famous backpack full of products in tow. RaJean Beauty has gone from kitchen table concoctions to a beauty empire that brings out decadent skin with a cult-like following. We sat down with Megan at her favorite partnering location, Aladdin’s, to discuss what’s important to her in these unprecedented times.

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Entrepreneurship, Health + WellnessBlaire BartishFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories
Meet the Women of Cincy Team: Kristyn Bridges
Meet the Women of Cincy Team: Kristyn Bridges

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.

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Meet the Team, May 2021, Around TownNatalie GalleCommunity Mix
Good (Man)ners: Jamie Sivrais on A Voice for the Innocent 
Good (Man)ners: Jamie Sivrais on A Voice for the Innocent 

April is National Sexual Violence Prevention Month/Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so it’s fitting that our featured ally is Jamie Sivrais, founder of A Voice for the Innocent (A.V.F.I.). A.V.F.I. is a nonprofit community dedicated to supporting those affected by rape and sexual abuse by offering a safe, compassionate space to share stories and seek help. We sat down with Jamie at the A.V.F.I. office in Covington to talk storytelling, surviving abuse, and breaking down our society’s idea of masculinity.

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Good (Man)ners, Outreach + AdvocacyMichaela RawsthornFeatures
Monika Royal-Fischer on Creating Careers for Others
Monika Royal-Fischer on Creating Careers for Others

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.

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Community Mix, April 2021, Outreach + AdvocacyAbbey BruceCommunity Mix
Esther Maria Claros Berlioz, Ph.D., on the Ways Cincinnati's Immigrant Community Weaves a 'Tapestry of Beauty'
Esther Maria Claros Berlioz, Ph.D., on the Ways Cincinnati's Immigrant Community Weaves a 'Tapestry of Beauty'

Esther Maria Claros Berlioz, Ph.D., is an integral part of the Latinx community in Cincinnati, welcoming and supporting the immigrant community – especially the children, who she lovingly dotes on. In her work with these children, art has become a communal language, with color and scenes representing unique journeys that are understood through shared humanity, history, and dreams.

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Features, Outreach + Advocacy, EducationHanna VanKuikenFeatures
‘What makes you come alive?’: A Conversation with Quinn McIlhargey-Nicholson
‘What makes you come alive?’: A Conversation with Quinn McIlhargey-Nicholson

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.

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Community Mix, March 2021, EntrepreneurshipAbby FarrCommunity Mix
Tia Brown on Community-Based Art in the West End
Tia Brown on Community-Based Art in the West End

With stacks of art supplies, colorful paintings, and children’s drawings decorating the room, the West End Art Gallery’s bright space is reminiscent of the best kind of art classroom. Tia and Michael Brown started the nonprofit art center as a place for the community to find a positive form of expression. The “WE Gallery,” as Tia calls it, began as pop-up workshops in neighborhood buildings. It’s turned into a labor of love for the Browns, with a dedicated space, mobile mural-painting events, two hyper-local coloring books, and art-supply grab bags as COVID-19 restricted in-person workshops.

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Features, Arts + CultureSuzanne WilderFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories
Rubina Dosani: ‘Find your North Star.’
Rubina Dosani: ‘Find your North Star.’

Rubina Dosani’s North Star is her Islamic faith, which guides her to help others whenever she can. In following her passion, she has helped people in Cincinnati, throughout the country, and even around the world. She helped establish the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati (I.C.G.C.) and was the first leader of the center’s mental health program, normalizing discussions about mental health and developing resources for the community.

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Features, Outreach + AdvocacyTracy P. Van WagnerFeatures
Dr. Zaria Davis: 'Incarcerated people are still people.'
Dr. Zaria Davis: 'Incarcerated people are still people.'

While most of us are content living what we jokingly call “our best lives,” Dr. Zaria Davis is dedicated to not only achieving the best version of her life, but striving to create opportunities for others to thrive, too. As a formerly incarcerated person, Dr. Davis has worked diligently to overcome the odds against her and right her wrongs, while helping others find a path to success through her nonprofit, Filling the Gap. We sat down with her via Zoom to discuss dehumanizing language, the effect of COVID-19 on incarcerated people, and what gives her hope.

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Outreach + Advocacy, February 2020Blaire BartishFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories, february 2020
Honor the History of Black Cincinnati with These Books
Honor the History of Black Cincinnati with These Books

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.

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February 2021, Arts + Culture, Around TownWomen of Cincy StaffCommunity Mix
Miya Sohoza on Finding Community at Covington Farmers Market
Miya Sohoza on Finding Community at Covington Farmers Market

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.

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Community Mix, February 2021, EntrepreneurshipEmma SegrestCommunity Mix
A Letter from the Executive Director
A Letter from the Executive Director

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.

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February 2021, Around TownChelsie WalterCommunity Mix