S E A S O N
O F
D IS COV E RY SALES EVENT
Why Roger Beasley? • One of the largest Mazda dealers in the country. • Continue to have an incredible selection of new Mazdas to choose from. • Able to offer the same great prices as always. • Trade-in values are at an all-time high. • It’s a great time to shop Mazda.
Mazda named
2021 BEST CAR BRAND FOR THE 6TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
2021
www.usnews.com - Nov. 17, 2020. 2021 Best Vehicle Brand Awards. The awards recognize the brands whose vehicles perform the best on an overall basis within four major categories of the U.S. News vehicle rankings: Cars, SUVs, Trucks and Luxury.
MAZDA CENTRAL • SOUTH • GEORGETOWN
The 2021 Mazda CX-3, CX-5, CX-9, Mazda6, Mazda3 Sedan & Hatchback and the CX-30 (built after September 2020) have all been named a 2021 IIHS Top Safety Pick+.
furniture and accessories for your modern lifestyle Austin 2236 West Braker Lane 512.451.1233
San Antonio 18603 Blanco Road 210.545.4366
Marathon design
A stunning combination of sensual shapes and hard lines.
Come experience fine dining at Copenhagen. Explore our collection of directly imported goods from around the world. The items featured above are expertly crafted in Italy by our friends at Cattelan Italia. The Marathon dining base boasts curved burnt oak finished wooden stretchers bridged between titanium finished metal uprights supporting a beautiful clear glass top. From stock in two sizes: 94.5” X 47”at $5589 or 118” X 47” at $5889. Other sizes and finishes available by special order. Shown with the Belinda chair in soft leather, $1195 each.
www.copenhagenliving.com phoenix
tuscon
tempe
scottsdale
san antonio
austin
el paso
NEED CARE NOW? WALK IN TODAY! Whether it’s cold symptoms, a twisted ankle, or a bug bite, connecting with a healthcare provider sooner rather than later can help you feel better faster. UT Health Austin’s Walk-In Clinic ooers quick, convenient care for adults (18 years and older) with acute illnesses and injuries, making it easy for you to get the care you need when you need it most. Convenient treatment for: Allergies and Cedar Fever Bug Bites & Rashes Colds & Flu Cough Ear Infections Eye Infections Food Poisoning
Fever Headache Kidney & Bladder Infections (UTIs) Sinus Infection Sprains & Strains Upset Stomach Vomiting
Also ooering appointments for: COVID-19 Vaccinations (12 years and older) Foreign Travel Vaccinations COVID-19 Testing for Travel
Walk-In Clinic Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Health Transformation Building, 1st Floor 1601 Trinity Street, Bldg. A Austin, TX 78712
36
FEATURE
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S WORD PROCESSOR BY KATHRYN FREEMAN PHOTOS BY RUDY AROCHA
44
FEATURE
TO THE MOON… AND BEYOND BY JENNY HOFF
ATXWOMAN.COM | 5
CONTENTS | AUGUST
16
21
24
16
FROM THE DESK OF Dr. Rachel Medbery
17
STAFF PICKS What’s your earliest memory of using technology?
18
PROFILE Alex Porter
20
COUNT US IN Women are reprogramming the STEM field.
21
HEALTH & WELLNESS Sylvia Kampshoff
22
GIVE BACK Lena Ballantine
26
SEE HER WORK Artist Vy Ngo
51
BACK TO SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE
52
WHERE TO WORK Are you hiring?
54
RECIPE REVEAL Chef JRodi
56
ON THE MONEY How to start making your savings work for you.
60
I AM AUSTIN WOMAN Robbi Katherine Anthony
ATX WOMEN TO WATCH
26
60
6 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
30
LISA DAVIDOVICH
31
ELENA IONENKO, LISBETH GARASSINO, ANNIE JANOFSKY
32
SARAH PUIL
33
JESSICA NOGLOWS, CHRISTIE POST, CHANDA STEGGELL, ALICE HILDICK
34
KAT KRONENBERG
CONTRIBUTORS This month, we asked our contributors: What technology can you absolutely not live without?
A PUBLICATION OF AW MEDIA INC.
VOLUME 20, ISSUE 10
JESSICA WETTERER, DAWN WESTON
Illustrator, Women In Numbers, page 20
Publisher
• She spent the last year working and traveling through all parts of colorful Mexico.
JAIME ALBERS
• She loves riding anything on two wheels: bikes,
Art Director
motorcycles, scooters included. • She won a blazin’ hot wing eating contest in
CY WHITE
Kentucky circa 2005.
Managing Editor
“As a digital designer who travels, without a doubt, my iPad. I used to draw exclusively
DARBY KENDALL
with pencil on paper, but my iPad with
Copy Editor
Procreate has freed me to work wherever I want without needing a scanner or preplanned
PARKE BALLANTINE
materials. Would highly recommend to any
Director of Events and Branding Strategy
vagabond artist.”
CLAIRE MISFELDT
ANNE COX
Production Coordinator
Writer “The Uber of Personal Training,” page 21 • She’s a huge fan of the Japanese Godzilla films.
CONTRIBUTORS
• She has two dogs named after Star Wars
Editorial: Robbi Katherine Anthony, Kathryn Freeman, Monica Godinez, Jenny Hoff, Allie Justis, Tori Klein, Claire Misfeldt, Nicco Pelicano Art: Ruby Katherine Anthony, Rudy Arocha, Parke Ballantine, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons, Gaby Deimeke Photography, Todd Farr, Firefly Aerospace, Scott David Gordon, Vy Ngo, Ukairo Ukairo, Jessica Wetterer
characters. • She has a screenshot from Howl’s Moving Castle as her computer wallpaper. “I know I can’t live without my laptop because I broke my old one last year and was bored out of my mind until I got a replacement. I spend a lot of free time playing Sims 4, so not being able to play for a week wasn’t very fun. ”
NICCO PELICANO
INTERNS
Erin McTaggert, Monica Godinez, Tori Klein, Claire Misfeldt, Nicco Pelicano
Writer “Going to the Places We Fear,” page 26 • She camped 24 hours in 50-degree weather to see Twenty One Pilots perform for the fourth time. • She was a barista for three years. • Her favorite author is Ray Bradbury. “My AirPods Pro; I cannot go through life without
AW MEDIA INC.
my internal soundtrack playing. It makes me
MELINDA GARVEY
KIP GARVEY
Co-founder/Co-owner
CEO/Co-owner
SAMANTHA STEVENS
Co-founder
ASHLEY GOOLSBY
CFO
Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc. and is available at locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved. To offer feedback, email feedback@awmediainc.com. For submission information, visit atxwoman.com/jobs. 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 | 7401 West Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78739
romanticize everything, even grocery shopping. ”
MONICA GODINEZ Writer “Wake Up and Do Good,” page 22 • She hugged Marcus Mumford from the band Mumford & Sons. • She zip-lined in Cancun. • She met Travis Scott at Kanye’s concert. “I couldn’t live without my phone. Given the digital age that exists, I don’t believe I would be able to properly function without it. My phone is an extension of myself: my alarm, calendar, Apple Music and contact with family around the country, etc., all housed in this gadget. ”
ATXWOMAN.COM | 11
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Wow! Hello, August. I can’t believe 2021 is more than halfway over, and at Austin Woman we’ve got big plans for the rest of the year. We’re excited to host our 19th anniversary, on Sept. 17, at the brand-new Downtown Marriott. Tickets are on sale now and will move quickly, so get yours soon. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it. We’re also throwing our second annual Thrive wellness event later this fall and have some really fun things up our sleeves for that too! All that time at home without seeing our community, we really wanna go all out! Stay tuned for more information about that. I’ve been reflecting about this issue and what STEM advancements mean to our society and what the world during a pandemic would look like without virtual meetings or vaccinations or even the technology used to mass produce masks. This issue is an expansion on how women in our community have defied the odds and paved their own way in fields generally saturated with men. They aren’t all about fitting in. They’re about changing the spaces around them to be more diverse and welcoming for everyone. Our cover woman, Carla Piñeyro Sublett, joined IBM as CMO earlier this year and is using her life experiences to help change the industry for generations to come. Plus, move over, Branson and Bezos! Sarah Hinze and Brigette Oakes are on a mission to help NASA send the first woman and person of color to the moon. Honestly, we are just scratching the surface (pun intended) of all the astonishing women in STEM, who are quite literally changing the world. We hope to see y’all at one of our upcoming events. As always, continue to do great things, shake things up and encourage those around you to do the same. Cheers!
DAWN WESTON PUBLISHER
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.
12 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
DIAMOND-LEVEL PARTNER
PLATINUM-LEVEL PARTNERS
From simple legal matters to complex disputes, we have the
experience and knowledge to handle and support you throughout the process.
512.699.5632
dorothybutlerlawfirm.com
151 E. Mercer Street, Suite E, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
@dorothybutlerlawfirm
Join Big Brothers Big Sisters for Ice Ball 2021 Saturday, August 28th 6:00pm Fairmont Austin
An evening of entertainment, inspiration and revelry that makes a lifetime of difference for kids in our community. For the first time in 2021, you can participate in Ice Ball in one of two ways: in person, or from the comfort of your home. However you choose to attend, Ice Ball promises to be an enchanted evening with a life-changing impact. Learn more and register at www.AustinIceBall.org Thanks to our Platinum Sponsors
CONNECT WITH US
Can’t get enough of this issue? Check us out at atxwoman.com. Building Solidarity for Black Trans Austin: With a commitment to community outreach, Black Trans Leadership of Austin provides direct relief to the Austin community.
Vasavi Kumar: The Road to Self-Care:
Christine Renner: Born to Be a Musician: Christine Renner is a star on the rise. Austin Woman got a chance to talk to her about her musical journey and latest EP, Heartbreaker.
Don’t forget to visit and subscribe to the Austin Woman YouTube channel!
FOLLOW US
@austinwoman
LIKE US
austinwoman
WIN THIS! ROWING DOCK ATX There’s no better way to see Austin than in a kayak, canoe or standup paddleboard from Rowing Dock ATX! Their dedicated team will help you pick the best kayak, canoe or paddleboard for your outdoor adventure, no matter your age or experience. (Find out more at rowingdock.com.) This month, Rowing Dock ATX is giving away two one-hour sessions. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Austin like never before! Enter for your chance to win by following us @austinwoman on IG. We’ll choose a winner at the end of the month.
14 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
FOLLOW US
@ austinwoman
BTLA photo courtesy of Black Trans Leadership of Austin, Vasavi Kumar photo courtesy of Vasavi Kumar, Christine Renner photo by Rachel Mascardo.
After years of grappling with the need to be the best, Vasavi Kumar came to terms with past traumas and dedicated herself to intentional self-care.
SPECIALIZING IN MIND, BODY AND SOUL WELLNESS Been thinking about Laser Hair Removal or investing in those kissable lips? Austin Woman readers get 15% off services. Just mention this ad!
RejvuaPen Microneedling Dermaplaning Dermal Fillers Botox Laser Hair Removal Nutritional Supplements Bioidentical Hormone Pellet Placement Life Coaching and more
Dr. Saima Jehangir, M.D./M.P.H., F.A.C.O.G
3405 Glenview Ave., Austin | alchemywellnessatx.com | 512.561.0971
Surgical | Medical | Cosmetic
HEALTHY SKIN IS ALWAYS IN Board-Certified Dermatologists Serving the Austin Area Specializing in: SkinPen • Kybella • Laser Treatments • Hair Restoration • Botox • Photofacials Cosmetic Filler • Chemical Peels • Laser Hair Removal • Oculoplastics ®
®
Featured Product Lines: ISDIN • EltaMD • Revision • SkinBetter • SkinCeuticals • Neocutis ®
®
®
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY
tru-skin.com
•
•
888.451.0139
FROM THE DESK OF
SUPERWOMAN WITH A SUPPORT SYSTEM
Dr. Rachel Medbery has broken the medical glass ceiling of robotic surgery and shares how you can break through as well. BY TORI KLEIN
At the age of 10, Dr. Rachel Medbery already knew she wanted to be a surgeon. While intently dissecting a frog in fifth-grade science class, she realized, “Wow, if this is cool on a frog, it must be really neat on a person.” Medbery decided then that her dream career was in medicine. After graduating from Emory University with a degree in biology, her goals had not wavered. She continued to finish medical school, her residency and fellowship training at the same institution in Atlanta, Georgia. She landed in Austin in 2019 to join Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons, where she became the first woman in the 60-year-old practice and the first female thoracic surgeon in Central Texas. Medbery shares that many of her patients have heard stories about thoracic surgeries that left patients with big scars and lots of pain, but new technology combined with Medbery’s expertise provides her patients with significantly smoother recoveries than those in the anecdotes. She performs the majority of her procedures using a robot, introducing a different world of thoracic surgery that gives her patients a much less painful and invasive surgical experience. Just as she supports her patients through her practice, Medbery shares five ways to shatter the glass ceiling, supporting other women to follow their dreams.
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED CAN BE YOUR FRIEND. (IT’S OKAY TO BE FIRST!) Women these days are often moving into areas that have historically been maledominated, which means that we get to mold and create our own journeys. You are not under the limitations of those before you, so you can be creative in constructing your road to success. You get to make your own path and personalize your journey toward whatever goals you set your sights on.
MUTE NEGATIVITY. So many people told me I was too nice to be a surgeon and that I was crazy to want to be a
16 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
cardiothoracic surgeon no less. It’s really important to not listen to what people say. They might tell you that you’re throwing away good years of your life, years that could be spent making a family or on something in your personal life that you’re putting on hold to pursue your dreams. I don’t think that’s true. If you want something and believe it’s worth doing, then mute other people’s opinions. It’s your life and you get to decide what is important to you. However, it can be motivating to unmute every once in a while. If you can unmute just long enough to let yourself think, “Okay, I’m going to prove them wrong,” it can fuel your fire.
GRAB THAT CUP OF COFFEE. You never know where an introduction might take you. There are so many things that have happened along my career journey because of who I’ve met and the relationships I’ve fostered. If you build relationships with the right people, doors can open to opportunities that you would’ve otherwise never dreamed of. If someone invites you for a cup of coffee, spend that 30 minutes getting to know them. They could call you a year from now with an opportunity that will change your life.
TRY TO LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY. I firmly believe we can always be better. I try to take every day in the operating room as a learning opportunity and think, “Okay, how can I be better next time?” I don’t think we ever truly stop learning, even when we are settled into our careers. In STEM particularly, with technology advancing the way it is, you always have to be willing to learn and advance. We are not doing surgery the same way we were 10 years ago, and 10 years from now things will be even more different. It’s important to be flexible and willing to adapt to the newer, better, more advanced thing in your field.
IT’S OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP. It’s possible to do it all and have it all. But you don’t have to do it all and have it all by yourself. It’s so important to rely on your friends and family, especially during tough times. If you’re a trailblazer trying to do something that no one else has before, it’s going to take time and effort. You need to let your mentors help you, let those who love you help you. I think if you try to do it all yourself, you will burn out and break. We need people to support us as we try to succeed and follow our dreams.
STAFF PICKS
WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF USING TECHNOLOGY?
The Austin Woman staff take us back to the days of DOS paper and NES.
CY WHITE
CLAIRE MISFELDT
MANAGING EDITOR
EDITORIAL INTERN
My earliest memory of technology is in the computer lab of my elementary school. They were getting us prepared to work with this technology. It was all clunky IBM computers, DOS paper, and the most ridiculous games. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, Math Blasters and Oregon Trail II where the highlights of the week for me at school. (I was a hardcore nerd in the making, y’all!) Back then, with no internet, we relied on the encyclopedias, maps and almanacs for our answers. If we needed to print anything out, it was on this massive printer that sounded like a Velociraptor when it got going and produced huge reams of green and white DOS paper with perforated edges we had to tear off. *sigh* Good times, good times.
As a kid in the early 2000s, my childhood involved a lot of computer games. I would take turns with my older sister using the family desktop if neither of our parents was using it. Depending on if the game was multiplayer or not, we would play games like Oregon Trail and Game of Life together. There were a lot of puzzle-solving games like Putt-Putt Joins the Circus, and I would recruit my sister to help me when I got stuck. They were technically single-player games, but they were really hard for a toddler. Eventually, we ditched the computer games and got a Wii console. Our parents seemed less concerned about limiting our screen time with the Wii than the desktop. I think it was because they preferred us playing sports simulations to sitting down at the computer all day.
ANNE COX
All photos courtesy of respective staff member.
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
NICCO PELICANO
TORI KLEIN
EDITORIAL INTERN
EDITORIAL INTERN
My earliest memory using technology has to be when I would watch Disney movies on VHS tapes, having to rewind them all in a funny little box before I could put them on. I remember how the VCR screen would look fuzzy if I stood too close, and the lines that flickered across it.
My first memory of technology is being in the computer lab at my elementary school. The teachers would give us typing tests, and afterward we would get time to play games on the computer, encouraging us to have fun with technology.
I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up with technology. When I was really little, I used to steal my dad’s old Nokia cell phone and play Snake for hours, or just scroll through all the different ringtones over and over until someone got annoyed enough with me to take it away. And don’t even get me started on the internet in the late 2000s. I was in chat rooms, virtual worlds, you name it. I even ran an advice blog as a 12-year-old. Spoiler alert: I gave terrible advice. I’m an #extremelyonline person, and I love learning about the latest trends and innovations. You can catch me updating the Austin Woman website or on one of my three different Instagram accounts.
AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 17
PROFILE
FROM DOULA TO TECH CEO
CEO and Woman’s Way Award winner Alex Porter took an unconventional path to the most innovative technology. BY TORI KLEIN
computer at home growing up and her mother was a graphic designer, this entrepreneur is not exactly a tech native. She didn’t go to Stanford for computer science or come out of the womb speaking code. Instead, she has an interesting and unique backstory, making her a powerful, resourceful and wellrounded woman in the technology industry.
UNPREDICTABLE CAREER PATHS Before going to college, Porter worked as a doula and a nanny for almost 20 years in Austin and New Orleans. This special time allowed Porter to run her own business that serviced pregnancy and childcare needs, starting her entrepreneurship journey. During this work, she wrote her own contracts, generated business interest and created momentum for herself. Each of these skills plays into Porter’s long-term journey to tech CEO. Working in childcare also taught Porter about the importance of communication. “When you’re taking care of people’s most precious things and helping them in a vulnerable time, you learn to create opportunities for education and information with less bias and confusion,” she shares. This has helped her and her husband, Tim, succeed with their company Mod Tech Labs. Much of their work over the last five years has been educating people on the benefits and opportunities in emerging technologies.
CREATING FUNCTIONAL TOOLS TO DIGITIZE THE REAL WORLD Porter’s experience at Texas State University inspired her tech journey. Her study of interior design and construction technologies required her to learn some complicated software packages that tell a visual story, sparking her “magical journey into tech land,” as she says. After this leap into the tech world, she and Tim, the CTO of Mod Tech Labs, decided it was time they went into business together. The Porters started Underminer Studios, designed to create augmented and virtual reality tools for businesses. They did a couple of big projects with this studio, including creating an augmented reality face swap for actors and stunt doubles, and a motion comic that tracks the user’s emotions and translates them so the comic on-screen interacts with the user. After these creations and four years of running the studio together, the couple decided it was time to forge a real company. The underlying motive for their work has always been to create functional tools that help people be more effective in their own
18 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
work. This incentive gave birth to Mod Tech Labs, an AI-powered automated processing solution that takes photos and videos and turns them into 3D visual, digital content for entertainment. Mod Tech Labs has been incredibly successful since its creation in 2020. Porter states that she and her husband were not expecting this kind of rapid growth. However, they seemed to find a magical key to success: the addition of the capture app to their platform. The app guides the user using augmented reality to take pictures all around an object. “It autofocuses and does the capture for you,” Porter says. “All you have to do is move the phone around.” The capture app unlocked a massive amount of growth, including over 4,000 sign-ups for the platform while they were still in beta. “We want to be the go-to solution for digitizing the real world,” she says, revealing an ambitious future for the couple and their company.
WOMEN IN TECH: A CYCLE OF GIVING AND RECEIVING Porter is honest about her experience being a woman in tech. She shares that she went on a “journey within [herself ] to find a comfortable space.” Tech is a second language for her. She was not explicitly focused on it during her education or upbringing but now has an advanced understanding of a wide variety of the technology out there. She is confident in herself, her job as a CEO and her role in the technology industry. The Austinite insists that a lot of her success comes from other wonderful, powerful women out there. “It’s inspiring to be around other women that have had success in the business and/or tech world,” she says. “They have blazed the trails before you and made sure you know the world is yours for the taking.” This CEO makes sure to give back the support and encouragement extended to her by volunteering with organizations like Girls in Tech and Black Technology Mentorship Program. She loves getting to share her story with young people, inspiring them to follow their passions in tech, and offering mentorship to help them get there. “Anywhere that I can plug in that allows me to create knowledge and opportunity for people looking to understand how these technologies impact everyone’s lives is a special opportunity. I love sharing what we’ve done and finding ways to help move them along.”
Photo by Ukairo Ukairo
Alex Porter is not like other CEOs. Although she had a
OFFICIAL EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY OF AWMEDIA INC.
YOUR COVID CONSCIOUS CLEANING SERVICE
We offer standard and detailed cleaning services for your residential and commercial space. Call for a free estimate. 34 Years Serving Austin BBB Accredited Business Locally Owned Fully Insured
Mention this ad for 20% off a detailed cleaning.
AmesCleaningAustin.com
512.331.9694 | 12308 Hwy 620, Austin
COUNT US IN
WOMEN ARE REPROGRAMMING THE STEM FIELD
Women are their very own mitochondrias (powerhouses), especially when it comes to bridging gaps in male-dominated fields. BY MONICA GODINEZ ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSICA WETTERER
722
531,200
TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since their inception in 2011, TechWomen has had 722 women from 22 different countries participate in their mentorship and exchange STEM program.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an 11% job growth from 2019 to 2029 in computer and information technology occupations. It is predicted that these occupations will add 531,200 new jobs to the U.S. workforce.
26% Commercial Cafe reported that women make up about 26% of STEM jobs in Austin. The Austin STEM sector includes 73,000 jobs.
1000+ Girlstart is an Austin-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to “increase girls’ interest and engagement in STEM through innovative, nationally recognized informal STEM education programs.” Amidst the pandemic in 2020, Girlstart was still able to serve 1000+ young girls for their STEM summer camps. These camps are weeklong STEM programs that engage in “relevant STEM curriculum.”
20 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
25% According to the National Center for Women & Information Technology, in 2020 women held 25% of professional computing jobs in the U.S. workforce.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
THE UBER OF PERSONAL TRAINING
Lawyer-turned-tech CEO Sylvia Kampshoff is at the forefront of providing personal training for women with busy schedules. BY CLAIRE MISFELDT
Sylvia Kampshoff experienced just how difficult it was to
Photo by Todd Farr.
be able to go to the gym and work full-time after she moved from London to Houston in 2014. She felt that she spent more time trying to get to the gym than actually working out. She decided to take matters into her own hands and founded Kanthaka, with the goal of catering to a client’s schedule, something she feels is lacking in many working women’s lives. Kanthaka offers a new type of personal training service, one where the trainer shows up at the client’s home instead of the client going to the gym. At the time, Kampshoff worked at a law firm and was pregnant with her first child. Not only was it difficult to get to a gym in a timely manner; finding a trainer that cared for her well-being also proved to be a struggle. Rescheduling, cancellations and traveling were just some of the challenges she faced. “It took me forever to get somebody on the line,” Kampshoff says. “Then they couldn’t make it when I wanted to [workout].” After becoming a mother, her schedule was even harder to manage. Kampshoff knew her experience was just one of many among those just like her—busy women over 35 years old. She saw a gap in the marketplace for this demographic and wanted to provide a solution. Kanthaka launched in 2017 with one mission: to get trainers to clients’ houses for more affordable and convenient workout sessions. “Personal training shouldn’t just be for the rich or for people with more flexible schedules,” says Kampshoff. “It should be accessible to everyone.”
Starting Kanthaka meant leaving the law firm to become the CEO of a tech startup. Kampshoff had very little experience and no network in the tech field during the beginning stages. However, she contacted several people in the tech industry who became her mentors and business partners as her company grew. Kampshoff expanded her network when she joined the spring 2020 program of the startup accelerator company Sputnik ATX. She worked with Oksana Malysheva, CEO of Sputnik ATX, on ways to grow Kanthaka into a bigger company. Being part of the program also helped the app adapt to the pandemic, as Malysheva encouraged Kampshoff to go completely virtual as soon as possible. “Having [Sputnik ATX] by our side during those times when [we] really didn’t know what [was] going to happen was the best,” said Kampshoff. Malysheva’s advice paid off. Kampshoff moved all of the personal training sessions to an online format within a week. With many gyms closing at the time, Kanthaka’s user base grew outside of the initial target audience of working women over 35 years old. That first month alone sold 1,350 sessions, and the user base grew 700% within a year. This growth meant Kampshoff could add a service team to Kanthaka. The team works directly with clients to find the right trainer, reschedule if any issues arise and handle refunds. Many of the new clients weren’t looking for one training session, but were trying to use Kanthaka to plan their workouts. The new service team helps address the needs of the clients who joined in response to gyms shutting down. “[The newer clients] are looking for a long-term solution,” Kampshoff says. “They see us as their provider to help them live healthier and happier. So it didn’t end up being, ‘I need someone in an hour.’ It’s more now that they plan with us.” The ability to schedule workouts around a busy life was missing from Kampshoff’s work-life balance when she first moved to Texas in 2014. Kanthaka filled that void. Her two children often partially or fully join the virtual workout sessions. “My son can do planks and side planks,” she muses. “They know what yoga is. Due to the solution we provide, it really helps women,” she continues. “They can say, ‘My family joins [the workout] at my home. I don’t lose time traveling to a gym.’ And that is hard.” Kampshoff also wants to expand Kanthaka with a holistic approach on mental health. She wants to help build community with women over 35 years old who the market doesn’t necessarily cater to. She is focused on transitioning back to providing in-person sessions as gyms begin to reopen. Many users are eager to have trainers come back to their homes instead of joining a video call. Last month, 90% of the sessions sold were in-person. However, as a wellness professional, her main priority is to make sure both client and trainer are safe and satisfied while there is still uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. “We all now know that we can live longer if we live healthier and it really makes you happier,” Kampshoff says. “So my big vision is to become the place to go for them.”
AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 21
GIVE BACK
WAKE UP AND DO GOOD
Lena Ballantine gives back and honors the community that allows her to be her authentic self. BY MONICA GODINEZ
oneself with people who uplift you and allow you to always be your authentic self (fully vaccinated, of course). Lena Ballantine believes her place of work should be a reflection of the values she upholds. She is a prime example of someone who gives back to their own community at every corner. Ballantine currently works as the chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) of The Trevor Project.
HER JOURNEY TO THE TREVOR PROJECT Lena began working at The Trevor Project nearly two years ago. Prior to this role, she mostly worked in for-profit/corporate roles that were “successful” in the traditional sense; however, she reveals, “I was unhappy in the sense that the organizations I was working for were not as value aligned or impactful in the work as I wanted them to be.” After much contemplation, Ballantine made the decision to enter a space she felt she truly belonged in: the world of nonprofits. “Based on the learnings I had coming from corporate finance—the supply chain, operations and technology—I felt I had a really great skill set to offer and was curious about exploring the nonprofit world.” After 15 years of working for a German company, Ballantine joined a West Coast-based consulting firm that worked exclusively with nonprofits. Through this she discovered she thoroughly enjoyed working in the nonprofit space and decided to search for more job opportunities during her move to New York. Cue: The Trevor Project. “Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, I really wanted to work for an organization that aligns with my personal values and supports my community,” she shares. “At the same time The Trevor Project was looking for a chief operating officer, and my skill set aligned well with what they were looking for. They were looking for someone who had done finance, technology and operations. I felt like my hodgepodge of things that I had done had never really met a more particular job description.”
22 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
Now Ballantine finds herself “waking up everyday knowing that we do good to save the lives of young people. Working in LGBTQ+ suicide prevention and making sure we reach more young people every single day.”
LENA BALLANTINE’S COO/TECHNICAL ROLE “I am the COO/CFO at The Trevor Project, which means that I lead and direct the business functions encompassing technology, finance, legal and operations, overseeing the processes that enable the organization to provide suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for LGBTQ+ youth.” One of Ballantine’s largest responsibilities is ensuring The Trevor Project is fully transparent about their finances. This includes being open about their investments and usage of the contributions they receive from their donors and partners. This transparency allows people to fully understand what their money is going toward, whether that be fundraising, programs or events, and the impact of those donations. Aside from her fundamental role within operations and finance,
Photos by Parke Ballantine.
If this past year has taught us anything, it is the value of surrounding
Ballantine has played a vital role in advancing technology at The Trevor Project. Through her leadership, the organization was able to expand their work through various “innovative technology projects.” One of those projects involved two subsequent Google fellowships they received. These included 10 to 20 people from Google working with the Trevor Project’s technology team “to help automate their training environment and to eliminate a lot of the bias in potential models. [This project] was a huge accelerator [for the number] of young people we can serve.” In addition to that project, she worked on a $6 million collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), an international network of partnered firms, to create a new volunteermanagement platform. This was especially important given their volunteers play a very fundamental role. To execute this project, Ballantine worked closely with the VP of technology. She reveals she is a “huge people person, someone who is celebrated among the executive team for successfully leading teams through changes.”
SUPPORTING OUR YOUTH In their most recent mental health study, The Trevor Project estimates that 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youths contemplate suicide. “This is a huge number,” Ballantine discloses. “This is something we exist to end, suicide in the LGBTQ+ community. While it is unrealistic to assume we can reach every single young person during a moment of crisis, something [we can do] is always be a supportive adult or person to a young LGBTQ+ person. This can reduce their suicide risk by 40%.” If those reading this piece engage with, show up and support the LGBTQ+ community, they can greatly impact the lives of these youths. Ballantine encourages people to also show their support by “respecting pronouns and honoring each individual person’s identities. Aside from donations these are all great ways of helping and supporting the Trevor Project and our mission.”
ABOUT THE TREVOR PROJECT Founded in 1998 by Hollywood filmmakers, The Trevor Project was named after the short film Trevor. When the film was set to air they wanted to include a hotline number for young kids to call if they felt similar emotions to those of the character in the film. However, they discovered that a hotline for LGBTQ+ people did not exist. To date, some of the original filmmakers and founders are on the Trevor Project board. To view a shortened version of the film Trevor visit youtu.be/Mt4PiaDlEM8. “[At The Trevor Project] we always appreciate every volunteer. You can choose to become a digital or lifeline volunteer. We provide an amazing training curriculum to people, and there is always an amazing training team on the back end there to work with you.” To become a volunteer, visit thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/volunteer
AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 23
North or South of the River, the Szalay Brothers are Austin Strong.
Austin
Co
lor
ad
oR iver
Dr. Daniel Szalay S. Austin South of the River
Dr. David Szalay Pflugerville North of the River
The brothers Szalay moved to Austin at an early age. Growing
Growing up in Austin, David and Daniel were very familiar with
up in Austin and guided by a family friend who was a dentist,
the doctors of Austin Oral Surgery. When the time came to
the brothers were soon attracted to the profession. During
begin their practice the AOS reputation as community leaders
college, the brothers decided on a career in oral surgery and
and successful oral surgeons made the decision to join the
worked hard to advance their goal. Daniel graduated from
Austin Oral Surgery team an easy one. And, like all things
UT first, deciding to study genetics until David completed his
Austin, the Szalay brothers are committed to improving the
studies. They entered dental school together and enrolled at
health and happiness of our community and our patients.
the highly-regarded Texas A&M University College of Dentistry.
Austin Oral Surgery has 15 board-certified oral surgeons
The brothers sat next to each other in class, helped each other
in 13 locations. For more information or to schedule an
study and, as often happens with siblings, were always a little
appointment, visit AustinOralSurgery.com or call 512-591-
bit competitive – always working harder to be better. They
9557.
graduated from dental school at the top of their class and then pursued separate residency programs. 24 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
A Dedication to Excellence Our doctors share a path to board certification, which is a rigorous process of demonstrating requisite training, experience, and knowledge. We remain current through participation in on-going professional and technical medical education. In addition to our educational training, we continue to work closely together as colleagues to share our wisdom and to direct that knowledge to our patients.
15 Surgeons
Dental Implants
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Sleep Apnea
Facial Trauma
Board Certified
13 Locations
TMJ Disorder
Anesthesia
Tooth Extraction 184+ Years of Combined Experience
Corrective Jaw Surgery
50 years of exceptional care • 512-591-9557 AustinOralSurgery.com
AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 25
SEE HER WORK
GOING TO THE PLACES WE FEAR
Vy Ngo is an artist whose biggest inspirations are the things that tend to frighten us the most.
Artist Vy Ngo was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Vietnamese refugees. “Being a child of immigrants, you kind of live in two cultures,” Ngo says. “Trying to navigate that identity of who you are, it’s a journey and can be very daunting for someone young.” Ngo felt alienated growing up, with one foot in each culture she was immersed in, but not really belonging to either one. She found solace in drawing, journaling, writing poetry, music and dancing. “The arts and being creative were very much my sanctuary,” she says. “It was the only place I could go to express myself and to process all the feelings I was having.”
26 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
Along with the arts, Ngo was interested in science and volunteered at a children’s hospital throughout high school. These two interests posed the question in Ngo’s mind before she graduated: Do I decide to go to art school or into medicine? “I think that as first-generation immigrants, we feel the responsibility to our parents to make the most of the opportunities given to us because of their sacrifices,” Ngo says. “So I ultimately chose to go into medicine.” She got her undergraduate degree at Penn State, went to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and became a pediatrician. “I had to put art on the back burner for a long time,” she says. “Twenty plus years it took me to pick up a paintbrush again. “Ten years into my medical degree is when I hit a wall,” she continues. “And I’ll be honest, I went through a dark time of depression, and I couldn’t understand why. I didn’t feel like I was living for myself. I kept thinking about painting.” After 20 years, one of Ngo’s friends bought her a 5-by-9-foot canvas to encourage her artistic side to come out, and after many months of avoidance, she painted. “The moment I started painting, it’s like I couldn’t stop. It was like a flood,” Ngo says. “I realized that being an artist was my natural state; it always has been since I was a kid. My life’s purpose is to be able to heal and connect with people through medicine and through stories I tell with my artwork. I have to do both so I can do both well.” Balance is a theme she explores throughout her art, specifically in her latest exhibition, The In Between. It not only encapsulates her experience of cultural identity as an immigrant and person of color in the U.S. It includes the stories of three other firstgeneration immigrants, along with their portraits. “A lot of the titles in the show were tongue-in-cheek,” Ngo reveals. “Being painful but also turning it into a place of humor, brightness, color and beauty. Art, and anything you do creatively, has to be personal, emotional and with purpose and intention. What I’ve learned through my experience is that it’s only when you create in that space can your work really take a life of its own, and it’s no longer yours.” Ngo faced a separation and divorce at the beginning of the pandemic, all while working as a physician on the front lines and facing isolation in quarantine. “I did a body of work during COVID that was an abstraction,” Ngo says. “A lot of my pieces
Photos by Gaby Deimeke and Vy Ngo.
BY NICCO PELICANO
AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 27
were reflective of what was happening in the real world, but also what was happening internally with me. “This year I also started a new body of work that is experimental, bringing together my abstraction, representation and cultural work,” she reveals. “They are still in progress. I’m excited for it because it’s really pushed me. It’s about trauma and how you can transform pain into something beautiful.” By going back to her roots, Ngo found her youth was always the door to her contentment. “When I started being creative, being an artist, is when life really started for me,” Ngo admits. “Going to the places we fear is where we need to go the most. “Medicine, art and activism, where all these things are colliding for me is where I want to see myself in 10 years,” she continues. “I want to do nonprofit medical work with refugees and use my artwork as a platform of activism, as well as continuing to heal people through it.” In telling her story, Ngo brings light to the bravery of her immigrant parents and of those who feel as if they don’t belong. She creates a vibrant identity out of color and nostalgia, proving that the human condition is beautiful if you follow your “soul’s purpose” in life.
28 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
“” Going to the places we fear is where we need to go the most.
ATX
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 group and share your story with thousands of women. Contact us at sales@awmediainc.com or call 512.328.2421 for more information. PHOTOS BY ROMINA OLSON
SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM | 29 AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 29
ATX
WOMAN to WATCH
L I S A DAV I D OV I C H
S T R AT E G I C A C C O U N T M A N A G E R , M A R Q U E E E V E N T R E N TA L S
Y
’all ready to gather again? Lisa Davidovich has recently joined the all-woman sales team at Austin’s Marquee Event Rentals, a locally born company providing everything from tenting to tabletop. Adding the “special” to your special event. As a strategic account manager, Davidovich’s role proudly supports her Austin community’s full range of events, from intimate social gatherings to large music festivals on a national scale, leading all her clients to their optimal rental solution. With an extensive background in restaurants, catering, venue management and event design, she is able to utilize her tribal knowledge in building true partnerships, not just relationships. Certified Event Rental Professional Davidovich knows how to ask the right questions about balancing your budget, design and logistics, never losing sight of your event’s end goal. “I have a passion to celebrate life, so why not do it for a living? Own the memories, rent everything else!” marqueerents.com
3030| AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021 | SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM
ATX
WOMAN to WATCH
E L E N A I O N E N K O , CO-FOUNDER & COO L I S B E T H G A R A S S I N O , HEAD OF MARKETING A N N I E J A N O F S K Y , M A R K E T I N G C O O R D I N AT O R TURNKEY LENDER
A
ustin’s unstoppable women of fintech Elena Ionenko, Lisbeth Garassino and Annie Janofsky are three of the leading ladies behind the company TurnKey Lender. This Austin-headquartered fintech company is changing how lending is done around the globe. The Unified Lending Management (ULM) software powers traditional, alternative and embedded lending businesses in over 50 countries and growing. TurnKey Lender is a global technology company being operated by strong, fearless women. Around the world, and in all seniority and departments within the organization, leading ladies play a critical role in the success of the business. The team at TurnKey Lender is on a mission to empower lenders to finance great things with intelligence and efficiency, while promoting diversity in the fintech industry, striving to create an inclusive environment and seat at the table for everyone. turnkey-lender.com/blog/category/women-in-fintech
ATXWOMAN.COM | SPECIAL PROMOTION | 31 AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 31
ATX
WOMAN to WATCH
SARAH PUIL
FOUNDER AND CEO, BOX T
S
arah Puil, founder and CEO of female-led and venture-backed Austin startup BOXT, is breaking the glass ceiling while changing the way we all experience a glass of wine at home. Her company not only produces sustainable, hand-crafted fine wine in a BOXT delivered directly to customers’ doors. She is changing the future for her daughter in a world that only sees 2.3% of venture capital going to all-female founding teams. Puil’s success stems from the BOXT philosophy of simplifying wine and making it accessible, giving permission to like what you like and educating people on how to describe that, her personal leadership philosophy of seeking out and holding on to individuals with the mutual ability to help each other grow and her belief that the power of people is everything. drinkboxt.com
3232| AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021 | SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM
ATX
WOMAN to WATCH
J E S S I C A N O G L O W S , XEEK DIRECTOR C H R I S T I E P O S T , S E N I O R M A R K E T I N G S T R AT E G I S T C H A N D A S T E G G E L L , E X E C U T I V E A S S I S TA N T T O C E O A L I C E H I L D I C K , XCOVER DIRECTOR
S
tudio X, powered by Shell, is a global innovation studio reimagining the future of work in exploration. They’re a collective of scientists, engineers, creatives and entrepreneurs combining their skills to develop solutions for energy challenges. They recognize gender gaps are more likely in sectors that require disruptive technical skills. For example, the World Economic Forum reports that in cloud computing, women make up 14% of the workforce: 20% in engineering and 32% in data and AI. From crowdsourcing exploration solutions to empowering new startups, Studio X knows the key to innovation is welcoming and nurturing diverse perspectives. Not only do women hold leadership roles in the company; they’re also a part of community organizations such as Dress For Success, Young Women’s Alliance and The Women’s Foundation, dedicated to advancing careers for women overall. They know together with these values they can work to create a more equitable world. x.studio
ATXWOMAN.COM | SPECIAL PROMOTION | 33 AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 33
ATX
WOMAN to WATCH
K AT K R O N E N B E R G
BESTSELLING, AWARD -WINNING AUTHOR OF DRE AM BIG estselling author Kat Kronenberg brings experience and energy to her award-winning picture books Dream Big (2017), Love Big (2019) and Think Big (2020). Kronenberg has traveled throughout the U.S. and internationally to speak with communities on the importance of living our best life together. Her ability to inspire audiences to believe in themselves, each other and everyone’s dreams has positioned her as a coveted keynote speaker and presenter for schools. In Chicago, Mary Curat, principal of Wildwood Elementary, said, “I had high expectations for Kat’s author visit after viewing her website. She far exceeded them.” Kronenberg wrote these books because she needed them as a girl after the tragic loss of two siblings and later both parents. Her Live Big trilogy shows us how we can celebrate our best life, no matter what happens. The African Animals’ heroic journeys give readers fun, educational tools to achieve their best life too. katkronenberg.com
3434| AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021 | SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM
Photo by Knox Kronenberg.
B
For the last 19 years, Austin Woman has been the heartbeat of women’s empowerment and advancement in Austin. Join our community and connect with like-minded women!
• Monthly print issues • Digital content • Weekly newsletters
SUBSCRIBE NOW! iamaustinwoman.com
AUSTINWOMANMAGAZINE.COM | 35
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S
WORD PROCESSOR
Carla Piñeyro Sublett challenges the narrative of women in STEM. BY KATHRYN FREEMAN PHOTOS BY RUDY AROCHA STYLED BY PARKE BALLANTINE WITH INSPIRATION FROM KICK PLEAT SHOT ON LOCATION AT LAGUNA GLORIA
Carla Piñeyro Sublett is the new chief marketing officer for IBM, the 110-year-old global technology firm headquartered in upstate New York. Despite starting her new job during a global pandemic, she has approached her role with fearlessness, learning as she leads the century-old company toward a new approach to marketing for the next generation of business and technology leaders. Despite over 20 years of experience in marketing and technology, it is her approach to authenticity and failure that makes Piñeyro Sublett such a breath of fresh air. Piñeyro Sublett admits to having felt like a bit of an outsider for some of her childhood. As the child of Uruguayan immigrants, first in Montreal, Canada, and then Dallas, Texas, she was the weird French Canadian and the nondescript Texan kid all at once. “I do not think I quite fit in anywhere to be honest, and I felt a little weird at times,” says Piñeyro Sublett. As a child, Piñeyro Sublett and her family experienced discrimination, but her parents did not let it dampen their dreams or their pride in their culture. “[My parents] still insisted that we only speak Spanish in the house. They still insisted that we preserve our culture. They insisted we hold on to a very strong sense of identity and individuality.” Her mother instilled in her daughters a fierce sense of independence and a belief in the strength of women. “There were no Barbies, only Wonder Woman among my childhood dolls!” she exclaims. While her mother taught her independence, her father instilled in her the importance of being a lifelong learner and adventurer. “My dad was a real Renaissance man. He exposed my sister and I to photography, fashion and race driving,” she recalls. All of these values are apparent in Piñeyro Sublett’s unusual ascension from bartender to CMO at IBM. She paid her way through college by tending bar and running restaurants. Those experiences taught her more than how to make a great margarita. She explains, “I was learning design, thinking [about] how to manage cash flow and people, how to lead a large organization and how to turn a failing business around.” She laughs, “I’ll tell you, nothing will teach you about cash flow until you have to call people on a Friday and tell them not to cash their paychecks because they won’t clear until you make it through the weekend.”
36 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
ATXWOMAN.COM | 37
38 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
“” My parents were entrepreneurs, and I got a front-row seat to all of the ups and downs that go along with that. I watched them build businesses, some that were able to thrive and others that did not. Piñeyro Sublett has taken an unconventional path to becoming a leading woman in the field of marketing. She studied architecture at the University of Texas. She was waitressing and bartending to pay her way through school, when she met a gentleman: Ro Parra. Impressed by her Spanish skills, Mr. Parra hired her on the spot to work in Dell’s Latin American division. Piñeyro Sublett worked her way through every sales position at Dell, before being recruited into marketing by Dell’s CMO at the time. After 15 years at Dell, she became the chief marketing officer at Rackspace, a San Antoniobased cloud computing company. Her time in the bars and restaurants makes her extremely grateful for all that she has accomplished. “I did not think I would ever get to this point in my life. I feel so fortunate to be able to get to do what I do every day.” Her humble beginnings have stuck with her and provided useful skills to fall back on should she ever need them. She adds wryly, “If things go wrong, I know I can make a great margarita, and I am not too proud to tend the bar.” Piñeyro Sublett got her humility and work ethic from her parents, who left family and friends twice over to ensure that she and her sister had the best chance at success in life. Their sacrifices instilled an enormous sense of responsibility for the privilege to grow up in the United States and have a career and life here. Her parents also taught her that failure is a necessary part of life. “My parents were entrepreneurs,” she says, “and I got a front-row seat to all of the ups and downs that go along with that. I watched them build businesses, some that were able to thrive and others that did not.” Watching her parents succeed and fall short taught her that you can recover from failure, a lesson that has served her well as she has climbed to the pinnacle of her career. Piñeyro Sublett suffered one of her biggest setbacks while attending the University of Texas. She was working full-time
in addition to the rigorous coursework associated with being an architecture student. She had over 220 hours of coursework and her health started failing. Her candor is refreshing, but admittedly surprising. “It took me a decade to overcome that,” she admits, “but in a weird way it served me well because I felt like I had to justify my existence and work harder than everyone else.” Piñeyro Sublett has ascended to the top of her field. She is a living testament that no failure or drawback is final. Her story is a reminder that we get to choose how we respond to setbacks. She argues, “When you have a failure, it is okay to feel the pain of that failure and all of the anger and grief that goes along with it, but oftentimes it’s the things that we fail at that really help shape who we are in the end.” For Piñeyro Sublett the harrowing experience made her more open-minded, because, as she admits, she “never felt like the smartest person in the room. I’ve always wanted to learn from others.” She is a big proponent of learning from her peers and cites connecting with others as one of the greatest joys of her work. “After a year and a half on screens, connecting with people brings me joy on a level I have never experienced before.” Her enthusiasm permeates over the phone even as she makes her way to the airport. Women are often accused of being overly emotional, but Piñeyro Sublett thinks our emotions make us better friends, leaders and people. She shares a quote one of her friends passed along: “Joy is the matriarch of fear, grief and anger; in order for her to live in her house, she has to live with all of her children.” Women are often trained out of their emotions especially in the workplace, and particularly in maledominated STEM industries. But she insists that emotions are not bad things. “They are actually information,” she says. “It is important for [women] to be okay with what we feel and recognize that [our emotions] lead us to our ability to feel joy and love too.”
ATXWOMAN.COM | 39
“” I had to figure out my identity without work, and for the first time, my work persona (bold) and home persona (risk averse) merged. I leaned into my authentic self. If Piñeyro Sublett sounds like the Brené Brown for women in the tech industry, it is because she believes in the power of authenticity. Owning her story has made her a better leader and put her on a path to success. “Accepting that I can be myself, my whole self, has enabled me to operate at the best I ever have,” she says. She wants other women to recognize the power of authenticity even in a field like STEM where uniform processes and routine formulas are more likely to win the day. “You do not have to suffer to make progress,” she advises. “Women often seek out harder tasks because they feel like that is the path that will lead to success, but real joy and flow comes when you release yourself to the ease of things.” She insists that authenticity is a game changer and women do not need to hide themselves to succeed. Piñeyro Sublett is married and the mother of two teenagers, giving her a full home life as well. But in 2018, she realized she was losing touch with the people and things that mattered most. One night she woke up and knew something needed to change, so she quit her three-hour commute and the job that went along with it. “I had lost the connection to my heart and was operating from a place of mind and gut just to survive,” she reveals. Her life was not working for her or her young family, and while she had no idea what she was going to do, she knew she “had to make a big decision, and I couldn’t be daunted by the magnitude of it because if I failed to make the decision, I risked losing my family and my connection to my heart.” Piñeyro Sublett and her husband decided their circumstances created a once in a lifetime opportunity to take a global journey with their family. She blogged about their journey on Finding Ubuntu. (Ubuntu: the Zulu word for humanity as it is expressed through compassion, empathy and connection to others.) They traveled to Bhutan, Croatia, Japan and India among other countries. “I had to figure out my identity without work, and for the first time, my work persona (bold) and home persona (risk averse) merged. I leaned into my authentic self.” Her family ditched technology to strengthen their ability to connect with each other and the world around them. At the end of her global jaunt she relearned “the ability to form real and meaningful relationships with people from completely different backgrounds.” The journey was not without its costs. She quit her job with no other prospects lined up, so there was a season where she found herself “unemployed and looking for purpose,” while trying to discern what came next. She eventually landed her role at IBM, but that two-year period of connecting with her family, herself and the wider world was transformative. In one of her final posts, she reflected on that year. “It has pushed me off of my center and given me a new, more solid foundation. I feel like I was stripped down raw and built completely anew. It was hard. Very hard. And rewarding. I am still me but, perhaps, more so than ever before.” In her eyes, “sometimes you have to lose it to find it.” Piñeyro Sublett’s story is inspiring, partly because she is so honest about the
40 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
LOCATION: The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria The museum’s fourteen-acre campus on the shores of Lake Austin offers visitors a unique art-in-nature experience, with opportunities for the public to explore art and the creative process through installations and exhibitions by preeminent international artists, dynamic events and community programs for all ages, and classes at the Art School. Since fall 2013, The Contemporary Austin has been actively engaged in the revitalization of this beloved site, removing invasive species, stabilizing the shoreline and adding visitor amenities, including a cafe and design-forward museum shop. 3809 W 35th St. thecontemporaryaustin.org/ lagunagloria
ATXWOMAN.COM | 41
work it has taken to get to this point of being her fullest and best self. She credits the lessons of the last 18 to 24 months, knowing she does not have to suffer to accomplish great things and leaning into the power of authenticity for allowing her to operate at her best. She says a few years ago her perspective on success changed. Before it would have been solely about the physical and emotional well-being of her family and those around her. But now she realizes “success is not just the health and happiness of the people that I love, but it is my own health and happiness and thriving and my own authenticity and my own joy too.” This shift of including herself in the equation has made a huge difference in how she shows up at work and at home. “Women have a tendency to put ourselves on the back burner, but we can only be our best to all the people we love and care about if we’re taking care of ourselves and honoring our own wants and needs.” Piñeyro Sublett is intentional about how she allocates her time for self-care. A good diet, exercise and a healthy amount of sleep are important ingredients to her corporate success. Another important ingredient is investing in your peers and those around you. Piñeyro Sublett feels a strong responsibility to others and opening doors for other women and children of immigrants to follow. “I think it is important to make sure I am paying it forward and lifting others up and being a part of the community in which I live and work.” She knows the tech industry still has a lot of work to do in terms of diversity and inclusion. But part of the reason she chose IBM was because of its values around diversity and inclusion. “I saw myself there. IBM employed women and African Americans from its start. [It] had an equal pay policy that predated the civil rights movement.” She further touts the over 300 employee resource groups at the company that help employees feel supported. In recent years, the public has given great attention to and acknowledgment of scientist Katherine Johnson, computer programmer Dorothy Vaughan and engineer Mary Jackson—three African American women whose story of ushering in the era of inclusion of women of color in NASA’s most important positions inspired the award-winning movie Hidden Figures. Despite this, women and particularly women of color continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields. According to the National Science Foundation, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but only 29% of the science and engineering workforces. Women of color only make up about
42 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
5% of the STEM workforce. Women of color face the double bind of being women in male-dominated industries and non-white in a whitedominated spaces. The reasons for the paltry representation for women of color in STEM are many. But mentorship and being able to see yourself in senior leadership is critical to not only increasing the number of women and minorities in STEM, but also their place in upper and mid-management roles at technology companies. According to a 2017 study by Taylor & Francis entitled “Mentoring Women of Color, Particularly in STEM,” developmental mentoring relationships are crucial to helping women of color advance in their careers. Mentoring helps them cultivate the skills they need to integrate into the company culture and in career development. As the old adage goes, “It is hard to be what you cannot see,” and Piñeyro Sublett is dedicated to helping other women and underrepresented minorities see themselves in the C-suite. Piñeyro Sublett still sees a lot of work to be done, both in the industry and at her company. “The work never stops,” she says. And she is committed to seeing it done. She has served on the board of the Texas Conference for Women and frequently speaks to young professionals who seek her out for advice. When asked about her legacy, she does not cite professional accolades, but quotes Maya Angelou. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” She adds, “I want people in this world to have benefited from my having been here.” This burning desire to make a big impact on others has followed Piñeyro Sublett from her childhood into the corporate world of computing and cloud-based technology. But it is her fearlessness and gratitude that have propelled her from the bars of Austin to the pinnacle of her field. While she used to only be fearless in her career and risk averse in her private life, she has worked over the last few years to reconcile those two versions of herself. Now she says she is fearless on both fronts. She credits her fearlessness to her childhood. “I grew up in an environment where failure was recoverable, and it is super fun to operate in a fearless manner.” Without a willingness to take risks, to say yes when it seemed slightly out of her comfort zone, Piñeyro Sublett would likely not be where she is today. So, while she did not take the traditional path, she is blazing a trail for women and a new kind of leadership for generations to come.
“” I want people in this world to have benefited from my having been here.
ATXWOMAN.COM | 43
TO THE MOON… AND BEYOND
Cedar Park’s Firefly Aerospace gets involved in NASA’s next moon mission. BY JENNY HOFF
NASA is headed to the moon once again, this time with women at the helm. The Artemis program will send the first female astronaut to the moon using rockets and spaceships women also helped design and build. Women like Sarah Hinze and Brigette Oakes, members of the senior leadership team at Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace. The inside of the Firefly Aerospace building, which sits in a nondescript office strip off a highway in Cedar Park, looks like a sleek startup that could contend with the early days of Tesla or Elon Musk’s more relevant business to Firefly, SpaceX. With glass offices, chrome details, white leather couches and a high-end coffee bar, it feels hip and modern. Rockets flank the entryway and hang from the ceiling, as engineers gather in the glass-walled meeting rooms to discuss the company’s next rocket build. NASA awarded the small company of about 300 engineers, designers and analysts a $93.3 million contract to send science investigations and technology demonstrations to explore the lunar surface as a part of the Artemis mission. If you don’t blink, you might catch a glimpse of two females buzzing by, off to their next meeting. Sarah Hinze and Brigette Oakes say they don’t mind being only two of three women on Firefly’s 22-member senior leadership team. Having come from companies like Lockheed Martin and SpaceX, they say the ratio of men to women in leadership at the much smaller Firefly is the best they’ve seen. According to industry demographic reports, almost 90% of aerospace engineers are men, and that’s a lower percentage than when both Hinze and Oakes started out in the industry—20 years ago for Hinze and 12 for Oakes. “I took a robotics class in high school and I was the only girl there,” recalls Oakes. “I was the only girl who did calculus. My undergraduate class was 93% male. At my first job I was the only woman in my department. At SpaceX, I was the first woman ground support engineer. Three out of 22. That’s good! This is by far the most women I’ve worked with.” Hinze has had a similar experience. When she graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in aerospace engineering, she was one of only two women in her graduating class. “I went to work at Lockheed Martin on the F-22,” she says. “There were hundreds of engineers working on this project in the basement, and I was one of only three women.”
44 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
Sarah Hinze
ATXWOMAN.COM | 45
Brigette Oakes
46 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
For the most part, both Hinze and Oakes say they’ve always experienced respect and cooperation from their male colleagues and classmates. At times, their gender even comes in handy. “I can use it to my advantage,” laughs Hinze. “I’m awful at software programming, so I would say, ‘I’m struggling with this,’ and guys would jump to help. They loved helping me. They didn’t want me to lift a finger.” Within Firefly, the women have a casual and friendly rapport with their male colleagues. It’s clear they garner respect, and they both carry the confidence of knowing their worth and what they offer. But they don’t take it for granted. For Oakes, there is one dark spot in her career that reminds her how some in power can squash potential and ambition when they feel threatened. “I had a boss at a former company who would promote interns I had trained over me,” she says. “When I applied for a managerial position in another department, was interviewed and the director wanted to give me the job, my manager blocked the transfer.” The experience shook her confidence and her belief that hard work and talent was enough to succeed in the industry. She eventually left the company. “They said, ‘We will give sexual harassment training; we will do leadership training,’” she recounts. “You can sit down and do that, but it wasn’t genuine. The other few women in that department ended up leaving. Within the year of me leaving there were no women left in the group.” Her former boss is still a director at the company, despite lawsuits, complaints and a lousy track record of keeping talented people on his team. Instead of feeling defeated by that experience, Oakes became more determined. When she took on her current role at Firefly, where she leads a team of 30 people, she decided to be the type of manager who would celebrate successes, pay attention to personal issues and demand her direct reports take time off when needed (like paternity leave). She also fights to make sure her design team gets the recognition it deserves. “Her team would unanimously say it’s the best run and happiest team that we have here,” beams Hinze, as she looks proudly at her colleague. “She is very organized, she pays attention to what is going on with her employees. I think part of that is because she is a woman.” The two have their differences, but it’s clear they also have each other’s backs. Hinze is the more outgoing, talkative and self-deprecating of the two. “I’m tall, I’m loud and I like to express my opinions,” she says, with another big smile. She insists Oakes’ talents are much more worthy of a profile than her own, even though Hinze has the imperative job of managing Firefly’s flagship product, Alpha, an unmanned rocket that brings satellites into space for clients. She ensures each element is on deadline, on budget, functions properly and is ready for blastoff. Oakes, the whiz-kid from Houston who learned to fly before she learned to drive (she took her first flying lessons at 14 years old), is
quieter with a smaller stature than her adoring colleague, and thrives off constantly being underestimated. “I was ‘Brigette the midget’ in high school,” she recounts, now able to laugh at the memory. “I was technically a dwarf and I was made fun of all the time,” she recalls. “I broke multiple bones because I wanted to try everything. I was a tiny, dainty tomboy.” Unlike today, where girls are actively encouraged to join STEM professions, and after-school science activities and clubs aim for maximum girl participation, Hinze and Oakes had to find their own ways to scratch their engineering itch as kids. Oakes says growing up in Houston, down the highway from the NASA space station, played a huge role in her interest in space and engineering. “I was thankful to live next to Lehigh University in middle and high school; they sponsored monthly talks,” she says. “It gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of leaders in engineering and science. The most memorable was Sally Ride. She was the embodiment of someone whose footsteps I wanted to follow in terms of career.” Space was also a fascination of her father’s. Both Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, the famous astronauts of the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969, were on his paperboy route as a kid. Instead of turning in the checks they left him for their newspaper delivery, he would pay for their papers out of his own earnings and save the checks as a souvenir. Oakes grew up surrounded by books on space, models of rockets and signed checks of two of the most famous astronauts in the world. She quickly developed a fascination with flight, engineering and creating new possibilities. While her father encouraged their shared passion, he made sure she understood the kind of commitment involved. Oakes recalls a time when she desperately wanted a build-your-own remote-control airplane. Her father cut her a deal: pass all the quizzes in an engineering book he bought her and she would get the parts to build the plane. “He ripped out the answer keys, and each week when I passed the quiz at the end of the chapter, I would get a part of the remote-control airplane,” she says. “At the end of the summer, I finally had every part to build it.” Oakes says the way he made education both fun and challenging helped it become something she relished rather than dreaded.
ATXWOMAN.COM | 47
“” It’s not the Ivy League kids who do great at the interviews. It’s the ones who grew up on a farm and figured out how to fix their vehicles. It’s the person who built their own unicycle at home with carbon fiber.
Growing up in Pittsburgh, Texas, Hinze didn’t have quite the same exposure to the world of space as her colleague. While she was a student, her high school introduced its first ever calculus course, which she took. She was also part of a student engineering design team where she was able to work with other future builders and stage experiments. Having a father as an engineer, however, gave her real exposure to see what the career entailed. He was an engineer in plastics, and she recalls watching him tediously work on straws; she decided then and there that “I wanted to be an engineer, but not in something lame.” When Texas A&M asked which engineering track she wanted to do, aerospace seemed to have the most potential for exciting projects. As a mom of two boys, she’s proud that they are as fascinated with her chosen field as she is. “My son had to do a fifth grade science project, and he chose space trash,” she says with a smile. “Because I work here, he was able to speak with an expert in the topic who talks to groups across the country. He came in and got to conduct a real interview.” Like many women, Hinze’s career has been circuitous. It began with her rising through the ranks at a major engineering company and then taking time off when she got pregnant to be a stay-athome parent. After spending eight years as the head of her household, she was ready to re-enter the workforce and was thrilled to be a part of an aerospace startup, where she could help create a rocket from inception to launch, managing the process every step of the way. Alpha, Firefly’s signature product and Hinze’s responsibility, is planned to launch in September from their base in California. The goal will be to launch twice a month, carrying small satellites into space. “Everybody in the company hates me,” she laughs. “I’m the stickler.” One would think that working on highly complex space projects at a startup, in addition to being parents—Hinze has two sons, and Oakes has one son and another baby on the way—these two aerospace engineers would have little time for anything else. Quite the contrary. Hinze is a longdistance runner, in peak form. Oakes builds airplanes (and not the models she built as a kid). One of the reasons Oakes wanted to move to Austin from California was to buy a home with a big enough garage to work on her latest project, building an actual airplane that she will eventually fly. She’s also working on a Ph.D. in engineering physics. (She already has two master’s degrees, one in physics and one in aerospace from Stanford.) Both women insist their success in both work and family has a lot to do with time management and setting up systems that create better flow. About a year ago, Oakes took three months to train her team on a task-management system to better manage workflow. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have time to pursue anything else,” she says. Clearly Oakes and Hinze are two highly motivated, highly intelligent individuals with impressive scholastic achievements and a will to accomplish difficult and arduous tasks. But they say to succeed in an industry such as aerospace engineering, it’s not all about school recognition and Ivy League status. As with most jobs, it’s about creativity, grit and a mix of confidence in one’s abilities with just enough humility to never get too comfortable (which can lead to stagnation).
48 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
ATXWOMAN.COM | 49
“It’s not the Ivy League kids who do great at the interviews,” says Oakes. “It’s the ones who grew up on a farm and figured out how to fix their vehicles. It’s the person who built their own unicycle at home with carbon fiber.” It’s also the kind of person who manages to take on mothering a newborn while simultaneously designing parts of a rocket on a tight deadline. Giving birth right before COVID-19, Oakes says she was grateful to be forced to work from home, since it allowed her to comfortably breastfeed her son, while also fully participating in work. She now wants to work toward affording that kind of convenience to other women in her company and hopes it sets a standard for the industry at large. She believes women shouldn’t have to choose between breastfeeding their baby and staying in their careers. Changes like these might make the industry more female-friendly, at a time when women are starting to play a bigger and more forward-facing role in the future of space flight. In Greek mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. As a goddess, she rules the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals…and the moon. As a space mission, Artemis will carry the first woman and person of color to the moon’s surface, half a century after Apollo sent the men Oakes spent her childhood admiring. Perhaps it will be this new generation of astronauts, men and women, whom Oakes’ and Hinze’s children will look up to, coveting their signatures and reading their stories as they dream of exploring the world beyond their own.
50 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
In Greek mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. As a goddess, she rules the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals…and the moon. As a space mission, Artemis will carry the first woman and person of color to the moon’s surface, half a century after Apollo brought the men Oakes spent her childhood admiring.
Special Advertising Section
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Five tips from Austin Woman to help you head back to school this fall! Boomerang’s Foods Get that backpack organized! Be sure to have all your supplies ready to go. It’s important to have all of the tools you’ll need at your disposal as you get back into your groove. Stay well! It’s especially important these days to keep a focus on overall wellness to thrive in such a chaotic world. Subscribe to our Wellness newsletter at atxwoman.com/newsletter to be sure that you’re staying in the loop on everything our community of women has to offer to keep your mental, physical and social self thriving.
Stock that freezer! There’s nothing worse than when you’re cramming for that exam or rushing home from a long day and you’ve got nothing on hand for dinner!
52
Flip to page t some to check ou enings op b jo l ca lo re to he W r in ou n. Work sectio
Back to school means back to busy, and Boomerang’s has you covered. Boomerang’s savory puff pastry pies are ready in just three minutes, made with better-for-you ingredients and come in flavors the whole family will love. All-natural meat, vegetarian, plant-based, dairy- or gluten-free varieties. There are options for the pickiest of eaters. Just pop these handheld savory pies in the microwave and you’ve got an easy answer to “What’s for dinner?” that you’ll feel good about. Find Boomerang’s pies on the frozen aisle at H-E-B, Whole Foods Market, Randall’s and other grocers and turn mealtime upside down under! Co-founders (and Austinites) Jack and Lance both spent extended time in Australia and had the vision to bring the iconic handheld Aussie pie concept back home. Easy to store in the freezer, these beauties come in convenient microwavable boxes and are ready in minutes. The perfect snack or meal any time of day. boomerangspies.com
Huston-Tillotson University Looking for a side hustle to cover any extracurricular activities?
Set your goals for the future! Advancing your education is a great way to reach those long-term career goals!
Huston-Tillotson University, the oldest institution of higher learning in Austin, has roots dating back to 1875. HT is an independent, church-related historically Black four-year liberal arts institution located on a 23-acre tree-lined campus near downtown in East Austin. Huston-Tillotson University’s mission is to nurture a legacy of leadership and excellence in education, connecting knowledge, power, passion and values. HT offers associate and master’s degrees in addition to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in more than 19 areas of study. @hustontillotsonuniversity htu.edu
Want to see other survival guides or be included in one? Email womantowatch@awmediainc.com to connect with us! ATXWOMAN.COM | 51
WHERE TO WORK
ARE YOU HIRING?
Advertise your open positions here! Austin Woman reaches a very desirable, diverse and professional audience where you can find the next superstar for your team. Email us at sales@awmediainc.com to find out more!
STEALTH POWER Chief of Staff
Stealth Power is a fast-growing cleantech automotive startup located in Austin. We design and build idle mitigation and power systems to help the largest fleets in the world run on clean energy, ending our over-reliance on fossil fuels and working toward a fully electric future. We’re seeking an efficient, highly organized technical chief of staff to serve as a key resource, right hand and force multiplier to Stealth Power’s COO, Shannon Sentell. This is not an administrative role. It’s ideal for an engineer ready to supercharge their growth on the strategy and leadership side of the business. As part of the broader engineering team, you’ll support client delivery, technical specifications, operations management and communications. You will have the opportunity to lead the development of results-oriented and action-driven recommendations to key business questions that support longterm growth
Sales and Marketing
We’re seeking someone with a passion for sales and the drive to level up as a leader. As a key member of the sales and marketing team, you will manage prospective customers through the sales life cycle, working cross-functionality to build materials that convert and discover new market opportunities. You will be interacting directly with prospective and new customers, both from our Austin office and on the road. In year one, this role will entail approximately 40% travel.
VIA 313 PIZZERIA
SOLARWINDS Inside Sales Representative
SolarWinds is seeking an enthusiastic self-motivated inside sales representative to join our thriving global sales team. SolarWinds provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide. We scale to meet agency needs for continuous monitoring, cyber security, network operations, compliance, data center operations and IT consolidation. This person would execute activities for prospecting, lead generation and selling of SolarWinds products to existing customers; qualify inbound and outbound leads and respond to customer inquiries, assist potential customers during the product-evaluation process, create quotes and new customer accounts, coordinate with distribution and channel partners; and proactively sell into the installed base. We are looking for sales professionals who have two to three years of selling experience in high tech and are eager to learn, competitively drive growth in their areas and are excellent in communicating effectively. Apply today!
ENTREPRENEURS FOUNDATION Chief Organizer
Are you a tech-savvy, detailoriented, highly organized selfstarter? Join the Entrepreneurs Foundation team as our next chief organizer. To apply, please send resume, cover letter (explaining why you are interested in this position and what superpowers you can lend to the team) and three references to hr@efctx.org
A Day in the Life
A typical day at Via 313 might include wearing many different hats. Still, your primary responsibility is to give our customers the best experience possible. You will assist in foodprep assignments during off-peak periods as needed and work with other employees to ensure that each area of the kitchen is clean and ready for any task assigned by management. Our back-of-house team strives to be friendly, outgoing people who want to get their hands dirty while working hard.
SPONSORED LISTINGS | ATXWOMAN.COM 52 | AUSTINJOB WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
ANY BABY CAN Clinical Therapist
The clinical therapist provides home-based and telehealth counseling to children and families enrolled in Any Baby Can’s programs. The clinical therapist works as part of an interdisciplinary team made up of parent educators, nurses and social workers to provide support and counseling to families and children experiencing mental health concerns.
KIMPTON HOTEL VAN ZANDT & GERALDINE’S RESTAURANT Culinary Staff
Geraldine’s Restaurant is looking for Austin’s best and brightest in the service industry to learn and execute our service standards. Come join the Kimpton Family! We are looking for individuals who are passionate about providing genuine, heartfelt care to our guests and employees. Looking for talented culinary staff: sous chef, line cooks, prep cooks. Come join a passionate team of culinary pros looking to continually push the boundaries of contemporary Austin cuisine! Between dinner, brunch, banquets and a cafe, there are ample opportunities to challenge yourself and refine your culinary skills as well as be in position for growth within the Kimpton family. Competitive wages, benefits and even pet insurance! Why We’re Here: At Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, we believe heartfelt human connections make people’s lives better. Especially the people who work here. Our founder, Bill Kimpton, rebelled against impersonal, generic hospitality that makes people feel disconnected. He initiated a new boutique hotel standard and environment where people could connect from the heart. That was the goal then, and it is still our purpose today. Your work here has meaning. You’re here to improve the lives of coworkers, guests, owners and communities, and together we make that happen. It’s what drives all that we do. Every day you can improve lives in your own unique way, and you can expect the same in return. It all starts with you.
AUSTIN WOMAN
Austin Woman Marketing Sales Specialist Are you a marketing professional looking to earn some extra income and network with an engaged and supportive community? Ready to have a role where you can be passionate about what you do and make a difference in the community? We are seeking a person who is enthusiastic, passionate, goal driven and hardworking, who is living in this vibrant marketplace and knows Austin’s culture. Must be able to work on a variety of projects simultaneously, adhere to multiple deadlines and develop client/team relationships. This sales executive will be a hybrid role and responsible for selling across all platforms—digital, print and events. The ideal candidate must be innovative and creative in their approach and thrive in a fast-paced environment that is constantly evolving to fit the changing media landscape. Please send a resume and cover letter “selling” us on your expertise and passion to sales@awmediainc.com.
FIRST TEXAS HONDA Finance Manager
First Texas Honda is looking for an additional finance manager. The finance manager’s job is to secure each sale and ensure that every vehicle sold is delivered. This person must be motivated in customer service and extremely detail oriented. Previous experience is required and being bilingual is a plus. Essential duties include but are not limited to: Preparing and finalizing all documents necessary for completing vehicle sales. Consultative selling of a wide range of financial products, including vehicle service contracts, GAP and other related products. Experience in consultative financial sales via a product menu system. Maintaining continuous education of current regulations and laws governing the automotive industry. Seeking new lending organizations and maintaining good working relationships to secure competitive interest rates and financing programs. Training and providing the sales team with information on finance and lease programs and the benefits of financing and extended-service programs. Qualifications: Maintain an adequate and current supply of all required contracts and paperwork needed for completion and finalization of car deals. Maintain a professional appearance. Maintain a clean and professional work environment. Provide exemplary customer service. Must have previous dealership experience. Strong communication skills in person, in writing and over the telephone. Must have held a valid driver’s license for at least one year. Schedule: This is a full-time position, approximately 40+ hours per week. Compensation: Commission based. Expected salary of $170K+. Core Values: Transformational, not transactional. Be transformational. We do what we say we’re going to do. We encourage and support each other. We’re committed to continuous growth. We’re all goal-setters. We promise to be mentors/mentees. We create and are part of highperforming teams.
Scan or go to the link to find out who else is hiring!
ATXWOMAN.COM/WHERE-TO-WORK
ATXWOMAN.COM | 53
RECIPE REVEAL
TAKING A CULINARY JOURNEY
Chef JRodi brings a bit of Europe to Texas. BY ALLIE JUSTIS
founder and owner of 3 Small Plates LLC, and she has been finding new and interesting ways to blend her love for European food with her Southern roots right here in Austin. At 3 Small Plates, Chef JRodi and her team of culinary specialists cater a wide variety of dishes with European flair as well as some classic American meals. Catering to parties as large as 40 or even creating boxes to be enjoyed at home, she gives her dishes everything she’s got. After spending years overseas with her husband in the military, Chef JRodi wanted to show Austin the endless possibilities these unique flavors and experiences have to offer. “What I wanted to do was bring that European class and flavor to you by sitting you down, laying the napkin in your lap,” says JRodi. “It’s all about taking this culinary journey. I want you to feel like when you stand back up, you will have that feeling that you have been someplace by eating my food.” Above all, JRodi says providing the food is only the first step in creating a worthwhile experience for her customers. She is determined to surprise at every step of the food journey that she takes them on, and for her it is a privilege to have that opportunity. “It’s all worth it,” says JRodi. “Because it’s never about me. It’s about serving our clients and making the most for them. If we’re saying we’re taking them on a culinary journey, we want to put in every effort. Whatever we have, we’re going to put it all on the table.” With the chicken and penne pasta recipe she is sharing, Chef JRodi says the best way to make the most of this dish is to work ahead. With the chicken used in the dish, she says poultry from the farmer’s market will always have the edge over store-bought chicken. If you marinate that chicken in your favorite white or red wine overnight, it will come out even more flavorful and tender when it’s time to cook it.
54 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
Photos courtesy of Chef Jen Rodriguez.
Jen Rodriguez, otherwise known as Chef JRodi, is the executive chef,
CHICKEN AND PENNE PASTA (4-6 SERVINGS) Ingredients:
For the sauce:
For the pasta:
For the chicken:
2 drizzles of extra virgin olive oil
16 oz. penne pasta
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 extra large clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup of feta cheese or Italian blend
2 tablespoons seasoning salt
1/2 cup of onions, diced
1-2 ladles of pasta water
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1/2 cup of red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
1-2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup of wine
1 teaspoon dried basil
4-5 medium San Marzano tomatoes, diced
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of chicken or veggie stock
2-4 whole chicken breasts (we used Smith & Smith Farms)
Pinch of fresh basil
1/2 cup of shiitake mushrooms, sliced, stems removed Handful of fresh basil
1/4 cup of wine Directions: 1. Place a medium pot on the stove and bring water to a medium rapid boil. Then preheat the oven to 400°. 2. In a bowl, mix together the seasonings for the chicken. 3. Wash and pat dry chicken breast. Sprinkle the seasoning mix on both sides of chicken and place the breasts in a shallow glass baking dish, flat-side down. Carefully pour 1/4 cup of wine off the side of chicken, taking care not to wash away the seasonings. The chicken should not float. (Note: If you choose to you can marinate overnight, otherwise bake right away.) 4. On parchment paper, roast the chicken, uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until brown and easy to cut through. Chicken should not be dry and tough. Set chicken aside and allow to rest until cool enough to touch. (Note: Vine veggies may be used in place of chicken. Roast veggies prior to submerging into warm sauce to prevent it from breaking. Dice veggies. Season, sprinkle, then drizzle with oil.) 5. In a pan, drizzle a small amount of oil in a figure 8. When the oil sizzles, add the garlic, onion and bell pepper and sauté until al dente (translucent) at medium to low heat. Stir to loosen any sticky bits. Add wine to deglaze the pan, allowing the ingredients to simmer. Gradually sprinkle in seasoning for the chicken. 6. Reduce wine to half, add tomatoes and chicken stock. Sprinkle on chicken seasoning, plus add a pinch of fresh basil. Bring to a medium to low boil. Sprinkle seasoning. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. 7. Add pasta to water and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen and prevent clumping. Lay spoon over the pot to prevent it from boiling over. Once the pasta comes to a rapid boil (8-12 minutes), lower the temperature. Pasta will continue to cook from the heated water. Test pasta after 4 minutes; it should have a bite (a visible white line in the circumference of the pasta shell). Turn off heat. Pasta should not be soft and mushy. Drain pasta, but leave 1/2 cup of pasta water. 8. When the chicken has cooled, slice into medallions or small rounds. Fold pasta into sauce, adjust chicken seasonings until well-blended. 9. Add the feta or Italian-blend cheese. If the sauce is too loose, add 1/4 cup of pasta water a little at a time and 1 tablespoon of butter. Sauce will be loose, more of a broth rather than a thick tomato sauce. All the flavor and goodness are locked in the penne. Lower flame, simmer to combine flavors. 10. Fold shiitakes in with the chicken to incorporate. Simmer to desired sauce thickness, adjust with additional pasta water or stock. Fold in half of the basil.
Optional variation of dish using toast points
ATXWOMAN.COM | 55
ON THE MONEY
I SAVED $10,000… NOW, WHAT?
HOW TO START MAKING YOUR SAVINGS WORK FOR YOU. BY JENNY HOFF
You’ve finally done it. You followed the age-old advice to spend less and save more. Now you’ve got a chunk of change sitting in the bank, ready to invest and you don’t know where to start. First off, congratulations! Getting out of debt and saving money is one of the most powerful feelings, especially when it’s a first-time experience. If you’ve saved up some money (let’s use $10,000 as an example) you have a few choices. Tuck it away somewhere safe for a rainy day. This is probably the least exciting of your choices, but financial experts agree you should have at least three to six months of living expenses in a savings account just in case. (2020 proved “just in case” can happen very quickly and unexpectedly.) If this is your only savings and you don’t have any other money to tap into in an emergency, it’s smart to put the $10k in a separate savings account so you won’t use it and it can accrue a bit of interest. Unfortunately for savers, interest rates are currently very low, but there are a few online banks offering 2% or more, which is
better than most banks offering almost nothing. Banks are often also offering promotions to open a new account, asking you to deposit a certain amount of money and keep it there for at least six months to earn the bonus. These bonuses can be $250 or $500 depending on the promotion. It’s not going to make you rich, but at least it’s a chance to earn more than average for your savings without risk. Invest it. If you already have a rainy-day fund or you’ve saved up more than you need for six months of living expenses, consider investing your money into a vehicle that will allow you to grow more money. Compound interest is the most powerful financial concept. If every child were taught it in school, we wouldn’t have the debt problems we have today. Invest $10,000 into a low-cost index fund (like the S&P 500 through Vanguard) and you could earn an average of 10% return per year. To put it another way, invest $10,000 now and don’t touch it for 30 years; you’ll have somewhere in the ballpark of $175,000. Even better, invest the $10,000 and add $100 to your investment monthly; in 30 years you’ll have about $424,000. That’s the power of compounding. Save up for a first-time home. Although $10,000 won’t be enough for a down payment for most homes in Austin, it’s a good place to start. If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you can qualify for programs that will allow for a lower down payment and potentially some assistance. Depending on your income and type of job, you could also qualify for assistance from organizations like Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC). The most important thing you can do with your newfound savings is to keep it intact or, hopefully, make it grow. Money is easy to spend, hard to save. Through a little research and some smart steps, you can start making your money perform a valuable function: produce more money to secure your financial future.
56 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
The (Hotel) Keys to the Kingdom in College Station: An Aggieland Visit Fit for Royalty By: Marika Flatt and Tucker Flatt
Opening its doors at the beginning of the 2018 fall football season, the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center sits in the heart of Aggieland. Known as the guesthouse for the university, with eight stories, 250 rooms, three hospitality suites, four Memorial Student Center (MSC) suites and two penthouse suites, this hotel is all about location, location, location. Situated across the street from the famous Kyle Field, the Texas A&M Hotel is the official overnight location for all things maroon. 58 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
In terms of convenience, there is no substitute for this oncampus accommodation. With parking in such high demand, Aggies understand the rarity of a premium parking spot. The parking garage on Gene Stallings Blvd. is directly attached to the hotel. Guests can park on the third floor of the parking garage and take the covered bridge all the way across, into the second floor of the hotel.
Photos courtesy of GetMyBoat and Margarittaville PhotosLake Resort.
Special Travel Section brought to you by
Guests feel right at home with the overarching Aggie motif in each and every room. Beginning with the Benjamin Knox mural in the entryways, to the black-and-white vintage A&M photos above the headboards, and even small details in the bathroom, such as the Gig’em Aggies silver plate in the shower, and the water faucet, which when turned on, is a Gig’em thumbs-up, each room is on brand. Just like on campus, Reveille (A&M’s mascot) rules the room as the featured face of the wallpaper.
menu items such as avocado toast, Nutella French toast or chicken chilaquiles to power up for a productive day. At Block T Bar & Grill on the second floor, diners will enjoy a relaxed setting for menu items such as the trio of dips (salsa, guacamole and queso), a smoked pulled-pork sandwich with a side of truffle fries or the Outlaw Burger with sweet potato fries. Most Aggies will pair that with a cold beer. College Station offers a variety of dining options, from the very casual to an upscale culinary experience. For an authentic hometown meal, Layne’s “soon to be famous” Chicken Fingers opened its door to hungry college students in 1994. We love how they say it on their website: “Born and breaded since 1994!” Offering inexpensive quality chicken strip meals, Layne’s has survived the test of time. Their simple menu features only a few fried chicken options (chicken strip plate and chicken sandwich), yet their secret menu includes the “best grilled cheese in Bryan-College Station” and a healthy chicken wrap. Layne’s has evolved from its original compact location across the street from campus to three other locations sprinkled around town, plus four locations in the DFW area and a location in Katy to open in June.
Photos courtesy of Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center.
The heroes of the house are the third-floor hospitality suites, connected to guest rooms, which provide ample space for entertaining on gameday. Suite amenities include a kitchenette featuring an all-important ice machine, two flatscreen TVs (powered by a single remote), a grand dining table, a comfortable sectional couch and a full bathroom with a shower. The suite includes a patio overlooking Kyle Field, which provides the perfect vantage point to the hustle and bustle of campus life.
Steps away from the patio is the outdoor pool branded with the A&M logo (heated in the off-season) that boasts shaded cabanas, maroon and silver fire pits and a relaxing green space. With one side of the pool facing the MSC and the other side facing Kyle Field, the pool peers upon the heart of the campus. They’ll be hosting watch parties on the pool deck during football season! Adding to its convenience, there are three dining destinations within the hotel. Located on the first floor, the Junction Café is a quick grab-and-go option for breakfast or lunch. Here, guests can grab breakfast items such as hearty croissant sandwiches, fruit cups or gourmet coffee drinks. On point with the Aggie theme, specialty coffee drinks include the Howdy (vanilla and cinnamon) and the 12th Irish Man (Irish crema with mocha). For a sit-down breakfast or lunch option, head into Brazos-Proper Texas Kitchen, also on the first floor. Here, guests can enjoy a buffet breakfast or
For an upscale steakhouse experience, Porters, next to the George Hotel, treats guests to an unforgettable dinner event. Start with a delicious glass of cabernet or cool chardonnay, to pair with a starter of wild-caught calamari or fried Texas quail legs. Entree highlights include Atlantic Salmon (you can substitute mashed potatoes with crispy Brussels sprouts for an uber healthy choice), chicken fried steak and, if you’re lucky, they will be offering their special: scallops over a bed of risotto. Wrap up your dining journey with a dessert selection of 12-layer carrot cake, NY cheesecake or creme brulee. From A+ customer service to a genuine Aggieland ambiance, Porters is the perfect location for a special celebration dinner. Marika Flatt, named 2021 Outstanding Austin Communicator, is the travel editor of Texas Lifestyle Magazine. Hear her “Weekend Trip Tips” on the statewide NPR show Texas Standard, and see her travel suggestions on TV shows across the state. She’s the loudest and proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of ’97! Tucker Flatt has been growing up bleeding maroon and hopes to be the loudest and proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of ’26!
ATXWOMAN.COM | 59
I AM AUSTIN WOMAN
WE STAND OUT
Euphoria.LGBT, Inc Co-founder Robbi Katherine Anthony feels Austin is where she’s truly free to be herself. BY ROBBI KATHERINE ANTHONY
I lovingly refer to myself as a “transplant” when talking to
folks in Austin. In January 2021, I moved from Spokane, Washington, to Austin. When I use the word “transplant,” it’s a pun not only because I moved to a new city from elsewhere, but also because I’m a woman who happens to be transgender. In 2019, my co-founder and I won Hackout, an LGBT startup competition, with Euphoria.LGBT, Inc., which creates mobile apps for the transgender community. Our apps help people navigate gender transition, from a medical, legal and social perspective. It’s technology that helps our users be who they are even faster. This was my first visit to Austin, and for the first time there was a city I could see myself thriving in. This felt like a place where my talents could help my community and my business could flourish. I find Austin significantly more accepting of a woman like me. I am taller than the average WNBA player and have several other “unusual” characteristics that make it nearly impossible for me to blend in. In Spokane, visual differences brought me hardship, and it made it easier to be targeted by people’s lesser actions, discrimination and, at times, hate. Moving to Austin hasn’t changed the fact I’m easy to pick out of a crowd, but there seems to be a shift in how my differences are treated. Texans show me hospitality and respect. Here, the word “woman” has power and a sense of belonging. As a woman in Austin, I’ve found that I am indelible. If I meet a bartender or barista once at any of the city’s incredible restaurants, I can come back months later and they’ll remember me and treat me as a regular. I get to be genuinely unforgettable—one of a kind, yet part of the celebrated whole. While I experienced individualism in Spokane, it was often presented as something negative I had to look over my shoulder about. Here, Austin women stand out. It sounds small, but it’s just a shift in perception. Before Austin, I took refuge in the visual anonymity that comes from working behind a keyboard in the technology field. People didn’t value what I was capable of and only cared if I could code. It didn’t matter that I was trans, and while this eased the burden of some complex logistics around coming out and maintaining a career, I still felt like my life was in a suspended state of being.
60 | AUSTIN WOMAN | AUGUST 2021
My life as a woman started behind a keyboard in Spokane, but flourished into a real life in Austin. The same techniques I applied to my own life run parallel with how the tech world thinks. For my transition, I had to will the vision of myself into existence in the face of others who said it couldn’t be done. For my work as an entrepreneur, bringing Euphoria to life is such a similar path. My transition has informed my ambitions as a developer, and my abilities have helped me hack my way into a body that conforms with who I am. Even then, that is my small corner of the larger tech scene. I understand my ambition to help is not unique. Other technologies are being designed and deployed to tackle specific great pains, and others are being engineered to delight. It’s equally as inspiring to build technology as it is to witness the broader evolution of this industry. I am a walking testament of the power of tech, helping others establish agency with the download of an app. Technology enabled me to be the woman I am. As I walk the floating pathway over Lady Bird Lake into our coworking space downtown, I see how quickly I’ve acclimated to life as a woman in Austin. My original desire to conform and blend into the crowd is now distant. Austin has allowed me to be recognized for my differences, and these differences are positive. I feel not only that I belong here, but also that I am accounted for. I believe the profile of the Austin Woman is less about some homogeneous belief, but instead a lens where our most indelible qualities are highlighted and cherished. There seems to be the opposite of “a pursuit of conformity” here. Individuals and unique perspectives run every corner in this city. To be a woman in Austin is to be part of a cohort of unique individuals who flaunt society’s most rigid and unfair expectations. So much so, I find myself increasingly forgetful of the fact that I am transgender. While counterintuitive, it’s almost as if my differences do give me a degree of conformity in this city. To be a woman in Austin is best exemplified by standing out. This city has allowed me to be someone who isn’t afraid of her differences and instead leverages them to create change. From my observation, this is the signature quality that is endowed to women of Austin. We stand out.
Volvo Recharge. Designed for a better way to move through the world. Introducing Volvo’s pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. This new Recharge line brings you technology, design and sustainable materials that elevate your drive. Learn more today at Volvo Cars of Austin.
Luxury that cares
Experience the new luxury where instant power comes with low or zero tailpipe emissions. Volvo Recharge brings you technology, design and sustainable materials that elevate your drive.
Pure for real
Whether you go for a Recharge pure electric or a Plug-in Hybrid car, you can drive it without any tailpipe emissions. Just select Pure electric drive mode in your Plug-in Hybrid to use your car’s electric motor.
VOLVO CARS OF AUSTIN | 7216 N. IH-35 • 866-974-6096 • VOLVOAUSTIN.COM
©2021 Volvo Cars of North America, LLC.
