AUSTIN WOMAN MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” —Nelson Mandela
First we saved his life. Then we helped save his life’s dream.
Stephen Moore dreamed of competing in the Strongman competition. Then a drunk driver almost killed him. Watch his story at stdavids.com.
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At Texas Children’s, we’ve made our mark by pioneering new treatments and constantly breaking new ground in our quest to cure complex conditions and devastating diseases. Now, our drive to create a community of healthy children is taking us even further – all the way to your front door. With new locations and services opening throughout the Austin area this year, we’re looking forward to partnering with local families and physicians to give kids the right care at the right time in the right place.
Authentically Texas. Dedicated to Children. texaschildrensaustin.org
Second to none in Texas, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Texas Children’s Hospital as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country. Here are our specialties that made the top five in the nation: 1st Cardiology & Heart Surgery, 1st Pulmonology, 3rd Nephrology, 3rd Neurology & Neurosurgery, 4th Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, 4th Urology. ©2018 Texas Children’s Hospital. All rights reserved. Heyne Ranch. AUS_022452_18
Educating A New Generation Of Environmental Stewards Darien Clary strives to enhance sustainability programs to decrease costs while conserving the environment and being responsive to the dynamic local community. As the sustainability manager for the Austin Independent School District (AISD), she implements programs and tracks performance in water and energy conservation, alternative transportation, recycling and composting, access to nature, green building, and school engagement. A key component of AISD sustainability initiatives is helping schools manage and divert waste for beneficial uses. “One of the most rewarding parts of integrating sustainability into a school district is the opportunity to build excitement and capacity in our students to address real-world challenges through a holistic lens,” says Clary. “The schools become ‘living labs’ where student initiatives serve as tools for project-based learning while advancing sustainability at the district. In particular, students get really excited about composting and recycling.”
our students while providing them with opportunities for leadership and action,” she says. Clary earned a master’s degree in behavioral science and global health from The University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Southwestern University. She is also a proud AISD graduate. While Austin is Clary’s hometown, she spent years living in Spain, Germany, and the Dominican Republic before settling back in Austin to work on sustainability in the public education sector.
“One of the most rewarding parts of integrating sustainability into a school district is the opportunity to build excitement and capacity in our students to address real-world challenges...”
While in the Dominican Republic, Clary managed sustainable development initiatives for Columbia University’s Center for Environment, Economy, and Society. All projects were community-based and aimed to promote economic and community development through environmental preservation and resource management. Some initiatives included water quality and access programs, creating a kayaking and birding ecotourism program to conserve a nearby lagoon while Clary notes that students can take active roles in their creating income for local fisherman, establishing coral own cross-curricular learning through composting reef and river monitoring systems, and advising local and recycling, as they use their knowledge to calcu- and national policymakers on resource management late waste volumes, plan a social marketing campaign, and sustainable community development. conduct life cycle assessments, design graphics for signs, and create school competitions. “Waste diver- “A common thread between my work in international sion has become a wonderful approach to not only development and here in Austin is education,” notes implement responsible practices at the district level, Clary. “While in the Dominican Republic, I quickly but to enhance learning in a way that resonates with learned that education had to be built onto the front
end of any program. Through the process of inquiry and finding answers together, community members became impassioned about the issue and took charge to devise solutions. When I see that ‘aha’ spark, I know innovation and action are just around the corner.” Clary loves to bring people together through a spirit of collaboration and mobilizing local resources and believes that schools present a wonderful opportunity to pair sustainable initiatives with educational opportunities. She works closely with Texas Disposal Systems (TDS), the district’s waste service provider, whose Eco Academy program educates K-12 students in Central Texas about trash, recycling, and composting options in their schools, as well as diversion best practices. The program was designed to teach the next generation the importance of minimizing waste and equip students with the tools needed to lead green lifestyles.
TDS also provides recycling and composting data for each school to track their progress. The school district works with a variety of additional community partners to align sustainability goals and strategies to not only benefit AISD facilities and students but to help the larger community and partner organizations achieve their sustainability targets as well. As such, AISD is aligned with the City of Austin’s zero waste goal to reduce landfill waste by 90 percent by 2040. In addition to recycling in every school, food waste composting is practiced in more than 100 school cafeterias, with 100 percent of schools anticipated to be composting by the end of this year. Since 2011, AISD has diverted over 25 million pounds of waste from the landfill through composting and recycling. “With the help of community partners like TDS, AISD sustainability programs help build a culture of environmental awareness and action while enhancing educational outcomes for our most precious resource and future leaders – our students,” says Clary. Learn more about TDS’ Eco Academy program and how to get involved at www.ecoacademy.org. To learn more about AISD Sustainability, visit www.austinisd.org/sustainability.
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54
ON THE COVER
CHASING THE FINAL FRONTIER BY SHELLEY SEALE
60
FEATURE
UP TO THE CHALLENGE
Photo by Keith Trigaci.
BY MAURI ELBEL
CONTENTS
Photo by Niki Jones.
AUGUST
39 SAVVY WOMEN 20 COUNT US IN Women in Numbers 22 G IVE BACK Hey Girl Earrings’ Tara Young 24 F ROM THE DESK OF The University of Texas’ School of Journalism’s Kathleen McElroy
26 P ROFILE
Freestyle Language Center’s Elizabeth Mack
27 P ROFILE Thinkery’s Patricia Young Brown 28 S TART THE CONVO Not on My Campus UT Austin
ATX WOMEN TO WATCH 30 KRISTI DEPEW AND LAUREN CHUMBLEY 31 KATI EPPS 32 KRISTEN BROWN ROEDNER 34 T ANIA ARRAYALES RODRIGUEZ 35 STEPHANIE HOUSTON 36 ANGELA ROBERTSON
MUST LIST 39 D ISCOVER Lubbock, Texas 42 R OUNDUP Fun Family Activities in Austin 44 S TAFF PICKS Books We’re Reading 10 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
STYLE + HOME 46 SPLURGE OR STEAL Game Changer 48 ACCESSORIZE Color Match 50 MAKE ROOM Small Wonder 52 AT HOME WITH Southern Living Idea House
GOURMET 66 R ECIPE REVEAL Prohibition Creamery’s Sangarita 68 F OOD NEWS Cookbook Bar & Café
WELLNESS 70 W AITING ROOM Sexual Health 72 E AT THIS, NOT THAT Sweet Swap 74 H ER ROUTINE Leslie Botts
POINT OF VIEW 76 I AM AUSTIN WOMAN
Ann Jerome
ON THE COVER Photos by Keith Trigaci, trigaci.com Styled by Ashley Hargrove, dtkaustinstyling.com Hair and makeup by Laura Martinez, bylauramartinez.com Shot on location at The Line Austin, 111 E. Cesar Chavez St., 512.473.1534, thelinehotel.com/austin
Erla floral silk top, $198; Jaklynn white shorts, $148, available at Joie, 11700 Domain Blvd., 512.982.3261, joie.com. Marc Jacobs Riley leather-strap watch, $225, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, 512.605.4900, nordstrom.com. Kendra Scott Megan prong-set stone cocktail ring, $95, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com. Criselda pink ball-drop earrings, $18, available at baublebar.com.
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CARING THAT
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Keeping the Hearts of Texas Healthy
Every child, every family, every heart deserves the best possible care and the best has come to you. With a focus on treating infants, children and adults with congenital heart disease, world renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Charles Fraser, has come to UT Health Austin to build what promises to be a leading pediatric cardiovascular program in partnership with Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas.
For more information about the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, please call 1-855-324-0091 or visit www.dellchildrens.net
VOLUME 16, ISSUE 12 CO-FOUNDER Melinda Maine Garvey CEO Christopher Garvey PUBLISHER Cynthia Guajardo Shafer
EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Chantal Rice SENIOR EDITOR Lauren Jones ASSISTANT EDITOR Courtney Runn CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Nicholas Barancyk, Sommer Brugal, Mauri Elbel, Ann Jerome, Susan Johnston Taylor, Lauren Jones, Niki Jones, Mary Murphy, Kaiti Neuman, Chelsea Pribble, Rachel Rascoe, Chantal Rice, Courtney Runn, Gretchen M. Sanders, Shelley Seale
ART CREATIVE DIRECTOR Niki Jones CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Madilyn Biscoe, Madeline Burrows, Ashley Hargrove, Niki Jones, Laura Martinez, Brandon Punzalan, Annie Ray, Courtney Runn, Hector Manuel Sanchez, Keith Trigaci, Jessica Wetterer, Taz Wimer, Kate Zaremba
OPERATIONS AND MARKETING CFO
Ashley Goolsby MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER
Madilyn Biscoe
SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Lindsey Granberry, Monika Kelley, Christine Moore
INTERNS
Mary Murphy, Kaiti Neuman, Chelsea Pribble
EMERITAE CO-FOUNDER Samantha Stevens EDITORS
Mary Anne Connolly, April Cumming, Elizabeth Eckstein, Deborah Hamilton-Lynne, Emily C. Laskowski
Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc., and is available at more than 1,000 locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved. For submission requirements, visit atxwoman.com/contribute. No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission. Visit us online at atxwoman.com. Email us at info@awmediainc.com. 512.328.2421 | 3921 Steck Ave., Suite A111, Austin, TX 78759
ONTHEDOTWOMAN.COM
ON THE DOT
FROM THE ASSISTANT EDITOR COMMUNITY
PARTNERS
Publication of Austin Woman would not be possible without the support of our monthly advertisers and sponsors, who believe in the impact we are making in the Austin community. The following businesses have stepped up their support of our efforts beyond traditional advertising and we are proud to recognize them as our partners. The team at Austin Woman is grateful for these businesses that have shown their commitment to the advancement of women in Austin and hopes you, as readers, recognize their efforts and support these businesses and all our regular advertisers. CYNTHIA GUAJARDO SHAFER
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I
t feels like our culture is more divided than ever. Instead of agreeing to disagree, we’re just disagreeing. Austin has always been known for its vibrant, diverse culture, but when we stop discussing, debating and listening, we risk losing that richness. While we hope the women you meet in these pages inspire and empower you, we also hope they help you start the conversation. We want to bring you content that offers you the tools to converse intelligently and kindly, which is why we’re introducing a new column called Start the Convo. Every month, we’re tackling an issue facing Austin women. From politics to education to health, we’re addressing the reality of being a woman in Austin today from an objective, educational perspective. This month, we’re starting with the topic of sexual assault. The #MeToo movement exploded last fall and brought to light the rampant sexual assault women and men face in our country every day. From Hollywood to sports to corporate offices, harassment affects every industry, every environment, and nowhere perhaps more frequently than on college campuses. Did you know 15 percent of University of Texas female undergrads have experienced rape? Our managing editor interviewed the president of Not on My Campus UT Austin, an organization that is committed to ending sexual assault on campus. We’re so inspired by the young women and men volunteering their time at UT to eradicate sexual assault and harassment, and we’re excited to share their story with you. Even though the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have helped open the eyes of the nation with regard to sexual assault, it remains a taboo topic and the conversation must continue. We challenge you to start the conversation with your friends, neighbors, family and co-workers. Listen and ask questions and share. In the coming months, as we discuss these important topics together, we hope you’ll feel empowered to start conversations with people you might not agree with and continue conversations with people you do agree with. This column won’t tell you what to believe or think, but hopefully it will spark a desire to explore important topics alongside community. There’s no excuse to not start the convo!
COURTNEY RUNN Assistant Editor Join the conversation @AustinWoman #TheSTEMandEducationIssue
14 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
Photo by Madilyn Biscoe.
Thanks for reading,
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CONTRIBUTORS ATX
GUIDE TO
This month, we asked our contributors: Who is your STEM role model?
KEITH TRIGACI
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER, “CHASING THE FINAL FRONTIER,” PAGE 54
Keith Trigaci is an Austin-based photographer who was lucky enough to recently move back to Texas from Los Angeles. When he isn’t doing commercial photography, he enjoys documenting life’s moments, including weddings and day-in-the-life family sessions.
GOOD HEALTH
“I’m honestly influenced and inspired by every woman, STEM or otherwise, that graces the cover of Austin Woman. During a shoot, I might get 10 minutes to pick their brain and learn a little bit about what they do. I love hearing how they started with an idea and worked extremely hard to turn it into a thriving business.”
MAURI ELBEL
WRITER, “UP TO THE CHALLENGE,” PAGE 60
Mauri Elbel is a University of Texas graduate, freelance writer, mom of three and co-founder of Carrying Hope, a nonprofit that provides essentials for children in foster care. She has a master’s degree in journalism and specializes in travel, design and profile features. She is a regular contributor to the Austin American-Statesman, Austin Monthly and Austin Woman. “While I don’t have a particular STEM role model, I am inspired by the three women in this month’s second feature who have shared their stories of perseverance and success.”
ASHLEY HARGROVE
STYLIST AND MODEL, “GAME CHANGER,” PAGE 46
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DTK Austin Styling Owner Ashley Hargrove is a renowned wardrobe stylist and model who specializes in styling commercial and print advertising. She has recently worked with People, ESPN, Holiday Inn and many others. Follow her journey on Instagram @dtkaustin. “I’d say Rachel Carson would be my STEM role model because she pretty much started the grassroots environmental movement and the EPA.”
NIKI JONES
WRITER, “CULTURE HUB,” PAGE 39
Originally from New York City, Austin Woman’s creative director, Niki Jones, has been calling Austin home since 2005 and has been with the magazine since 2013. Her love of traveling and writing has taken her on assignment throughout much of Texas, and she is proud to add “writer” to her list of duties at Austin Woman. In her spare time, Niki volunteers with Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue and runs her four dogs’ Instagram account @thefloofcrew. “My STEM role model is marine biologist and ecologist Rachel Carson. She was way ahead of her time when it came to environmental issues and wasn’t afraid to put out information that was controversial at the time (and unfortunately sometimes still is).”
CONNECT WITH US! CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS ISSUE? Check us out at atxwoman.com.
➥ More boss babes in STEM. Meet Bonnie Baskin, the founder of Science
Mill, an 1880s mill that has been transformed into a hands-on and hightech nonprofit museum. Are you looking for more ways to get your kids interested in STEM? Take a daytrip out to Johnson City, Texas, to visit the mill.
➥ More “healthified” versions of your favorite summertime treats. Aug.
10 is National S’mores Day, and we’ve got you covered. Get the recipe for a guiltless version of this classic summer dessert from local nutritionist Lauryn Lax.
➥ More Texas travel stories. Get our go-to guide to Dallas from a former
resident, our senior editor, Lauren Jones. (Don’t worry, she obviously loves Austin more!) From dining picks to can’t-miss activities, this is a must-read piece for anyone itching to get out of town for the weekend.
➥ More life-changing learning. The Travis County Correctional Complex
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KELLY WYNNE HANDBAGS’ CLEAR MINGLE MINGLE MINI IN ORANGE MULTI PYTHON Local designer Kelly Wynne Ferguson has made quite the name for herself during the five years her company has been in business, and now her clear handbags are all the rage. Say goodbye to the days of having your bag searched on game day and hello to a stress-free day of cheering on the Longhorns in style. Kelly Wynne Handbags is giving away a Clear Mingle Mingle Mini bag in an orange multi-python color scheme, a $195 value, to one lucky reader. To enter to win, follow us on Instagram @austinwoman and stay on the lookout for the giveaway announcement in mid-August. A winner will be chosen and notified by the end of the
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18 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
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Bonnie Baskin photo courtesy of Science Mill. Win This photo courtesy of Kelly Wynne Handbags.
offers more than just education classes to its inmates. Other courses include meditation, yoga, art and finance. Get to know the female inmates whose lives have been transformed through education.
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WOMEN IN NUMBERS
Facts and figures on females from throughout the world. BY CHELSEA PRIBBLE, ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSICA WETTERER
34 Years In the early 1900s, the director of the Harvard Observatory, Edward Charles Pickering, discovered the brilliance of women after replacing his lackluster male research assistant with his own maid, Williamina Fleming. Proving to be invaluable, Fleming worked at Harvard for 34 years. And thanks to her, Pickering became inspired to hire more than 80 women to compute and catalogue data during his tenure.
460,000 Students 1944 When it came time to choose the winner of the 1944 Nobel Prize, the Nobel committee shunned Austrian Lise Meitner—simply because she was a woman—even though she contributed as much as her male lab partner to the discovery of nuclear fission. Though he walked away with the recognition, Meitner remained dedicated to her atomic research well into her 80s.
The future of science and technology looks bright, especially for girls. With more than 460,000 students engaging with its tech-based programs, the nonprofit For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, is continuing to encourage girls to become the science and technology trailblazers of tomorrow.
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50 Percent Who are the fairest bookworms of them all? Based on a 2015 survey conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, women are more likely—at 50 percent— than men to regularly read literature.
20 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
Between 2015 and 2016, women comprised more than half of all college students in the United States. But according to a study by ORC International, a market- and customer-research company, 42 percent of women have more than $30,000 in college debt, while only 27 percent of men owe that much.
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Tara Young is using jewelry and creativity to empower women in the digital space. BY SOMMER BRUGAL PHOTO BY COURTNEY RUNN
Tara Young spends her days working at Google. But like many other entrepreneurs and go-getters, her free time is and has been marked with managing and organizing a passion project.
22 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
Hey Girl Earrings started more than a year ago after Young’s other business, a nonprofit called 2Fold, hosted an event that invited all women in the Austin community to a free shopping experience. The event was Grateful Thread, and its mission was to build community and foster friendships. Through 2Fold, Young was able to learn about different organizations in town that included women who were, in some way, in need or in a vulnerable situation. One of those organizations worked with women who were re-entering society after being victims of sex trafficking. According to Young, 2Fold and Grateful Thread fueled what became Hey Girl Earrings. “I wanted to work more closely with that organization,” Young says. “I wanted to help propel [women’s] digital skills and training.” The goal of Hey Girl Earrings is not just to encourage customers to buy and wear fun earrings, but to provide women with the digital skills they need to submit a resume, write a formal email and learn how to sell products online. To teach such skills, the company hosts free one-day events for women in the community to learn new technological skills. Workshops include topics like search engine optimization, coding basics and getting started with email, spreadsheets and presentations. Workshops and classes can range as long as 12 hours a day to just a few hours at a time and are customizable. A couple of hours in a session typically works best for most people; it simply depends on each student’s needs and desires. To further cater to individuals’ needs, the workshops typically include groups of just three to four students but can also feature individual advising. “It’s really about [creating] the most impact,” Young says. “If I can’t deliver a session on a skill they need, I’ll go find another expert in that area to bring them in and augment [the class] that way.” In just a short period of time, Hey Girl Earrings has helped close to 50 women in a workshop setting, but Young is always eager to acquire more students. As Young is a full-time Google employee and the founder of Hey Girl Earrings, it’s hard to imagine how she does so much in a day’s time. She’s always been a busy bee and insists she’s the type of person who operates better with a rigid schedule. “Balance is a tough thing and that’s always going to be the case,” Young says. “But everything I do at Google really bleeds over to what I’m trying to do here. It just doesn’t ever feel like work.” She says her combined passion for empowering women and technology motivates her and that the desire to fill her days with both simply seems natural. Perhaps the most stunning component of Young’s story is that she launched Hey Girl Earrings in just three weeks. And while it works just like any other boutique might, selling different items to customers, its primary mission is to serve its community. Recently, Young partnered with a few local artisans and is currently working on creating a section on the website that will feature pieces only made by local artists. Moving forward, Young doesn’t plan to expand Hey Girl Earrings too far outside of Austin. Instead, she wants to spend more time focusing on supporting those in need locally. “That’s my goal, to really make sure that our community is well-supported,” Young says. “With that, I can go deeper and further with organizations that I’m closer to.”
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The director of the University of Texas’ School of Journalism shares her top five tips for intelligently taking in the news. BY RACHEL RASCOE, PHOTO BY COURTNEY RUNN
Wielding a 30-year career reporting on everything from sports and dining to education and obituaries, Kathleen McElroy knows the ins and outs of our nation’s news. The Houston-born media maverick got started writing for various Texas newspapers, including the Austin American-Statesman.
After relocating to the Northeast, she eventually became an editor for The New York Times. Equipped with a Ph.D. and a fervor for preparing the next generation of reporters, McElroy was named the director of the University of Texas’ School of Journalism in June. Here, she shares her practical guidelines for mindfully navigating mass media. Get information directly from established news outlets, or at least through their official social-media sites. “Your family, friends and Instagram favorites might have the best intentions, but they are not reliable news distributors and could mislead you with distorted or downright bogus content.” Sign up for mobile breaking-news alerts, which many outlets offer for free. “If you don’t want to further engage, at least you’d have seen the headline. Get alerts from diverse sources: local, national and international, or CNN, Fox News and The Los Angeles Times. You’ll know something big has happened when everyone from the BBC to The Washington Post to the American-Statesman has your phone beeping.” Read—yes, read—at least one neutral news site. “Try to connect with a word-based story. The image of the shellshocked Syrian boy and the audio of migrant children screaming for their parents are powerful. But you need context, background and reference points to truly comprehend the news. And do more than listen or watch news while cooking or driving. Give yourself the opportunity to reread phrases, quotes or information that don’t sink in the first time.” Know the difference between news articles and opinion. “Even legitimate news sites can do a poor job of clearly labeling ‘editorial,’ ‘opinion,’ ‘commentary’ and ‘analysis,’ especially on mobile apps. Opinion pieces and editorials are intentionally slanted, whether it’s conservative or liberal. … Most newsrooms have a separate opinion staff who write unsigned articles that take a stance. Opeds, originally meaning opposite the editorial page, are commentary. Identify local and national columnists. Don’t confuse them with reporters who present information that is neutral and fully dimensional. And be aware sometimes news and sports reporters produce commentary. Make sure you know what you’re consuming.” For the price of one airport-bar martini, get a monthly subscription to a paywalled news outlet. “Cable news has taught us that most journalistic content is not really news. But it’s enlightening when that other stuff comes from a quality source. Gain access to culture, entertainment, event listings, analytical pieces and so much more. I proudly read comic strips and advice columns from across the country. On the other hand, I usually skip reader comments. Choose your rabbit hole wisely.” 24 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
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PROFILES
FOUND IN TRANSLATION
Elizabeth Mack is flipping the script on language learning. BY NICHOLAS BARANCYK
Anatomy of a Francophile After earning a Master of Arts degree in French literature from the University of Texas, Mack spent five years working as a French language professor. However, she soon found herself spending more time calming stressed students than teaching them the benefits of language acquisition. “Learning only takes place when you’re having fun,” she says. That fun manifests for Mack when words intersect culture. “You need speaking, but you don’t learn language just by speaking,” she says. “It also involves many cultural inputs.” Sources like movies, music and slang are all roped into understanding how a foreign culture works. During her time at UT, Mack was famous in her department for sneaking French films like Amélie into course curriculum. When her classes started to fill every semester, she knew she was onto something. So, in 2012, she put everything on the line. She left her university job, sold her house and shot for the moon, founding Freestyle Language Center. “I didn’t know it would work,” she says, “but I knew what didn’t work.” Since then, Mack has been remodulating and refining her curriculum, technology and teachertraining program. Dropping the stressors of academia, she’s focused the Freestyle philosophy on community. “Language is a means to connect to people,” she says. “I wanted it to be about people.”
“Qual è il colore del vino?” Class in session Only four students showed up to Mack’s first class. However, it was a crucial testing ground for her media-based curriculum and teaching model, which moved emphasis from instructors to students. “You don’t want to be the sage on the stage,” she says. “You want to be the guide on the side.” It was a hit. In just 18 months, Freestyle rocketed from four pupils to more than 100, with many beginners holding hour-long conversations by the end of the course. A large part of Mack’s success is in the environment she’s created, one that’s low-stress, culturally relevant and community-oriented. It’s these reasons that a wine tasting in Italian and a museum tour in Spanish are so important, as they add an extra layer of significance to a language that’s otherwise lost in an academic setting. A typical class boasts learners from 22 to 75 years old, college students to retirees. With such a wide array of demographics, there’s no one type of person Mack is targeting. Instead, she says Freestyle is “for the curious-minded, the open-minded and the life learner.” Going digital Mack’s newest venture takes her mediaoriented curriculum to the web. With online classes capped at 20 students, however, she separates Freestyle from big-box programs, remaining dedicated to keeping community at the forefront. “I believe that sticking to the core principles will lead to its own path,” she says. Sometimes all we need is a change of space, a different environment that flips our perspective and makes things click. That can be as complex as an immersion course or as simple as a glass of wine. Whatever it is, make sure it’s fun.
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Photo by Ben Porter. Language Center. Photo courtesy of Freestyle
It’s Tuesday night and the lights are low. There’s the telltale pop of an opened wine bottle and soon the waiter is pouring sips of Chianti into several glasses. A teacher lifts a glass and asks her students, “Qual è il colore del vino?” A wine bar may seem like an odd setting for a classroom, however, the Freestyle Language Center is unique in its approach. “A huge part of our model is using the language in a context that interests you,” FLC Founder Elizabeth Mack says. For her, that means tossing the textbooks aside and bringing back the culture.
FULL STEAM AHEAD
This accountant turned nonprofit CEO isn’t afraid to reinvent herself.
In late 2016, Patricia “Trish” Young Brown prepared to retire as president and CEO of Central Health, the public entity that serves low-income and uninsured Travis County residents, a role she’d held for nearly 12 years. About that same time, Thinkery approached her about becoming its new CEO. Young Brown had already transitioned from accounting to public health, so she was no stranger to reinvention. She stepped into her new role at Thinkery in January 2017. “I love working in organizations that serve the community,” she says. “The Thinkery is one of Austin’s long-standing cultural assets as a children’s science center. It’s a wonderful place to provide these amazing informal learning experiences.” Thinkery’s education focus is on STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, art and math, and the museum features experiential exhibits about such topics as the dynamics of water, light, color and shadows, and nutrition, balance, motion and more. “It’s a pretty awesome thing to come to work and see these cute little faces in the museum,” Young Brown says. Under Young Brown’s leadership, Thinkery became the first Austinarea museum to join Museums for All, a national initiative encouraging underserved families to use their government-program cards to gain free general admission to Thinkery. “Those programs already indicate that families are in need of services,” Young Brown says. “It’s another aspect of what we refer to as our open-door program.” Thinkery’s open-door program also includes subsidized admission and camp scholarships for children and families of limited means. For the general public, Thinkery implements a donation-based model every Wednesday evening. Last summer, the museum added community spotlights highlighting various groups, including the George Washington Carver Museum for Black History Month and Family Equality Council for LGBTQ Pride Night. “We use those themes and bring a learning opportunity around those communities,” Young Brown says. Her work outside Thinkery is equally impressive and impactful. Young Brown serves on the board of Capital City Innovation,
which is building an innovation zone in Austin anchored by the new Dell Medical School, and she’s involved in local organizations providing cancer care and reducing stigma about mental-health issues. Young Brown also volunteers with the No One Dies Alone program through Seton Medical Center Austin. “Essentially, if there’s an individual going through the dying process but does not have family…volunteers come and sit with the patient,” she explains. “It’s the most amazingly holy experience to be with someone as they’re dying and support them in that journey.” As if that weren’t enough to keep her busy, Young Brown is working on a Master of Arts degree in spiritual formation through the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. Since earning an accounting degree from the University of Denver in the early 1980s, she’s had an itch to return to school. Since her sons are out of the house (Her youngest just finished his first year of college.), Young Brown considered various graduate areas of study, including law, but settled on spiritual formation, which she describes as an individual’s journey to his or her faith life. Losing two of her four sons certainly impacted Young Brown on her own spiritual path. “I like the idea of working with individuals,” Young Brown says. “My work thus far has had me working in organizations, changing systems for the benefit of individuals, but I’ve never been someone working one on one. This was my opportunity to do that in an area that has meaning for me.” That passion and empathy are hallmarks of Young Brown’s work throughout Austin.
Photo by Ben Porter.
Photo courtesy of Thinkery.
BY SUSAN JOHNSTON TAYLOR
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WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGES THE WORLD
Student-led Not on My Campus UT Austin is working to eradicate sexual assault on the University of Texas campus. BY CHANTAL RICE
Not on My Campus UT Austin, an affiliate of the student-led organization founded at Southern Methodist University in 2015, works to prevent sexual violence on campus and establish a supportive environment for survivors. “Our mission is around preventing sexual assault through education and awareness. We’re never here to blame a survivor or victim. We’re only here to help,” says Tatum Zeko, president of Not on My Campus UT Austin. That helps comes in myriad forms, including advocacy, education and support. Members of the organization work to ensure every UT student knows and has access to the helpful resources available to them, whether that involves sharing info about so-called Red Zones (big party weekends or events when incidents of sexual assault usually spike); aiding a student in getting an escort home through UT’s SURE Walk or SURE Ride programs; procuring info about the university’s available health, counseling and emergency services; or helping victims report sexual-assault incidents to authorities and UT’s Title IX office. Indeed, Not on My Campus UT Austin reps will even spend hours with sexual-assault victims to make sure they don’t have to endure the reporting process and any potential exams alone, but rather with a supportive confidant. Though Zeko admits it’s an emotionally arduous experience, she notes it’s an essential one. “First, we ask [sexual-assault victims] how they’re doing and make sure reporting is what they want. We’ll be there with them the whole way,” she says. “One of my friends put it a really good way: For survivors, it’s hard to come face to face and speak your truth out loud. Those truths belong to them. We’re just here to help support them however we can.” A key component of Not on My Campus UT Austin involves in-depth, grassroots peer education, with peer educators getting specific training about 28 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
sexual assault, bystander intervention and survivor support through focused workshops conducted each semester. Zeko says the group trained about 130 UT students in February alone, and has made great strides to bring on peer educators from the campus’ fraternities and sororities, as well as those involved in various spirit groups, student societies and educational organizations. Zeko acknowledges it’s difficult to gage how the group’s work has impacted the number of sexual assaults occurring at UT but says a boost in sexual-assault reports, in fact, amounts to a positive result. “If there’s an increase in reporting, that’s actually a good thing,” she says. “It means people feel safe coming forward, which hasn’t always been the case.” Not on My Campus UT can also boast some more tangible accomplishments, including gaining endorsements from UT President Gregory Fenves and former UT football coach Mack Brown; getting more than 2,000 students to sign the Not on My Campus pledge to help end sexual violence on the Austin campus; hosting advocacy training with an array of Texas politicians, including women’s rights advocate Wendy Davis; and even securing a meeting with beloved feminist and activist Gloria Steinem to discuss sexual-violence prevention. Rolling with its momentum, Not on My Campus UT Austin plans to host its next peer-education training event for students Sept. 1 and 2, and Zeko says she hopes to attract as many as 150 passionate UT students who will help take responsibility for the university’s student culture, become advocates for sexual-assault survivors and make a positive difference within the campus community and indeed, the world. For more information about Not on My Campus UT Austin and the group’s upcoming peer-education training event for UT students in early September, visit notonmycampusutaustin.com.
Photo courtesy of Not On My Campus UT Austin.
Change starts with you: Never has that charge been more crucial. With one in five American women becoming the victims of rape at some point in their lifetimes, and one recent University of Texas survey finding 15 percent of female undergraduate students at UT have been raped and another 18 percent of UT students have experienced unwanted sexual touching, one studentled organization is fighting back. It’s a group that’s growing a movement to end the silence often enshrouding the issue of sexual assault and emboldening fellow Longhorns to take personal responsibility to thwart sexual assault on the Forty Acres.
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WOMEN to WATCH Our pages are full of stories of Austin’s most engaging, empowering and successful women, and this section is specially designed to provide you access to even more incredible role models and success stories. Be part of this amazing tribe and share your story with thousands of women. Contact us at sales@awmediainc.com or call 512.328.2421 for more information. PHOTOS BY COURTNEY RUNN
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L AUREN CHUMBLEY AND KRISTI DEPEW C O - OW N ER S O F EC L I PS E E V EN T C O.
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s co-owners of Eclipse Event Co., one of the most widely publicized wedding and event companies in Texas, Kristi DePew and Lauren Chumbley have placed their stamp on the face of the Austin events industry. In the past three years, the duo has grown their company from a small two-woman operation to a team of seven wedding-and-event planners, and one that spans three locations and produces more than 75 events per year. Eclipse Event Co. prides itself on staying in tune with the latest domestic and international wedding trends. DePew and Chumbley attribute their success to a number of factors, including staying true to their three pillars of excellence: honesty, creativity and resourcefulness. They are known in the industry as hardworking, philanthropic and always willing to go the extra mile, while their complementing personalities have helped create an all-encompassing business strategy. eclipseeventco.com
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K AT I E P P S Photo courtesy of Laura Lemond.
FO U N D ER O F M Y B O DY G X
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or Kati Epps, MyBody GX represents the interconnection of her distinct passions and expertise: science, unleashing inner strength and serving as a conduit for joyful living. As MyBody GX founder, she consults with clients who are on every phase of their health and fitness journeys. Leveraging the latest advances in genetic testing, she’s able to eliminate the guesswork that had previously surrounded coaching practices. In lieu of cookie-cutter plans, she develops fitness, nutrition and weight-reduction programs that are specific to clients’ lifestyles, goals and genetic makeup. A lifelong athlete and competitive bodybuilder, Epps is enthusiastic about breakthroughs and removing stumbling blocks for a broader spectrum of the population. Deep insights into DNA have eliminated the concept of “average,” and Epps is meeting clients where they are today to offer a depth of genetic insights that are bringing goals within reach. mybodygx.com
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MR I CI SHTEELNL EB RTO AW Y LNOR RO E D N E R K
CR E AT EO ATO R K -ARN ODAO RW T N E R O F T H E Z E L L A C O M PA N Y
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ichelle Taylor, interior designer anddreams home-staging specialist, began her career in the software hotographer Kristen Brown Roedner big and loves to spread sparkle to everyone she meets through industry, in which she became a force in marketing. During her 15 years leading worldwide programs her business, K-Ro Art. Through her art, she tells stories and loves pointing out everyday miracles and wisdom acrossright the marketing she found her passion for life. the art of visual the creation found smack inspectrum, the hard stuff of messy, ordinary Since 2002,storytelling. her portraitWith company, FauxToes, has of The Zella Company in 2005 in Bellevue, Wash.,kid she began to hone her desire toand blend storytelling created hundreds of happy clients with beautiful and pet portraits, headshots corporate branding. She with her instinct for interior design. hermixed-media 2014 relocation to Austin, Taylor, along with her team, also creates custom paintings and Following encourages art-journaling style. In 2013, Roedner made flyingled Zella’s holographic pivot, today reflected in its integral position in her the giggle Austin more designthan community. Whether pig-vision glasses because nothing makes seeing flying pigsshe’s everywhere in creating an elegant for aShe lakeside reinventing a family home’s aesthetic or providing real life and not justsetting imagined. is all lawn aboutparty, making life humorous and enjoys empowering women and kids event rental furniture fromRoedner the company’s is onthe theAustin leading edge through her work. Today, creates11,000-square-foot women’s devotionalwarehouse, circles and Taylor is growing qoya community. of design and her business shows no signs of slowing down. on a mission to spread the truth that doodling is Recently, she created Doodle Friends Clubhouse Austin and is thinking and when we put pen to paper, we are opening our heart channels. When we doodle our dreams, anything zellacompany.com becomes possible. Roedner lives with her muses: her daughter, one hamster, three bunnies and her three Aussie puppies. She is also a stepmother. kristenroedner.com
32 SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM 32 | | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
Photo by Carli Rene. SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM ATXWOMAN.COM | | 33 33
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TA N I A A R R AYA L E S R O D R I G U E Z F O U N D E R O F G R E E N H A B I TAT
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ania Arrayales Rodriguez founded Green Habitat to offer an eco-conscious approach to property development. A passionate activist for sustainability, she works with biologists, archaeologists and geologists in a multidisciplinary effort to preserve the environment and respect and empower indigenous cultures. She received her bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and holds two master’s degrees, including one from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, serving as an advisor for its MBA program. She is also an international speaker and an advocate for Hispanic immigration rights. An avid traveler, she has visited more than 36 countries and divides her time between Austin and Mexico. She is passionate about supporting women throughout the world and hopes her work leaves a minimum footprint on the planet with a maximum positive impact on local communities. greenhabitatproject.com
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STEPHANIE HOUSTON PARTNER, HYE RUM
Photo by Caitlin Candelari.
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tephanie Houston is a founder of Hye Rum, a craft distillery in Hye, Texas, located just outside Austin. A University of Texas graduate, Houston began her professional career in Dallas. After a successful career as a founder of Platinum Select, a nationwide medical-staffing firm, she helped pioneer the Deep Ellum resurgence with music venue LaGrange and opened the first trailer-park eatery in Dallas. She currently co-owns Gourmaleo, a paleo-meal-delivery company set to expand to Austin in 2018. In Dallas, she met Benjamin Calais, owner of Calais Winery, and a chance meeting in Hye led to their current venture with distiller James Davidson. At Hye Rum, Houston’s day-to-day work includes forecasting, brand awareness, cocktail design and event planning, a role she loves. Hye Rum will be available in stores soon. Houston lives in East Austin and loves getting to experience the city’s vibrant culture. hyerum.com
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ANGELA ROBERTSON
D I R E C TO R O F AV E DA I N S T I T U T E AU S T I N
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ngela Robertson was not born in Texas but she got here as fast as she could. After earning a Master of Arts degree in music education, Robertson moved to the Lone Star State, where she shared her passion for leadership, connection and education with students and staff at Waco High School, Texas State University and Austin Community College. She then accepted the role of director of the Aveda Institute Austin. At the institute, students design a customized career path while operating a full-scale salon and spa. Robertson is unapologetically authentic and loves working for a company that features a cruelty-free brand and emphasizes social responsibility. She is a proud fur mother and advocate for the humane treatment of all animals, a graduate of the Amazing Women Alliance’s Amazing Women Leaders program and volunteers with I Once Was Lost Animal Advocacy. Robertson joined Aveda in 2015. avedainstitutessouth.edu/locations/austin
36 SPECIAL WOMAN PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM 36 | AUSTIN | AUGUST 2018
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Splash IN A CREEK OR RIVER
What better excuse to get outside than to splash in a creek or Barton Springs? Take your child to a place where water collects and have fun splashing in the water together. Find a creek to explore near you at naturerocksaustin.org. #getoutsideatx #creeklove #childrenandnature
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MUST LIST CULTURE HUB
Lubbock, Texas, also known as Hub City, has a surprising arts, food and wine scene. STORY AND PHOTOS BY NIKI JONES
The Robert Bruno Steel House was the site of an iconic 2013 Vogue fashion editorial. ATXWOMAN.COM |  39
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department allocates 1 percent of its budget for new-building projects to accompanying commissioned permanent art pieces. The university offers guided walking tours of the collection, and those who prefer to go it alone can utilize a free app called ArtTrek, I am here to behold the famous Robert Bruno Steel House in Ransom which provides information about the collection and allows users to create maps to visit the pieces they’d like to see. I enjoyed the informaCanyon, Texas. Located 13 miles from downtown Lubbock, Texas, this tive, albeit hot, walking tour. Our friendly guide offered plenty of intermultifaceted steel building, the construction of which got underway in esting facts and history about each of the art pieces we visited. 1973, remains only 70 percent complete. Being nestled in this fascinating In the heart of downtown Lubbock, visitors will find object of art made of 110 tons of scrap metal feels CASP, the Charles Adams Studio Project. Founded by like a perfect way to begin my tour of Lubbock: It’s gallerist Charles Adams, this nonprofit organization prosetting the stage with the unexpected. When it comes to arts-and-culture destinations, You want to create vides the community with workshops, studio space and most would likely not think of Lubbock. I certainly that environment exhibition opportunities, as well as an artist-in-residence program and various fellowships. I attended an actionassumed Lubbock had nothing but Texas Tech where people want packed metal-forging workshop, complete with top-notch University and flat land as far as the eye can see. But as it turns out, I was wrong. Lubbock actuto come to chef- fabrication equipment. Other workshops in the modern, airy facility include printmaking, oil painting, screenally has quite the arts scene, and while the Robert driven restaurants. printing and letterpress. Bruno Steel House is the most prominent piece of The first Friday of every month, the community gathartwork in the Lubbock area (and the late Robert —Chef Jason Diehl ers in the Lubbock Cultural District for First Friday Art Richard Bruno is the most well-known artist), it’s Trail, a self-guided, multilocation art show. The turnout impressed me; merely a drop in the bucket. participants of all ages exuberantly made their way from gallery space The Texas Tech Public Art Program includes an extensive collecto gallery space as food trucks lined the main street, a current of festivtion located on the university’s 1,839-acre campus. Named one of the ity in the air. top 10 university public-art collections in the U.S. by Public Art Review, An undeniable complement to a robust art scene is a food scene, and the assemblage currently has more than 100 pieces that span a broad Lubbock is hitting the mark with some outstanding restaurants featurarray of mediums and styles, and many are thought-provoking and ing innovative food. meant to inspire conversation. This free and open-to-the-public collec“You want to create that environment where people want to come tion is ever-growing; Texas Tech’s Facilities Planning & Construction It’s 104 degrees. I’m standing at a window overlooking a cliff high above a beautiful blue lake dotted with trees and tiny islands. A hot, dry, steady wind is blowing through the room as I gaze westward from a living room constructed of glass and rust-colored steel.
“”
The Robert Bruno Steel House has a stunning view of Lake Ransom Canyon.
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First Friday Art Trail participants peruse local art at one of the galleries.
Photo courtesy of C2 Photography.
Cast Iron Grill Owner Teresa Stephens shows off some of her famous pies.
to chef-driven restaurants,” says Jason Diehl, chef and co-owner, along with his wife, Kate, of The Crafthouse Gastropub, one of the few places in town with seasonal menus. “Creating that clientele is something we needed to do in Lubbock.” Also progressive in their approach to food are the owners of Evie Mae’s Pit Barbecue, another husband-and-wife team who decided to make the bulk of their tempting offerings gluten-free. Evie Mae’s meat is oak-smoked to perfection, the green-chili cheese grits are fantastic, the chocolate sheet cake is a standout and the restaurant offers customers free beer. Cocina de La Sirena, a beautiful Latin-American restaurant that integrates local art into its décor and boasts an impressive seasonal menu, is one not to miss. Another must-visit spot is La Diosa Cellars, an eclectic, colorful restaurant with a seasonal menu focused on fresh Spanishinspired tapas and sangria. Owner Sylvia McPherson says she
curates each menu “with heart.” The irony didn’t escape me that I ate the best escargots of my life in Lubbock, Texas. What foodie town would be complete without a wine scene? CapRock Winery, Trilogy Cellars, McPherson Cellars, Pheasant Ridge Winery and Llano Estacado Winery are open to the public for tours and tastings. “We are trying to create a vineyard impact, a vineyard emphasis, that is separate from California,” explains Bobby Cox, Pheasant Ridge Winery co-founder. The common thread among Lubbock winemakers is they all take great pride in the Texas wines they produce. “We win the same awards as the rest of the states,” notes Greg Bruni, vice president and executive winemaker at Llano Estacado Winery. Pride for Lubbock isn’t just limited to the winemakers; every person I spoke with, whether a local business owner or member of the community, absolutely raved about living in Lubbock, which was the nicest surprise of all.
McPherson Cellars is located in a restored Coca-Cola bottling plant.
La Diosa’s dining room is a colorful mix of styles.
The Messengers by David B. Hickman is one of the many art pieces on the Texas Tech campus.
LUBBOCK’S SIGNATURE DRINK: THE CHILTON
MORE LUBBOCK SPOTS TO CHECK OUT
Ingredients
Directions
1 ounce vodka
1. C ombine the vodka and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker and shake until combined.
Juice of 2 lemons Club soda to top Salt for the rim Lemon for garnish
2. P our the concoction into a salted-rim highball glass filled with ice and top it with club soda. 3. Garnish with a lemon wheel or wedge.
Pioneer Pocket Hotel Choose from one of eight unique West Texas-themed suites. pioneerpockethotel.com The West Table Kitchen and Bar Quench your thirst with a Ruby Chilton, a twist on Lubbock’s signature drink. thewesttable.com
Cast Iron Grill Trust me: Order the pie. castirongrilllubbock.com Yellow House Coffee Get a personal French press of fresh locally roasted coffee. yellowhousecoffee.com
Pro tip: Skip the drive and fly direct from Austin to Lubbock on Southwest Airlines. It’s only a one-hour flight.
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FAMILY STYLE
Check out our curated list of fun Austin activities parents can enjoy with their college-bound kids. BY KAITI NEUMAN
The time has finally come: Your daughter is heading to college. You’ve gotten her settled into her dorm, purchased all the textbooks and tech components she’ll need for intensive study and loaded her dining card with enough funds to keep her nibbling on barbecue for a full semester.
So, how will you spend the rest of your week in Austin with your flying-the-nest kiddo? This is your chance to gather the family and experience a few must-visit local sights as a brood. We’ve compiled a list of popular and off-the-beaten-path experiences to check out in Austin that parents—and their college-age kids—will enjoy.
FOR THE OUT-OF-TOWN FAMILY
FOR THE CULTURE SEEKERS
For those less familiar with this great state, it’s time to immerse yourself in all things Lone Star, Austin-style. Get a taste for some authentic Tex-Mex at popular Eastside eatery Juan in a Million, known for its breakfast tacos and house-made enchiladas. With any luck, Owner Juan Meza himself might be there, and he’s always happy to shake the hand of a new customer or two. After breakfast, suit up like a Texan with a pair of dirt-kickin’ cowboy boots and the perfect cowboy hat from Allen’s Boots on South Congress Avenue, also the ideal locale for some good people-watching. Next, mosey up the road to the Texas Capitol to admire the beautiful dome and historic parklike grounds, and learn a little more about Texas and its storied history. And since the Capitol overlooks downtown Austin, this is your chance to take a stroll and check out the vibrant shops and restaurants within this bubbling metropolis. Snap a family selfie with the celebrated Willie Nelson Statue, located on Second Street, aka Willie Nelson Boulevard, at the edge of another hopping shopping district. Nothing is better for capping off a long day of exploration than gobbling up a heaping plate of Texas brisket at Terry Black’s Barbeque on Barton Springs Road. Family meat packages are available. And don’t forget to save room for that quintessential barbecue chaser, banana pudding.
Austin is brimming with culture. If your family is in the market to experience the weird vibes of the city, you’re in for a wild ride. If you’re visiting on a weekend, swing by weekly pop-up South Congress Artist Market to peruse the various funky jewelry pieces, clothing items and artwork on display from the local artists who crafted them. Downtown also holds many interesting options for those looking for something truly eccentric. Take some time to gaze at the odd shrunken heads at Museum of the Weird, or get the scoop on the ghost stories at the infamously haunted Driskill Hotel. To satisfy your post-spooked appetite, head to Ramen Tatsu-ya for a steaming bowl of slurp-worthy and comforting noodle soup. Finish the day by indulging your sweet tooth with some authentic Italian gelato from Dolce Neve.
Photo by Brandon Punzalan. Photo by Alison Narro.
Check out all the paddleboarding options for your family at EpicSUP.
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FOR THE NOSTALGICS
FOR THE NATURE LOVERS
FOR THE SHUTTERBUGS
Tap into some of your favorite nostalgic memories of Sunday morning at Grandma’s house by kick-starting the day at Biscuits and Groovy, where all drool-inducing menu items are named for iconic music artists, such as the Bee Gees and Aretha Franklin. Once you’ve loaded up on freshly baked biscuits, take a drive up to Pinballz, where all your family’s favorite arcade games, from classic pinball machines and Skee-Ball to Pac-Man and more modern interactive games, abound. Once the tokens run out, recharge with a quick and delicious burger at P. Terry’s, a well-loved local fast-food chain. Digging through new and used records and CDs at Waterloo Records is a musiclover’s dream and a must in our music-centric city. Then pop next door to the 1950sinspired 24 Diner, where breakfast—and practically life-changing French toast—is served all day and night.
If you’re looking to get some outside family-bonding time, you’ve come to the right town, as Austin boasts some of the state’s most beautiful scenery. Thanks to Austin B-cycle, your family can take Austin by the handlebars. Bikes are available for rent from stations located throughout the city, so it’s easy to get around without having to sacrifice a 360-degree view. Hit the trails at Butler Park along Lady Bird Lake, or take to the water by renting a paddleboard or kayak from Austin Paddle Shack or EpicSUP. If yours is a family of hikers, hoofing it through the oasis-like Barton Creek Greenbelt is sure to make everyone happy. And taking a dip in the cool waters is the perfect way to combat the heat. For those who want to head straight for the water, Barton Springs, Austin’s cherished natural-springs pool, is not to be missed. After working up an appetite— and a sweat—there is nothing Austinites like to chow down on more than a tasty taco. Do as the locals do and make a visit to Veracruz All Natural on East Cesar Chavez Street, revered by many as one of the best taco spots in Austin. Bonus: The seating is outdoors, so it doesn’t matter if the whole family is sweaty from hiking or wet from falling off paddleboards. All are welcome to nosh as is.
In this age of social media, documenting the fun with pictures has become an essential aspect of any trip. There are sure to be many photo opps when exploring the tasty restaurants, eclectic bars and stunning trails of Austin’s Rainey Street Historic District. Turn your picture snapping into a scavenger hunt by searching Austin for popular murals, including the famous “I love you so much” mural on South Congress Avenue and the “You’re my butter half” mural on East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It’s a great way to get that perfect Instagram shot. For an overhead view of Austin’s terrain, make the climb up Mount Bonnell and snap a striking panoramic shot of the lush Austin landscape. Once hunger sets in, head to Flower Child, where you can choose from an array of healthy and made-from-scratch menu items while enjoying the cute décor. And there is no better way to celebrate a successfully photogenic weekend than by sipping some roasted-in-house coffee or tea and sharing a generous slice of handcrafted tiramisu lakeside at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, arguably Austin’s most famous coffee shop. The café features a hip, rustic interior, as well as a large patio area overlooking Lake Austin that is one of the best locales to catch an Austin sunset.
M
UST LIST
STAFF PICKS
READ ALL ABOUT IT
The Austin Woman staff hits the books and shares our favorite current reads.
Niki Jones, creative director
Chantal Rice, managing editor
Lauren Jones, senior editor
Book she’s reading: The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee
Book she’s reading: Noir: A Novel by Christopher Moore
Book she’s reading: The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
Why she loves it: “This fast-paced memoir about the journey of one young woman’s escape from North Korea is a quick read that gives an inside view of what it’s really like to live under a secretive dictatorship.”
Why she loves it: “Christopher Moore is one of my favorite authors because he doesn’t shy away from creating fantastically absurd characters and really strange yet hysterical plots. Plus, he’s a master of satire, my chosen genre. With its charming weirdness and kitschy quirks, Noir, a throwback to 1940s detective novels, is a dazzling read.”
Why she loves it: “I studied psychology in college and thus have really enjoyed this book so far. Ann Rule’s ability to create an image for the reader is superb. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in true crime.”
Ashley Goolsby, chief financial officer
Christine Moore, account executive
Book she’s reading: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker
Book she’s reading: Solutionaries: You Are the Answer by Linda Lattimore
Lindsey Granberry, account executive
Why she loves it: “The way we gather matters and creating inviting, memorable meetings and social events seems so needed in today’s world. I love Priya’s idea and methods and attention to making it easy for me, the reader, to understand.”
Why she loves it: “Solutionaries offers a step-by-step process to help you identify the values and skills you bring to the world based on your own experiences and how they align with the causes that need you the most.”
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Book she’s reading: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne Why she loves it: “It’s a helpful reminder to think positive and always trust in the universe.”
Courtney Runn, assistant editor Book she’s reading: Am I There Yet? The Loop-de-loop Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood by Mari Andrew Why she loves it: “As a longtime fan of Mari Andrew’s illustrations on Instagram, I preordered this book as soon as it was available on Amazon and immediately fell in love. From finding a home in the world to navigating love and heartbreak to traveling solo to the importance of a really good haircut, she leaves nothing out in her guide to life and will make you laugh, cry, nod your head in solidarity and text your friends pictures of all the pages.”
Madilyn Biscoe, marketing and events manager
Monika Kelley, account executive
Book she’s reading: The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body by Cameron Diaz
Book she’s reading: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Why she loves it: “I’m loving this book so far! It’s about changing the way we think about food and really thinking about what it’s doing for our bodies. Cameron worked with experts to really break down the processes and explain them so simply that it takes the intimidation factor away. She also talks a lot about treating our bodies with respect and loving them for the cool machines they are.”
Why she loves it: “The story in this book is so relevant today. It makes your heart grow and it also breaks your heart. It’s beautifully written, the kind of story that stays with you long after you’ve read it.”
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S
TYLE
SPLURGE OR STEAL
GAME CHANGER
Wherever you choose to tailgate, you’ll be a winner in this look. PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY
STYLED AND MODELED BY ASHLEY HARGROVE
SPLURGE Kelly Wynne clear Mingle Mingle Mini crossbody bag, $195, available at Kelly Wynne, 3211 Palm Way, kellywynne.com Gucci leather belt with double G buckle, $450, available at gucci.com Cami NYC lace-up Charlie top, $168, available at caminyc.com Vince raglan-sleeve cashmere cardigan, $465, available at vince.com AG Bryn high-rise cutoff denim shorts, $168, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, nordstrom.com Stuart Weitzman Elixir braided-leather wedge sandals, $455, available at shopbop.com YSL 55mm black square sunglasses, $395, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, nordstrom.com
$2,296
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STEAL Truffle Clarity clear crossbody bag, $78, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, nordstrom.com Treasure & Bond washed leather belt $49, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, nordstrom.com WayF Posie strappy camisole, $55, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, nordstrom.com H&M fine-knit cardigan, $25, available at H&M, 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, hm.com BlankNYC The Essex distressed denim shorts, $68, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, nordstrom.com Steve Madden Knight espadrille wedge sandals, $89, available at zappos.com Leith 54mm round sunglasses, $24, available at Nordstrom, 3111 Palm Way, nordstrom.com
$388
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S
TYLE
ACCESSORIZE
COLOR MATCH
The ball is in your court to sport the brightest shades under the sun. PHOTO BY COURTNEY RUNN, STYLED BY MADILYN BISCOE From top to bottom: Dior DiorClub1 transparent logo sun visor, $385; Fendi round logo-lenses sunglasses in red, $520; Super by Retrosuperfuture Tuttolente Zizza cat-eye sunglasses in pink, $239; Dior Gaia oversized square sunglasses in pink and red, $350; Gucci glittered oversized round sunglasses in red, green and black, $565; MCM Zyl square sunglasses with logo arms in pink, $276; Celine square monochromatic acetate sunglasses in blue, $400. All styles available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
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Sponsored Content
LEASING VERSUS BUYING: WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU? BY CHELSEA BANCROFT
There are several options when it comes to getting a new vehicle—buying new, buying used, leasing—and it can be hard to know what’s best for you. Leasing often gets a bad rap as “just throwing money down the drain,” but when you consider that the moment you drive a vehicle off the lot, it depreciates by 10 percent, one could argue you’re doing the same when you buy new. There are pros and cons to both buying and leasing, so how do you know which is the best option for you? Start by asking yourself the following questions:
Do you put a lot of miles on a vehicle?
Do you have a lot of cash upfront?
Most leases limit the yearly mileage to between 12,000 and 15,000 miles. Are you unsure how many miles you drive a year? Keep track of how many miles you put on your vehicle during an average week then multiply that by 52. If it’s more than 12,000 miles, buying is a better option for you. Is your total mileage only a little more than that? Many lease agreements let you buy extra miles up front, or you can pay per mile above the limit, which is typically about 15 cents per mile. Do you drive for Uber or Lyft? If so, leasing is definitely not a good option for you, and ride-share driving is actually forbidden by many lease contracts.
Typically, when buying a vehicle, you are required to put a large amount of money down. If you have enough cash to pay for a car outright, buying is the way to go. You won’t have to worry about monthly payments and will save thousands in interest. Are you a little strapped for cash? Leasing typically requires much less cash upfront, usually only the first month’s payment, a refundable security deposit and a couple of other fees.
Do you want low monthly payments?
Leasing is a great option if you like driving a new car. A big benefit of getting a new car every two to four years is that you always have access to the latest technology. Not only does that mean you’ll have more entertainment features like Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth, but it also means having the latest safety features, like a back-up camera, lanedeparture warning and Smart City Braking.
When you lease a vehicle, you’re only paying for the difference between the car’s current price and its expected future value (how much it’s anticipated to depreciate). Because of that, lease payments are typically lower than monthly loan payments, especially for more expensive vehicles. Leasing often allows you to drive a more expensive car since the monthly payments are lower than if you were to buy it.
Do you like to drive your vehicle for as long as possible? If you’re someone who likes to drive the same vehicle until it no longer runs, buying is the best option. A benefit of this strategy is that after you have paid off your loan, you don’t have to worry about monthly payments.
Do you like driving new vehicles with the latest technology?
Do you have kids and/or pets? Most lease agreements have an “excessive wear and tear” clause, meaning when you turn your vehicle in at the end of the lease and it has the inevitable wear and tear that come with driving with kids and pets, you may be responsible for paying an extra fee to cover the cost of cleaning or making repairs. Before leasing, talk to the dealer about what qualifies as excessive wear and tear and what the resulting fees are.
Do you like to customize your ride? Are you someone who likes to customize your vehicle with special wheel rims or paint jobs? If so, leasing is a no-go. When you lease a vehicle, you have to turn it back in just as you received it, so no customization is allowed. That means no new paint jobs, lift kits, sound systems, etc.
Do you anticipate any major life changes in the future? If you think your financial situation might change, keep in mind that with a lease, you are locked into that payment for the length of the lease (typically three years), and the cost to terminate the lease early can be significant. If you buy a vehicle, you have the option to sell it or trade it in for something more budget-friendly. A major life change isn’t exclusive to finances. If you’re leasing a small sedan when you become pregnant, it might be difficult to manage once Baby arrives. Are you making a big move? Driving cross-country will put extra miles on your vehicle, which can cost you in the end.
Photo by Shelly Borga, Dakota & Co.
Do you like having maintenance covered by warranty? Of course, everyone likes to have maintenance issues covered by a warranty. Something to keep in mind when debating between leasing and buying is that a leased vehicle is new and you only keep it for three years, so you’ll be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for the length of the lease.
Is your credit score not the best? If this is the case, buying is going to be your only option. Unfortunately, leasing requires really good credit and a stable financial situation. So, what’s best for you? It comes down to your personal preferences, lifestyle and financial situation. Calculating the difference between buying and leasing can be tough, but online calculators are available to help. Are you still unsure? Shoot me an email and I’d be happy to help walk you through it. I don’t actually sell cars at Roger Beasley, meaning I don’t get any commission, so you won’t get any pressure from me either way.
Chelsea Bancroft is the strategic-partnerships and social-media manager at Roger Beasley Mazda and a blogger at onechelofanadventure.com.
H
OME
MAKE ROOM
SMALL WONDER
Artist turned fearless designer Kate Zaremba shares her advice for how to best turn small quarters into dazzling spaces.
When it comes to enhancing small spaces—whether it’s your cozy she shed, your bijou studio apartment or your itsy-bitsy dorm room— getting creative is essential. Sure, bringing in a few treasured curios can add a personal touch. But what’s a gal to do about those white walls, lackluster fabrics and antiquated furniture? Take the advice of a talented artist and designer who specializes in turning any drab space into one with pizazz, of course. Kate Zaremba, an accomplished Austin-based designer, is best known for creating imaginative, funky— and easily removable—wallpaper, as well as expressive art pieces. Zaremba admits she never really stops editing her own spaces, adding and subtracting elements; opting for furnishings with clean lines that mix metal, wood and glass; and allowing a beloved piece of art, a favorite color palette or a chic wallpaper print to lead her design decisions and enable a space to feel more cohesive. Here, Zaremba shares her expert tips for adding a little style and charm to your own small spaces.
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Room photos by Taz Wimer and Kate Zaremba. Kate Zaremba photo by Taz Wimer.
BY CHANTAL RICE
GET THE LOOK GET CREATIVE WITH WALLPAPER.
REPURPOSE WITH PURPOSE.
“Wallpaper is a great way to liven up and completely transform a space. Whether you choose to put it up on a wall or line the back of a midcentury bookcase, it is always a hit with guests and the perfect backdrop to those gorgeous vases you brought home from your last trip to Sante Fe or the art print you picked up on Spring Street.” “Unique textiles can really change the character of a room. From a handwoven blanket thrown over a chair to floor-length curtains, colorful or unique fabrics add both warmth and a refinement to a room.”
“I am a big fan of upcycling. Taking an old love seat or set of chairs and reupholstering them with bold, modern prints is a favorite. Framing a big piece of vintage wallpaper or stretching a yard of vintage fabric like a canvas is a great way to make some large-scale artwork for a room. It’s also a really easy way to show off your individual style without buying new.”
GATHER INSPIRATION BUT BEWARE OF PINTERLUST.
ADORN WITH BOLD EMBELLISHMENTS.
WARM UP YOUR SMALL SPACE WITH DISTINCTIVE TEXTILES.
“When designing for a specific space, sometimes I’ll start by pinning a mood board. Be careful, though; it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest and get sidetracked by all of the outrageously beautiful designs out there. I actually refer to this as ‘Pinterlust.’ And while it’s likely you will lose hours and hours of your life pinning at the start of a project, it is hands down the very best place to pull together ideas and inspiration.”
“Don’t be afraid of pattern! As long as there is a cohesive color story happening in your space, then adding pattern—even more than one—is a sure-fire way to get your friends asking you to design their space too.”
“”
The spaces we inhabit, whether big or small, deserve as much time and attention as we give to what we wear or put in our hair. These are the places we live, love, gather, work, create, etc., and should be thought about. I always have some artful inspiration on the walls or tabletops. Pops of color are a must for me, along with a variety of textures to create a balanced space that is comfortable, lively and unique to my tastes. – Kate Zaremba
IN THIS ROOM • Kate Zaremba Company Reef wallpaper • Kate Zaremba Company Pinstripe Floral Noir wallpaper • ceramics created by Kate Zaremba (Watch for her new ceramics collection to launch this fall.) • Matisse print from the Museum of Modern Art Design Store in New York City • vintage textile from GoodWood DC
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H
OME
AT HOME WITH
SOUTHERN CHARM The 2018 Southern Living Idea House boasts major curb appeal and the perfect mesh of the traditional and eclectic.
MEREDITH ELLIS’ FAVORITE TOUCHES 3 nickel in the kitchen 3c ustom ottoman with drink holders 3 custom-designed bed in the master bedroom 3a dding a soft touch with drapery and a claw-foot tub in the master bathroom 3 t he hidden powder room off the sunroom
BY LAUREN JONES
“We found the home at 4 a.m.,” Ellis recalls. “I refreshed my search [on my computer] and suddenly, it was there. ... The next morning, we saw the house.” The home, originally built in the 1980s, boasts an exterior with a classic Southern feel, with white columns and more than 700 square feet of covered patio space, ideal for those who desire a life filled with lazy afternoons and ice-cold sweet tea. Inside, Ellis, husband-and-wife team Catherine and David Wilkes of David Wilkes Builders, and Chris Sanders of Sanders Architecture were met with an entirely different reality. The home would need a major remodel, something that, according to Ellis, would typically take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. The full renovation took just four. Today, the home is a beautiful example of Ellis’ personal design philosophy: traditional yet rooted in modern sensibility. From the color-coded menagerie of books, layered rugs, patterned flooring in the foyer and the bold usage of both color and pattern, it’s all about creating harmony with a bit of the unexpected. “I think there are only two solids in this house,” Ellis says, smiling. “I don’t feel like it’s overwhelming. It’s a balance of highs and lows. ... For the showhouse, I wanted it to feel like the owner just walked out the door and not like a showhouse or showroom.”
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Photos courtesy of Southern Living and Hector Manuel Sanchez.
The 2018 Southern Living Idea House is nestled in Austin’s Northwest Hills, a coveted neighborhood lined with palatial 1970s- and 1980s-era homes, lovely neighbors whose children have grown up watching the neighborhood transform during the past few decades and an undeniable touch of Southern charm that will make you consider redecorating. Pulling up to the four-bedroom, four-anda-half-bathroom home on Rusty Ridge Drive, it’s easy to see why Austin designer Meredith Ellis and her team knew this was “the one” after an exhaustive three-month search.
SHOP THE LOOK Circa Lighting chandelier
antique mirror (designer’s own)
Arteriors Home floor lamp
Lee Industries armchairs with Schuyler Samperton fabric from James Showroom
James Showroom velvet ikat pillows
James Showroom custom ottoman with drink trays
dhurrie rug (designer’s own) Moss Studio sofa
antique suzani (designer’s own)
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Chasing the Final Frontier From dreams of becoming an astronaut to developing a 3-D printer that reuses plastic trash, Samantha Snabes is a force to be reckoned with. BY SHELLEY SEALE PHOTOS BY KEITH TRIGACI STYLED BY ASHLEY HARGROVE HAIR AND MAKEUP BY LAURA MARTINEZ SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE LINE AUSTIN
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Phara linen dress, $248; Korrat suede peach wedges, $278, available at Joie, 11700 Domain Blvd., 512.982.3261, joie.com.
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Alice & Olivia Delora mockneck, fitted sleeveless sheath dress, $285; Christian Louboutin Jonatina illusion sandals, $795, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com. Criselda ball shoulder-duster earrings, $12, available at baublebar.com.
THE LINE AUSTIN The Line Austin features 428 rooms with expansive lake and city views, and interiors that balance old and new elements with a minimalist design. Arlo Grey, the hotel’s lakeside restaurant and bar, helmed by Top Chef winner Kristen Kish, melds traditional technique with a nostalgia for dishes from her upbringing, world travels and exploration of Central Texas ingredients, while Beverage Director Brian Floyd brings classic cocktails. An outpost of Los Angelesbased Alfred Coffee is open all day. The hotel also features an infinity pool overlooking Lady Bird Lake. P6, a rooftop lounge with sweeping views, and a casual burger joint and bar on Congress Avenue next to the bridge will open this year. The property also includes 20,000 square feet of versatile indoor and outdoorATXWOMAN.COM event space. | 56 111 E. Cesar Chavez St., 512.478.9611 thelinehotel.com/austin
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F
or as long as she can remember, Samantha Snabes dreamed of being an astronaut. Throughout her childhood, she eagerly devoured any media she could about space and those who worked in the field. She went to every camp, seminar and clinic she could find to learn how to make that dream come true. Proving her resourcefulness, even at a young age, Snabes obtained the names of working professional astronauts while attending her second space camp during high school. She then used the phone book to look up those who lived in her home state of Michigan. “I called them at their house and said, ‘Hey, I want to be an astronaut. What do I have to do?’ ” she recalls. “I also received several introductions through the local Young Astronauts Club. When I met with the astronauts, they told me I had to go to college. They also told me I should pick a career in science—and that’s what I did.” The determined young Snabes followed the path she had set for herself, later attending the University of Michigan–Dearborn and graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in international studies and Hispanic studies and a minor in psychology. She then put herself through graduate school, obtaining a master’s degree with concentrations in supply-chain management and international business. While she was still unwavering in her desire to become an astronaut, her science education spurred a deep interest in biosciences. Snabes worked as a research associate with Aastrom Biosciences while in college, and after graduation, she assisted with a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency grant-funded research project to build an artificial immune system using human stem cells grown from adult bone-marrow samples. She and her boss co-patented the outcome and obtained an exclusive worldwide license from Aastrom. In 2006, they co-founded a company called BioFlow Technology to commercialize the tissue-culture device. BioFlow was acquired in 2009, and during the acquisition process, Snabes learned of an opportunity at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Working in the Space Life Sciences program, which focuses on the study of human health and performance in the space environment, Snabes was squarely at the intersection of her two loves: space and bioscience. The team studied the toll the extreme conditions of outer space put on the human body, and worked to anticipate and address those risks for people in space flight. Innovation is a huge part of everything at NASA, and eventually, Snabes became a social-entrepreneurin-residence, exploring how living and working in space could translate to social entrepreneurship. She also
started volunteering with Engineers Without Borders, which taps the skills of engineers to overcome the challenges that keep the world’s poorest people from living healthy, productive lives. “I always had a heart for seeing people be independent and have access to resources,” Snabes says. “I’ve always volunteered a lot, so when I heard about Engineers Without Borders, I got really excited about it. My peers I worked with at NASA were like-minded people who loved space and science, but also loved microfinance and to give back. They would volunteer at night, and we would use the conference room at our lunch hour or after work to prototype and build various projects for EWB.” With EWB, Snabes traveled the globe working on projects, including making a stop in Rwanda. In 2011, she and co-worker Matthew Fiedler were volunteering at a hospital in Mugonero when they saw piles of medical and electrical equipment discarded out in the sun. “These were $100,000 to $200,000 machines just sitting there,” Snabes recalls. “The gentleman who was translating explained that the equipment was unusable. I asked why, and he explained that because they are donations, often, they’re the wrong voltage, they’re not a cultural fit or they can’t be maintained. The list goes on.” She and Fiedler talked about the useless equipment while sipping beers one night in Rwanda and started surmising how things could be different if the people there could just make their own equipment. “I realized I would see or hear about these instances again and again,” Snabes says. “What we were learning when we were traveling is that people are inherently creative. They want to explore, they want to solve their own problems and they’re super motivated and capable.” 3-D printing was just getting popular and the maker movement with open-source printers was kicking off. Fiedler had been desktop printing in 3-D at home, and he and Snabes both used 3-D printers professionally at work. The two started to talk about what it would look like if people globally could 3-D print functional items. “We both really believe in opportunity and locally driven manufacturing,” Snabes says. “We started thinking about what people would fabricate for themselves, and the solutions we were seeing through the organizations we were involved with was that those things needed to be bigger than 6 inches, [the norm for desktop 3-D printers]. We looked across the landscape, and there wasn’t an affordable printer that was large-scale.” For the bioscience and engineering social entrepreneurs, the answer was simple: They would just have to make one themselves.
“We weren’t intending necessarily to start a business; we were just wanting to solve a problem.”
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The affordable, large-scale 3-D printer that Snabes and tremendous startup impact if they could get their prototype to Fiedler worked to design would also serve two other muchSXSW in time. needed functions in developing regions of the world: to “We were dubious it could be done in time, just eight weeks recycle trash and provide for the ability to make usable items away,” Snabes says. “But Matthew was adamant.” such as composting toilets. They enlisted other friends to join At his home in Houston, Fiedler assembled the fledging their team of creatives and makers to fashion a 3-D printer that enterprise’s first technology component, the Gigabot, could create composting toilets from recycled materials like which would provide industrial-strength, large-format 3-D milk jugs, plastic bags and other garbage. printing at an affordable price point. There was just one “Millions of people lack access to toilets or latrines, and problem: The prototype was too big to fit through Fiedler’s composting toilets boost hygiene without impacting water door. So, he had to disassemble it, transport it to Austin and supplies and [create] fertilizer for better crop production,” reassemble it live on the carpet of the SXSW exhibit hall. But Snabes explained in a video about the project. “But the it was done and set up at the booth in time for the opening of traditional toilet systems are expensive and often require the festival. Simultaneously, Snabes was in Santiago putting materials to be imported. This project provides for the rapid together a Kickstarter campaign aimed to launch at the production of affordable, customized products where trash, same time the Gigabot made its world debut in Austin. toilet access and unemployment can be a huge problem.” “It was like the perfect storm,” she says. “We timed it so What if they could create such a toilet with a 3-D printer, that the campaign started right when the booth opened at and do so inexpensively while helping to solve South By Southwest.” other problems as well? Snabes and Fiedler It was a hit. The Kickstarter campaign were convinced this would be a win-win was funded to its $40,000 goal within situation, and they also knew solutions 27 hours, quickly surpassing that goal managed by local community and eventually raising more than members themselves have the a quarter of a million dollars. A highest chances of success. story in TechCrunch helped get “Because I wanted to be The team submitted their design the word out about the new for a 3-D printed toilet to the Jack technology, and suddenly, an astronaut, I had big Daniels Independence Project, re:3D was a major player, dreams, and those kinds which helps fund entrepreneurs’ with orders coming in from passion projects with a $25,000 throughout the world. of dreams can take you cash prize. “We went really quickly places and open up a lot of “We really wanted to win from idea to product, selling the $25,000,” Snabes says. “We globally,” Snabes says. “We were doors and possibilities.” also wanted to win the whiskey suddenly in 20 countries, selling barrel [that came with the prize]. We to strangers. We then had to find a were all fighting over that because we way to bootstrap a factory.” wanted to make furniture out of it.” re:3D has continued to grow rapidly, Snabes’ team finished as a finalist in the with a goal to completely disrupt the 3-D contest, which proved to them there really was a printer industry with its innovative method of need for what they were developing. using plastic waste as the input. Snabes says this also “It wasn’t just our friends validating it anymore,” she says. allows for a 30 percent increase in printing speed, as well as a “We weren’t intending necessarily to start a business; we were significant reduction in manufacturing costs, compared with just wanting to solve a problem.” the current method of printing from plastic filament. Then they heard about Start-Up Chile, an initiative in “We are hoping to make 3-D printing a commercial reality the South American country that identifies and supports in two years. We also seek to empower 500 jobs in five years,” customer-validated and scalable companies that will leave she says. a lasting impact on the Latin American ecosystem. The Currently, the company employs a staff of more than 20 and program provides equity-free startup funds, as well as access has seen success in selling its Gigabots to organizations such to investors, training and mentors. It seemed like the perfect as MD Anderson Cancer Center, as well as continuing socialincubator to submit their idea. and community-development projects. After Hurricane Maria “The next thing we knew, we received a letter stating we devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, a local software-development were being awarded $40,000 to start a company, and I was startup called ALQMY used Gigabot to 3-D print a prototype moving to Santiago,” Snabes says. “Start-Up Chile made it and design walkie-talkie-like products that operate on a seem like it was really a business. It became very real for me low-band frequency network and were uniquely capable and Matthew.” of functioning in post-hurricane conditions. 3-D printing Both of them quit their jobs to work full time on their new gave the team access to the technology needed to create company, called re:3D, and Snabes moved to Chile in January products quickly and rapidly prototype working devices. The 2013 for seven months. devices were able to create a decentralized wireless network “We didn’t have any other funding or a prototype,” Snabes without having to depend on the decimated infrastructure says. “I showed up in Santiago with just an idea in my head.” and had the capability to connect people within 1.5 miles, Back in Texas, another hotbed for innovation was letting them send SMS communications and share GPS approaching in March: the South By Southwest festival in information. Puerto Ricans were able to coordinate allocating Austin. Snabes and Fiedler knew they could have a chance at petroleum for those in need, bringing food to one another and
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connecting with loved ones about their ongoing living conditions and safety. In the medical arena, re:3D technology is being used to print casts and prosthetics. The company donated a Gigabot to global volunteer network e-Nable to build prosthetic hands out of 3-D printed parts for young children throughout the world, and also sends the parts so kids and parents can participate in the building themselves. A prosthetic hand can be printed for as little as $30 and dramatically change a child’s life. Recently, e-Nable added a mechanically driven arm design to its collection, called the RIT Arm, which requires no electricity to operate. “It’s been really rewarding to serve people in these countries globally,” Snabes says. “I think every day is a choice and an opportunity, and that’s why it’s so important to me to bring opportunity to other people. Watching our new teammates make 3-D their own and define the future of 3-D printing has really impressed me.” re:3D’s Gigabots are also used for archaeological research projects. Southwestern Adventist University Dinosaur Science Museum and Research Center in Keene, Texas, has accumulated more than 20,000 dinosaur bones, which staff recreate by 3-D printing with the Gigabot to build full-scale models of the dinosaurs without being destructive to the actual bones, which also enables them to keep doing research on the bones. Snabes went back to Jack Daniels, entering the Gentleman Jack Pitch Distilled competition in 2017. The multicity competition has a live-pitch component, with competitors pitching in front of a diverse cast of judges tasked with helping kick-start the next big idea. Snabes’ presentation in San Francisco garnered re:3D the first-place prize. She and Fiedler used the $5,000 prize money to help fund a prototype of a new 3-D printer, expanding the Gigabot’s capabilities. The new prototype can print on more materials than a traditional 3-D printer, cutting costs dramatically—and making a bigger dent in that huge pile of trashed plastic, the purposeful reuse of which is part of the company’s mission. The company’s biggest score to date came in January, when Snabes’ presentation at the WeWork Creator Awards in New York garnered re:3D the top-place finish and a check for $1 million. Snabes was so stunned that when the announcement came that she won, she fell to her knees. “We couldn’t be more honored to have WeWork as a partner,” she says. “Not only did they provide the resources to bring our big idea to life, they connected us with a community and a team that continues to inspire us daily.” And what about her astronaut dreams? Well, they haven’t died. Snabes has applied three times to the NASA Astronaut Candidate Program, which opens only every few years and receives as many as 17,000 applications when it does. She’s done everything from becoming a certified EMT and volunteer firefighter to joining the Mississippi Air National Guard in hopes of improving her chances for selection. “If I say I want to be an astronaut but I don’t apply, then I’m not serious. Maybe someday I’ll get lucky or the stars will align, no pun intended,” Snabes jokes. “Because I wanted to be an astronaut, I had big dreams, and those kinds of dreams can take you places and open up a lot of doors and possibilities.”
Hirani silk dress, $298; Korrat peach suede wedges, $278, available at Joie, 11700 Domain Blvd., 512.982.3261, joie.com; Gorjana palm drop earrings, $65; Gorjana Knox gold bar necklace, $55, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
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t
UP TO THE
BY MAURI ELBEL, PHOTOS BY COURTNEY RUNN
These three forward-thinking women are blazing their own paths in STEM and proving that believing in your dreams can lead to big things.
Women may represent about half the workforce but it’s no secret they are still underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But by following their own passions to solve existing problems and overcoming the obstacles they’ve encountered along the way, these three women have forged pathways to a new kind of future. From creating a company with a mission to reduce overconsumption by making it as easy to rent as it is to buy to evolving health-care education to overseeing operations at the largest independent game developer in Austin, these women prove believing in yourself and following through on your dreams really can change the world.
CANDACE LEAK, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF LOANABLES In 2014, Candace Leak was simply trying to plan a party for her parents to celebrate two big milestones: their 40th anniversary and their 60th birthdays. As a stay-at-home mom of two children, ages 2 and 4 at the time, she soon discovered how difficult something as seemingly simple as renting tables and chairs for the event was proving to be. “I quickly realized all of the rental website companies literally required you to pick up the phone to find out what was available and how much it would cost,” recalls Leak, a self-described “Amazon mom.” “I found the process of trying to call around painful, especially in this day and age. Making telephone calls with children at home is almost impossible. I kept thinking, ‘I can’t believe this is how an industry still works in 2014. I can purchase anything I want and have it delivered, but that is not an option for rentals.’ ” In a world in which frictionless buying is the norm—allowing shoppers to go online and make purchases from Amazon or any number of other online retailers with plenty of options to compare, get free delivery and expedite purchases—Leak was baffled the rental industry didn’t offer the same conveniences. At first, she considered simply buying tables and chairs for her planned event. But familiar with the startling overconsumption statistics in the United States, the thought of purchasing tables and chairs she would only use once weighed on her. After making numerous calls to various rental companies, she grew frustrated that some companies had tables while others only had chairs. Since her order was too small to qualify for delivery, she then had to load her kids into the Suburban Friday afternoon to pick up rentals at a warehouse on the other side of town and deal with the hassle of returning the rentals Monday. It was an eye-opening revelation, and Leak thought someone should fix it. She just didn’t think she would be the person to do it. “I am an entrepreneur at heart, but I did not think it would be me to fix it,” says Leak, who owned a pet-product business before selling it to stay home with her kids. “The company I had before wasn’t tech-related, so I didn’t think I had the expertise to create a technology solution.” Then she thought about what she would say to her own children. As a parent, Leak has always encouraged her son, now 8, and her daughter, now 6, to avoid saying “I can’t.” 60 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
“Here I was with all of these reasons that I can’t do it: I have no education in technology. I don’t have time with my kids at home,” she recalls. “But I thought to myself, ‘What if this was my child telling me all these reasons why they can’t do it? What would I say back to them?’ ” Leak knew she would tell them they could do it, that they shouldn’t limit themselves. “Then I thought, ‘I am going to do this. I am going to model that behavior for my children,’ ” she says. Leak began to get excited about her idea, not just about the entrepreneurial aspect and the convenience her new venture would bring users, but also because of the potential impact her long-term vision of frictionless renting could eventually have on reducing overconsumption. In the future, Leak says the Loanables website will allow shoppers to rent any item they use less than three times per year. Launched last year, Loanables’ database already includes more than 200 rental companies in Austin, enabling customers to shop an array of Austin rental companies in one place. With growth occurring each month and strong repeat-clientele numbers proving Loanables is offering a solution shoppers need, the company brought on four full-time employees and two interns, with plans to add more in the near future. But as with most new businesses, launching Loanables didn’t come without its challenges, spanning everything from delays in building the product to communication barriers with developers. Finally, Leak made the decision to hire a technical co-founder and turned to longtime business acquaintance Anthony Chen, who brought with him about two decades of technology experience. “It has made all the difference in the world,” Leak says. “Our team is very diverse and comes from all backgrounds. I found you really need that diversity on a team to build the best product.” So, what’s her advice for other budding entrepreneurs? “Do it,” Leak says. “And for people with children, I would tell them to ask themselves what they would want their children to do and make the decision they would want their children to make. I am always saying things to my kids like, ‘Life is too short,’ or, ‘You’re going to regret it if you don’t do it.’ I’ve learned to talk to myself like I am talking to my children.”
CHALLENGE 2015, 2016 & 2017.
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SHANNA KONETZKE, FOUNDER AND CEO OF WHOLEARTH ENTERPRISES VR Always believe in your dream. Always believe in yourself and never let someone else’s “no” discourage you to the point of quitting. These are just a couple of the guiding principles that helped Shanna Konetzke combine her passions for education, health care and technology into an impactful business. She created the next generation of educational platforms for medical students by using virtual reality, augmented reality and haptic feedback gloves. “There will always [be] someone who says this project is too big or is too out of reach,” says Konetzke, CEO of Wholearth Enterprises VR, the virtual-reality company she founded in La Grange, Texas, two years ago. “I never believed it for a second.
“T he w re w h bi o s ill a g a or ys lwa is thi ys s p [b t — Sh oo ro e] an o je so na u t Ko of ct i me ne o s tz rea to ne ke ch o .” 62 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
I know this is a big project, but I also know in my heart that Wholearth can change these simulations and change the way health care is done.” Wholearth Enterprises VR is evolving health-care education into a new reality, with the mission to successfully develop the first mixed-reality education-and-research institution that enables collaborations with health-care institutions throughout the world. The project is still in the early design phase of development, and because cutting-edge technology is expensive, Konetzke says the company continues to look for like-minded long-term investment partners.
Utilizing a disruptive health-care e-learning platform using mixed reality, haptics, artificial intelligence and other new technologies on a global collaborative network, Wholearth Enterprises VR will provide educational simulations, yielding repetitive learning and increased retention and knowledge for medical students. Konetzke, who has worked in the health-care field for 20 years, began her career as an X-ray technician, providing mammograms, breast imaging and CAT scans. She rewrote breast-
imaging curriculums and mammography programs for two community colleges after graduating from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. In 2010, Konetzke stared her first tech business, born out of her love for video games. It eventually led to the idea that education could be facilitated through video games. Today, Wholearth Enterprises VR is an e-learning platform for medical training, a virtual-reality medical school based on a Level 1 trauma center that uses virtual-reality simulations to help educate student doctors and allied health professionals. The technology Konetzke works with involves a virtual-reality headset used with gloves that mimic force feedback, enabling students to feel what they are learning, which she says is a crucial component of medical training. Created from her love of education, health care and technology, the company aspires to provide a fully functioning health-care and researchlearning platform. “Wholearth VR believes the new realities and availabilities using disruptive learning procedures will increase repetitive learning skills, giving students access to the hard-to-learn but lifesaving procedures they might not see in their clinical environments,” Konetzke explains. For example, the global e-learning medical platform allows students to use a virtual-reality body in lieu of studying the anatomy of cadavers in a lab. The platform also allows for simulations for dangerous procedures that aren’t commonly seen in clinical settings, giving students a hands-on approach to learning about these difficult procedures and making it possible to conduct them repetitively on the Wholearth Enterprises VR platform. “The students are improving their education so that when it comes to doing these procedures on a live patient, they have the experience from repetitive learning through VR simulations,” Konetzke says. There’s a collaborative element to the platform too. Universities can have their own simulations and students will have the opportunity to come together with other students throughout the world to collaborate on medical research and training. Konetzke recalls her exact aha moment. She was working in an emergency department and talking with an ER physician about how she could pull her passions together. “I thought, ‘I can do this. I can change the way medical students are trained,’ ” Konetzke says. “It all began as a one-time simulation, and it has evolved into a global platform.”
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t d an t. s ce rtan ls n i a o ch imp e fa eir h n ke ta ery ryo m t arts v e o t to e s is . Ev s fr e s l ab rles aid arn yon .” g in fea afr e le ver lace i e “B ing t be yon ut e ep arb be on’ ver s, b som h Gh D d e ke m jde an ista fro Mo — m
MOJDEH GHARBI, CO-OWNER AND VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND OPERATIONS FOR CERTAIN AFFINITY One of the best pieces of advice Mojdeh Gharbi has to offer others is not to let fear get in the way of success. “A lot of times, people talk themselves out of opportunities just because of fear, but you have to be bold,” she says. “Being able to take chances and being fearless is very important. Don’t be afraid. Everyone fails and everyone learns from their mistakes, but everyone starts from someplace.” Gharbi, who immigrated to the U.S. with her family from Iran when she was just 11, credits much of her professional success in STEM-related fields to the encouragement and support she received from talented industry leaders and mentors, as well as her own parents, who served as her first entrepreneurial role models. “Our parents always encouraged my sister and I to do our best and become anything we wanted to be,” she says. “I always enjoyed math and science, and it played an important part in our lives growing up.” In fact, when Gharbi’s family moved to the U.S., they settled on Austin so her sister could study engineering at the University of Texas. Gharbi attended what was then LBJ High School Science Academy before majoring in biology at UT, paying her way through college by working for her family’s business. “It was at that time I realized I wanted to get a degree that would be more helpful with what I was doing, so I changed majors to advertising and business,” Gharbi says. “The day I changed majors, my mom cried because she really wanted [me to be] a heart surgeon, and my dad got excited since he was a businessman.” While Gharbi’s professional path deviated from her initial dreams of becoming a doctor, her diverse career, which includes more than 20 years of experience in tech, gaming, advertising and real estate for companies spanning Leo Burnett to Microsoft, is one she couldn’t be more proud of. Today, Gharbi oversees the business and operational success of Certain Affinity, a bootstrap
64 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
startup founded in 2006 by her husband, Max Hoberman, that is now the largest independent game developer in Austin and the second-largest in the state, with more than 140 full-time employees. The highly prolific studio has been a lead developer or codeveloper of more than 25 products across 10 different franchises, with combined sales of more than 100 million units. The company is now considered the go-to co-development partner for AAA action titles, with recent contributions to such powerhouses in the gaming field as “World of Tanks,” “Call of Duty” and “Doom.” As Certain Affinity’s vice president of marketing and operations, Gharbi ensures the company hits its overall business, people and revenue goals, as well as long-term company objectives. Not only has Gharbi continued to break stereotypes as a Persian-American Middle Eastern woman in both the tech and videogaming industries, but she also enjoys working in a profession that mixes STEM, creativity and business. “It is one of a few industries where you see all of these disciplines come together,” Gharbi says. “Gaming is on the edge of innovation as it relates to technology and human interaction. It’s a pioneer in many ways to pave the path on how technology is applied in different industries and different problems.” In addition to her role at Certain Affinity, Gharbi has a passion for empowering others, helping the local community and other businesses, and advocating for initiatives in support of economic growth and education. Most recently, she worked with Capital IDEA, as well as with Austin Community College on its tech-education program in an effort to create more opportunity for lowerincome individuals to move into tech. She’s also been advocating for initiatives that support mandatory sick pay, job creation, economic development and small-business support in Austin. “I love what I do and do what I love,” Gharbi says. “I believe that is critical to individual success.”
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RECIPE REVEAL
A BOOZY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
Cool off with Prohibition Creamery’s Sangarita. STORY AND PHOTO BY COURTNEY RUNN
PROHIBITION CREAMERY’S SANGARITA Serves one
Ingredients 7 ounces store-bought or homemade sangria sorbet 4 ounces Lambrusco wine (Laura Aidan recommends using a semidry Lambrusco.) Squeeze of fresh lime juice 1 lime wheel Directions 1. Place approximately two scoops of sorbet into a blender. 2. T op it with the Lambrusco wine. 3. S erve the sangarita in a wine glass garnished with a lime wheel and enjoy.
At Prohibition Creamery, owner Laura Aidan fuses her background in STEM with her love for ice cream. The result is a delightful menu of alcohol-infused concoctions and intricate frozen treats. After graduating with a degree in computer science and spending a decade in software development, Aidan returned to school to pursue a different side of STEM: ice cream. While food had always been both a hobby and passion, she never dreamed it would become her career. When Aidan’s husband suggested bourbon-flavored ice cream, Prohibition Creamery came to life. The budding mixologist attended Pennsylvania State University’s 66 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2018
126-year-old ice-cream program, the oldest and most prestigious of its kind in the country. The experience reminded her of high-school chemistry, with lessons about fat molecules, sugar types and the properties of refrigeration. After completing the course, Aidan experimented with adding alcohol on her own, learning to adjust the percentage each time for the perfect texture of ice cream. She also pasteurizes her own ice-cream base for maximum creativity and precision. When she opened her prohibition-themed ice-cream shop, Aidan worried about leaving the traditional STEM world but quickly discovered she was simply representing and empowering women in a new way. “Every day,” she says, “is like a science experiment.”
Nobody would mistreat Barton Springs. If anyone harmed or abused Austin’s sacred swimming grounds, you’d report it. But what if instead of Barton Springs, it was your neighbor’s child?
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OURMET
FOOD NEWS
COOKING UP DOWNTOWN
Austin Central Public Library’s new cafe and bar, Cookbook, is dishing out classics. BY MARY MURPHY Cookbook is a place Austinites can enjoy a unique meal during lunch breaks or change the cycle of the same old place for dinner. The lunch-and-dinner menu features appetizers, soups and salads, sides, sandwiches, entrees, kid-friendly choices and dessert. Items are reasonably priced, from $5 to $14. While the idea of establishing a restaurant within a library is progressive in itself, the fact that alcohol is also offered takes Cookbook up a notch. Wine, local craft beer Chef Andrew Curren of ELM Restaurant Group draws and cocktails abound on the beverage menu. Guests can inspiration from timeless classics, like those found in your treat themselves to creative and cleverly titled concoctions mother’s favorite cookbook, as well as from celebrated chefs like the Tequila Mockingbird, A Midsummer Night’s Dram throughout the country. The menu changes seasonally, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Gin. allowing guests to try various dishes made with the From the book-themed menu categories to the witty freshest ingredients. Curren draws on the Austin spirit, literary drink names, this themed eatery is full of keeping things close to home and socially conscious delightful detail. An open floor plan allows for guests by incorporating farm-to-table and local components to comfortably stay and sit, either inside or outside. A whenever possible. beautiful bookcase close to the entrance holds some The bustling bistro offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and special treasures: more than 500 books previously owned Asparagus crawfish beverage menus. Breakfast, served weekdays from 9 to by late Austin Chronicle food editor and aficionado of 10:30 a.m. and all day Saturday and Sunday, is anything but Austin food culture, Virginia B. Wood. traditional. PB&J French toast from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook and Fresh colors and calm music make Cookbook the perfect hangout for farmer’s breakfast grilled cheese from Grilled Cheese Kitchen by Heidi any food and book lover. Library visitors from all walks of life can mix Gibson and Nate Pollak are just a couple of entrees worth trying. Are and mingle in the cozy space Cookbook provides. The café and bar is also you in a hurry? No problem! Cookbook offers scrumptious grab-and-go pastries too, including orange-scented rye muffins with walnut streusel, accessible from outside the library, and is open an hour before the library and an hour after it closes. a recipe from Simply Ancient Grains by Maria Speck.
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Interior photo by Madeline Burrows. Asparagus crawfish photo courtesy of Resplendent Hospitality.
Gone are the days of resorting to vending-machine snacks when visiting the public library. Austin Central Public Library patrons can now enjoy both food and drinks pulled from culinary publications found right in the library. From appealing appetizers to delectable desserts, Cookbook Bar & Café is bringing recipes to life.
The Top Restaurants in Austin for Wine Enthusiasts CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2018 RESTAURANT AWARD WINNERS! Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. For more information or for a full list of Austin restaurants that received these awards, please visit winespectator.com. All award winners are also featured in the August 31 issue of Wine Spectator magazine.
BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Typically offering 350 or more selections, these restaurants are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team.
BOB’S STEAK & CHOP HOUSE 301 Lavaca St. 512.222.2627 bobs-steakandchop.com/austin
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE These wine lists, which typically offer at least 90 selections, feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.
CAFÉ BLUE 340 E. Second St. 512.428.5796 cafebluetx.com IT’S ITALIAN CUCINA 1500 S. Lamar Blvd. 512.482.8655 itsitaliancucina.com 68 DEGREES KITCHEN 2401 Lake Austin Blvd. 512.766.6868 68degrees.com VINO VINO 4119 Guadalupe St. 512.465.9282 vinotx.com 360 UNO 3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. 512.327.5505 360uno.com THE ROTTEN BUNCH WINE BAR + KITCHEN 14900 Avery Ranch Blvd. 512.276.2537 therottenbunch.com
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ELLNESS
WAITING ROOM
SAFETY FIRST
Dr. Saima Jehangir of Lotus Gynecology, Health & Wellness answers your questions about sexual health. BY LAUREN JONES Austin Woman: In your professional opinion, what are the top sexual-health concerns for women in their 20s and 30s? Dr. Saima Jehangir: [The biggest concerns are a] lack of knowledge of their own reproductive systems, either due to poor health curriculum, cultural taboo or lack of reliable resources. Women need to empower themselves with knowledge of how their body works. The other main concern, which is universal, is lack of access to affordable, quality health care. AW: Explain the biggest risk factors for women in regard to sexual health. SJ: Currently, women are exercising their sexual freedom but not taking the precautions necessary to be safe. Every week, I see sexually transmitted diseases that can be avoided by taking the appropriate precautions. AW: Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Should women be concerned? SJ: No, no reason to be concerned, but definitely a reason to get educated. HPV has always been there. We just now know more about it and are learning more every year. AW: How can women protect themselves against contracting HPV? SJ: It’s difficult not to contract HPV if you are sexually active…because 75 to 80 percent of the population has HPV. However, being selective about who you have sex with and using condoms can reduce the chance of being exposed to a particularly aggressive virus. The HPV vaccine can reduce your chance of contracting a strain…that could lead to cervical cancer or genital warts. … Often, lifestyle modification, stress reduction [and the] right supplements can help clear the virus so it doesn’t do any damage.
AW: Birth control is a widely discussed topic in women’s health. Is there a certain type of birth control you’d recommend? SJ: There are so many great options and it really needs to be individualized to the patient. Making an appointment to discuss all of your options is a great place to start. Planned Parenthood has an amazing website that does a lot to educate patients. AW: For those looking to start a family, are there any tests you’d recommend to check fertility, risks, etc.? SJ: Once again, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all [test]. It’s important to know your family history. Speak with your mom about her pregnancies. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, talk to your family about any genetic issues that may run in the family, and if there is something concerning, consider preconception counseling with a high-risk-pregnancy specialist. As for fertility, we define infertility as the inability to get pregnant after one year of actually trying. Infertility specialists do have methods of identifying if you are sub-fertile, but honestly, reducing your stress, eating healthy and knowing when you are ovulating is still the best way to get pregnant. The takeaway is that your health is in your hands.
“” Women need to empower themselves with knowledge of how their body works.
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Come inside the Bullock Museum for three FREE evenings celebrating culture, community and Texas history.
Music Night | August 10, 6–9 pm Celebrate Austin’s vibrant music culture with two performances by One Ounce Opera, a live vinyl DJ, ukulele tutorials, guided song writing, and other experiences inspired by the Museum’s Austin City Limits exhibition.
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The Bullock Texas State History Museum is owned and operated by the State of Texas through the State Preservation Board. Additional support of exhibitions and programs is provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.
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EAT THIS, NOT THAT
SWEET SWAP
Save the planet and indulge your sweet tooth with Skull & Cakebones’ vegan baked goods. BY CHELSEA PRIBBLE
If you have a sweet tooth, you know who you are. Whether you’re a closeted cookie monster or unabashed cupcake consumer, it can be challenging to stick with any diet. So, the next time a sugar craving hits, reach for Skull & Cakebones’ vegan baked goods, made with local and mindful ingredients and flavors even non-vegans will crave.
Says who: Sascha Biesi and Yauss Berenji, co-founders of Skull & Cakebones. Biesi began whipping up vegan recipes for her 5-year-old daughter when she was diagnosed with food allergies. Transformed by a vegan diet and motivated by rave reviews from non-vegan family and friends, including her partner, Berenji, she soon mastered recipes with all-natural, non-GMO and locally sourced ingredients.
Keep it local From tea biscuits infused with Revolution Spirits’ Austin Reserve Gin to Just Beet It cupcakes made with roasted Johnson’s Backyard Garden beets, local ingredients and partnerships set Skull & Cakebones apart. “It’s not just about us; it’s about all of us,” Berenji says.
Why: The Skull & Cakebones packaging label comically reads, “Shh, they’re vegan.” Hoping to lead with taste and change minds about vegan products, Berenji recalls customers’ delighted reactions. “They usually do what I call the four-step turnaround. They take a bite then take about four steps back,” she says of customers’ reactions upon realizing the products are vegan. In addition to their goodies being low in sugar and fat, the pair use food coloring made from scratch. When comparing plant-based treats with other baked goods, Biesi asks, “Why would you eat the one that has red dye No. 40 in it, too much fat and too much sugar? Just because it’s sweet doesn’t mean it has to do bad things to your body.”
Go green Along with being able to reap health benefits and promote animal welfare, consuming vegan products can reduce your carbon footprint, according to several studies. “If you can eat a treat that is better for you, saves animals, is better for the planet and doesn’t compromise on texture and flavor,” Biesi asks, “why wouldn’t you?”
Eat this: Skull & Cakebones’ vegan baked goods Not that: traditional non-vegan baked goods
Skull & Cakebones’ trifles
Photos courtesy of Skull & Cakebones.
Skull & Cakebones’ Bing Bongs
72 | AUSTIN WOMAN AUGUST 2018
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Austin’s oldest lifeguard, Leslie Botts, is watching out for you. BY GRETCHEN M. SANDERS, PHOTO BY COURTNEY RUNN No one blinked when Leslie Botts applied to become a City of Austin lifeguard.
At age 70, the retired schoolteacher looks fit enough to compete in the Olympics. When a lifeguard shortage hit Austin’s pools last summer, Botts, a regular at the Barton Springs and Deep Eddy pools, knew she could handle the job. After completing a 40-hour Red Cross lifeguard-certification course, Botts faced a grueling skills test from the City. “I had to swim out 20 yards, dive down 15 feet to retrieve a 10-pound brick and swim back holding it to my chest,” Botts says. “It took a lot of strength.” She also had to perform water rescues, tread water for two minutes without using her arms and swim nonstop for 300 yards. In May, Botts began working nearly 10-hour shifts at Northwest, Bartholomew, Balcones, Walnut Creek and Deep
Eddy pools. Aloft in her lifeguard chair, she scans the water for trouble, reminds children not to run on the pool deck and blows her whistle when thunder threatens. She has yet to have to perform a water rescue. The oldest of the City’s 650 or so lifeguards, Botts works alongside teenagers, university students and other retirees. Representatives at Austin’s Aquatics Division say harder economic times in recent years have sparked the hiring of cash-strapped older guards to fill gaps left by college-age recruits. Botts, who works partly to earn money but mostly to nourish her love for the water, doesn’t focus on her age. “People have a preconceived notion of what age is all about,” she says. “Since when do we not do things because they’re too hard or we’re too old?” Here’s how pool patrol keeps Botts in life-saving form.
THE A.M.:
“My golden retriever, Giovanni, wakes me up around 7:30 a.m. I get up, have two glasses of water and do my yoga practice. Then I eat breakfast and walk Giovanni for a mile. After that, it’s lunch time.” THE WORKOUT:
“I swim three-quarters to a mile at Deep Eddy or Barton Springs three to four times a week. In addition to my own daily yoga practice, I teach two weekly classes at Yoga Yoga and instruct private clients in their homes. I also lift weights at LA Fitness once a week. Weight-bearing exercise is not my favorite thing, but I do it for strength. I’m big into yardwork and doing everything I can to keep up my house. I try to limit my lifeguarding schedule to four shifts per week.” THE DIET:
“I like to eat fresh, organic produce, poultry and seafood. I have an allergy to corn, so I can’t have corn derivatives or anything boxed or processed. I shop for fresh food at Natural Grocers several times per week and cook most of my own food at home. I make a good veggie stir fry with tofu. I avoid sugar and coffee and most restaurants. If I don’t eat this way, then I feel bad. I enjoy a glass of wine occasionally but most desserts are out. Surprisingly, Häagen-Dazs ice cream only has a few ingredients, so I eat it!” THE GEAR:
“I wear a red one-piece lifeguard swimsuit underneath red shorts and a white T-shirt. I also wear a whistle and a fanny pack that contains gloves and a breathing mask for CPR. I keep my hat, polarized sunglasses and sunscreen nearby. No shoes allowed. I must be ready to jump in.” THE MOTIVATION:
“I love the water and the sense of connectedness with my community that I get through lifeguarding. The physical part of the job makes me feel good too. I want to be around for a long time. I have to take care of myself.” THE MINDSET:
“Have tenacity. You can do it, and it’s going to be good.” THE P.M.:
“I usually lie in bed thinking of all the things I accomplished during the day—plus the things I didn’t do. There’s always tomorrow.” 74 | AUSTIN WOMAN AUGUST 2018
ATXWOMAN.COM |  75
P
OINT OF VIEW
I AM AUSTIN WOMAN
ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE with five volunteer mentors committed to providing teams with guidI’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge, physical ance and mentorship for the duration of the six-year program. or otherwise. Growing up in New Orleans as the daughter of a single mom who worked for Delta Air Lines, I learned The explorers, mentors and staff embark on a journey of develthe value of travel and adventure at an early age. I also oping young adults into action-oriented, courageous and excellent learned that with hard work and big dreams, I could acteammates and strong communicators. It’s what we call ACES, the complish anything. I acronym for the curriculum was encouraged to created by Explore Austin. set my career ambiThe students learn and use tions high in a way many skills and educational that may have seemed aspects that positively impact elusive to others. And their school experience, like it was made very clear science, environmental topthat a quality educaics, navigation, teamwork, tion was the first step leadership and perseverance. in achieving these We are taking the pillars of goals. (Thanks, Mom!) STEM learning to the great It surprises some who outdoors, not unlike scienknow me, but I’m a firsttific giants of old like Ben generation college student Franklin, Sir Isaac Newton and graduate on both sides and Maria Mitchell. of my family. By age 19, I During the most recent knew my vocation was to academic year, we worked be helpful to people and with more than 280 explorers. that higher education was key to achieving this misAll were engaged in monthly sion. By 1990, I had earned Saturday Challenges, one-day both a bachelor’s degree adventures in rock climband a master’s degree from ing, mountain biking, caving, the University of Memcanoeing and backpacking phis. From there, I set off taking place in and near AusI’ve experienced such tremendous joy to make a positive impact tin. These skills are practiced in the nonprofit sector, quickly during the school year and put through this mission in action. earning leadership roles at a into action during annual summer range of organizations, such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities wilderness trips that take the explorers on outdoor adventures in six in Kansas City, Mo., and in Austin, as well as the Leukemia & Lymstates. Most of our explorers never left the Austin area or the state of phoma Society South Central Texas and most recently, as executive Texas prior to their involvement with Explore Austin. director of the American Heart Association in Austin. I’ve experienced such tremendous joy through this mission in Last year, I had the opportunity to take on a new professional action. As I write this essay, I am still on a high since returning from leadership challenge. I knew it would be the most personal to date, my first wilderness trip last week. We canoed down 50 miles of the as it involves working with youth, mentorship and what has been Buffalo River in Arkansas. It was hard, challenging and wondera lifelong passion for me, adventure. Since October 2017, I have ful to be a part of this adventure with the ninth-grade girls, their served as CEO of Explore Austin, a long-term youth-development mentors and our trip leaders. There’s no better feeling than helping organization that uses mentoring, nature and outdoor adventures to youth who face significant obstacles to see the world and all its transform the lives of students living in low-income communities possibilities, and to help them grow the confidence and grit needed by helping them achieve their full potential. to achieve their goals. As one former explorer said of the program, At Explore Austin, “explorers” are recruited each spring from “Ever since then, no challenge has seemed insurmountable because partner schools, including KIPP Austin, Austin Achieve, Wayside and I feel as if I can accomplish anything set in my path.” Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy. The stuLearn more about Explore Austin at exploreaustin.org. dents form teams of 15 explorers, divided by gender, and are matched
Austin Woman features a reader-submitted essay every month in the I Am Austin Woman column. To be considered for November’s I Am Austin Woman, email a 500-word submission on a topic of your choice by Sept. 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com with the subject line “I Am Austin Woman.”
76 | AUSTIN WOMAN AUGUST 2018
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Explore Austin CEO Ann Jerome shares her story.
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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” —Nelson Mandela
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