Meet the Women of Cincy Team: Abby Farr

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.

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LaTosha Ward: Helping to Pave the Way for Women in Leadership

LaTosha Ward is on a mission to uplift women in business. After working in consulting for more than 12 years, she noticed a gap of representation in top leadership positions and decided to start her own company to help change this. Since 2017, LaTosha's company, BID, Business and Individual Development, has been providing project management and agility training to companies on a more personal level.

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Painting with Voices: Jillian Harrison-Jones and Why Representation Matters

Jillian Harrison-Jones grew up in a family of musicians and took lessons from their careers to ultimately find her passion in conducting. She started as a history major, bound for law school, but when asked what she was truly passionate about, she knew it was music. Jillian made a dramatic switch, getting a new undergrad degree and ultimately pursuing her passion to mold voices into one awesome sound.

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Emily Palmer Wolff: A Work in Progress

On a cold January afternoon, I took a short walk to Emily Palmer Wolff’s studio in the heart of Mainstrasse, Kentucky; it only took me about a song and a half in my headphones to get there from my own home. On my walk, I passed a tall brick building undergoing a makeover; my favorite neighborhood bar, Larry’s; and the side of a building with a mural that reads “Love Y’all” – all everyday details Emily Wolff has touched in Covington.

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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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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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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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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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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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‘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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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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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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