January 2023

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–Katherine

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Austin • Bastrop • Cedar Park Georgetown • Round Rock • San Marcos

Julie M. Sprunt, M.D., FACS • Moya Griffin, M.D., FACS • Heather King, M.D., FACS • Caroline Coombs-Skiles, M.D., FACS Bridget O’Brien, D.O., FACS • Sherrie Thomas, M.D., FACS • Aimee Mackey, M.D., FACS

BY CY WHITE PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY

BY KRISTEN WEST PHOTOS BY BUFF STRICKLAND

The Top T The Top Talent Hiring P alent Hiring Paradox aradox

What companies need to know about hiring in 2023

Every business, no matter the size, struggles with hiring top talent—one of the most important decisions for any team. It’s a lengthy, costly process, and the results are inconsistent.

Since paid advertising of vacancies yields less then 5% qualified applicants, smart employers are looking for ways to proactively find the skills they’re looking for and then get them to apply. The most qualified candidates are the least likely to jump through hoops. So, the details of everything from initial outreach to how the candidate expresses interest, and the interview process really matter.

Step one is identifying and conveying your “why proposition” to candidates. As an employer, what do you bring to the table? Why should an awesome candidate want to work for you? For SMBs and startups, this can be a particularly big hurdle when competing with large, established organizations. Hiring a talent acquisition expert to define strong processes and drive your messaging can be cost prohibitive. Traditional recruitment agencies don’t help either because they’re outsiders with a specific agenda. There has to bee a better way.

Women-owned and -led, O&H Consulting has helped companies from startups to those with 125-plus employees achieve this goal. Streamline your hiring processes and you’ll make better decisions about talent strategy. Let’s talk more with principal recruiter and CEO Michele Olivier.

What’s wrong with the recruitment industry?

The current system creates friction between recruiters (internal and external) and hiring managers. Candidates wind up being treated as chips in negotiation rather than talented human beings. Internal recruiters rarely have the time, training or expertise to create a search-and-selection system that creates a great candidate experience. Since agencies only get paid if you hire their person, for the person you hire, they are incentivized to spend the minimum amount of time possible working on any given role or with any given candidate.

Michele: What can employers do immediately to improve candidate experience?

Michele: Michele Olivier, CEO

Still using application form? Why? Research tells us that the more complicated it is for candidates to apply/ express interest in a role the less likely they are to do so. Have more than three interviews in your process? It’s very likely candidates will drop out or choose not to continue. Market expectation is that organizations should be able to move from application to offer in two weeks or fewer, with no more than four rounds. This means those rounds really count. Having the right questions and starting with the right candidates is the only way to be successful in hiring in 2023.

&

What about attracting top talent?

Them US Vs. Agencies

Michele:

Make sure you’re offering what the candidates in your demographic need and want. Many companies waste money and energy offering perks that don’t align with current preferences. Employees would much rather work from home than have free breakfast at work. Some things that mean a lot, more or less, depending on whom you’re trying to hire. PTO, equity, medical benefits, bonus, professional development and more all to appeal to some folx, but not to all.

how is O&H Consulting different?

Talent sourcing Candidate screening

Job ad creation

Compensation analysis

Offer negotiation

Michele:

We work as internal employees and partners at all levels of your organization. That means you and your team get the full 70-plus years of talent and people operations experience that O&H brings to the table. Because we are white-labeled, we give candidates a seamless experience they trust and buy into from the outset.

What are your results?

Charges the same rate for every role

Unbiased talent strategic support

ATS setup and management

Selection process design

Interviewer training

Michele:

Our clients get a turn-key recruitment solution that is effective, modern and ethical for around 50% of what they should have paid an agency. More importantly, they understand how and why to select talent in ways they never would have before. Candidates tell us that it’s a positive level of experience in recruitment they’ve never had before. At least once a week I get emails or phone calls from candidates thanking us and asking to stay in touch. That kind of thing is what really warms my heart!

Interview scheduling and coordination

Manage agency providers

DEI recruitment

White-labeled approach

Creates consistently outstanding candidate experience for all applicants

women owned Minority owned lgbtq+ Owned

ATX based

My doctors collaborate, and that makes my life easier.

~ NANCY Ascension Seton patient and new mom

Get care from doctors who understand you

When all your doctors are on the same team, working with you and for you, it makes getting all the care you need all that much easier. At Ascension Seton, your doctors connect you to the care that’s right for you — everything from well-woman visits and mammograms, to surgical care and heart care, to vaccinations for children and families and more. Choose a day and time that works for you.

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Hear more from Nancy and others:

VOLUME 21, ISSUE 4

SHURONDA ROBINSON CEO KIP GARVEY COO

JEN RAMOS PERKINS Director of Business Operations

JAIME ALBERS Creative Director

Contributors

CHANDLER MALONEY

Writer, “Mixing Flavors With Family,” Page 54.

WHITE Managing Editor

CY

DARBY KENDALL Copy Editor

KRISNA

MENIER

Community and Events Manager

• She’s the proud owner of an orange tree.

• She’s an expert on anything related to The Great British Baking Show.

• She’s the youngest of five sisters.

“My word for 2023 is ‘trust.’ I need to trust that God has a plan for my future following my college graduation this spring.”

NINA

GLORIA Production Coordinator

CLAIRE HELENIAK Social Media Specialist

MICHELLE

BERMEA

Media Sales Executive

CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial:

Aberdeem, Emily Chenevert, Jenny Hoff, Chandler Maloney, Molly-Jo Tilton, Brena Ullrich, Kristen West, Cy White

Art:

Aberdeem, Austin Board of Realtors, Celzo, Mélani Duault, Griö, Madeline Harper, Mandy Harris, Errich Petersen, Annie Ray, Buff Strickland, Jessica Wetterer

INTERNS

Elle Bent, Amber Dotson, Chandler Maloney, Devon Sayre, Molly-Jo Tilton, Brena Ullrich

MELINDA GARVEY

Co-owner

LANA MACRUM Co-owner

LYNELLE MCKAY Co-owner

TERRY MITCHELL Co-owner

GRETEL PERERA Co-owner

SHURONDA ROBINSON Co-owner

ANA RUELAS Co-owner

NEHA SAMPAT Co-owner

SAMANTHA STEVENS Co-founder

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

ANNIE RAY

Photographer, “Venus as a Mom,” Page 32.

• She begins decorating for the holidays on Sept. 30.

• She always has Dr. Phil on in the background when editing images.

• She loves romance novels.

“My word for 2023 is ‘reset.’”

CY WHITE

Writer, “Venus as a Mom,” Page 32.

• Her favorite film of all time is Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon.

• She can’t drink coffee (excess caffeine instantly puts her to sleep).

• She released a demo when she was 13.

“My word is ‘love.’ I am opening myself up to giving and receiving love in ways I haven’t before.”

AW MEDIA INC.

This month, we asked our contributors: What is your word for 2023?

elcome to 2023, readers! It is a brand-new year, and we are setting new goals and reevaluating and pivoting old intentions. This season is full of promise, hope and fresh energy, a rebirth of ourselves and our lives as we imagine what can be.

In 1907 (or 1908, depending on your source) Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day after holding a service to honor her late mother, who had organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health. She’d envisioned the day as a small, intimate celebration of a mother by her children. By 1912, many churches and communities were celebrating it, and Anna wrote to newspapers and politicians to push for wider adoption of the day. By 1914, it was declared a national holiday, and rampant commercialization took over. Anna became very disillusioned with this commercialization and was disappointed at what the commemoration of her mother had become.

That commercialization can make Mother’s Day a very sad and stressful time of year for so many: those who have lost their mothers, those who have lost children, those who want children but cannot have them, those who are still grieving abortions, those who do not want to have children but feel familial or societal pressure to do so. It also amplifies “traditional” family values, family as mom-dad-baby, alienating not only those without “moms” in the traditional sense, but those who do not have traditional, biological families: those in the foster system, those whose families have disowned them because they are transgender or queer, those who have run away from untenable situations.

That is why I love that Austin Woman celebrates moms and family in January, in this season of hope and renewal. Motherhood is about more than having offspring. Motherhood is making space for people where they are and caring for them as they are so they can grow into who they want to be. Motherhood is creating that safe space, that family space.

tk tunchez, our cover woman this month, exemplifies motherhood in the sense of unconditional love for her children and her community, a community she is actively building and nurturing to create welcome spaces for people who might not otherwise have that sense of belonging, a community focused on BIPOC and queer folx in Austin. The Women’s Storybook Project of Texas upholds the true meaning of family by ensuring mothers who are incarcerated have the means to stay connected to their children without judgment, only with love.

I, myself, am a mom to a wonderful queer, gender nonconforming teenager, two rescue dogs and an adorable cat. My little family of five brings me joy every day, and I am grateful to have motherly inspiration in so many forms around me and more public validation of the beauty of nontraditional families in our culture. The Respect for Marriage Act is a step in the right direction for our country, but we still have so much work to do, and Austin Woman is committed to leading the way by celebrating all mothers and all families.

With love,

JEN RAMOS PERKINS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

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.

“Ballet Austin Celebrates 60 Years of The Nutcracker” photo by Anne Marie Bloodgood. “ Rescued By

Dog: Stories the World Needs” photo by Andrea Altman. “Rallying Behind Public Radio,” photo by KUTX/Michael Minasi. “HEXAH: Women Leading the Way for STEM Innovation” photo by Ashley Hahn. “Rallying Behind Public Radio” photo by KUTX/Michael Minasi.

Ballet Austin Celebrates 60 Years of The Nutcracker The esteemed Ballet Austin celebrates 60 years of performing holiday classic The Nutcracker, bringing back original cast members and more.

Rescued by a Dog: Stories the World Needs

Laura Thomas’ passion project, the Rescued by a Dog podcast, brings feel-good stories to life, infusing the world with some light.

HEXAH: Women Leading the Way for STEM Innovation HEXAH is changing the way Austin looks at STEM and providing a more honest depiction of women in the field.

Rallying Behind Public Radio

KUTX’s Elizabeth McQueen describes her pursuit of a career in podcasting.

Austin Woman Winter Launch Party

Austin Woman rung in the holidays with readers, members of the board and December cover woman Cinthya Romriell.

Photos by Cy White.

Austin Woman CEO Shuronda Robinson

Lana Macrum, Melinda Garvey and Cinthya Romriell

Who is Your Favorite Mompreneur?

Austin Woman champions all moms, including the moms who enterprise.

KRISNA MENIER COMMUNITY AND EVENTS MANAGER

I’d love to say my favorite mompreneur is myself, but as I reflect I realize I find my inspiration and drive to be better from none other than the hilarious Kristen Bell. From her hit mini segment “Momsplaining” to her amazing line of baby products, Hello Bello, as well as her line of CDB products, Happy Dance, and her all-inclusive book The World Needs More Purple People, Kristen Bell embodies what it is to be a graceful and powerful mompreneur. As a mother to two daughters, Delta and Lincoln, Kristen doesn’t pretend to be the perfect parent but rather is outspoken about the good, the bad and the ugly. Sometimes the baby books make it look like there is always a right way, and moms worry that they can’t achieve it. But Kristen reminds us all that parenting is hard, and moms just need to do their best and learn to laugh and enjoy the ride.

JEN RAMOS PERKINS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

My favorite mompreneur in Austin is Kim Anthony. Kim has more than 18 years as an educator in social service, counseling and education; is certified in college counseling, conflict management, negotiation and life and wellness coaching; and is the founder and CEO of Single Moms Society, where I met her. SMS is a resource, referral and community hub for single parents in the Austin area and around the nation. She’s a single mom herself and has a real passion for helping single parents find resources, especially those parents who do not qualify for some community benefits but still need help, not only making ends meet, but creating a wonderful home environment where the absence of two parents does not affect the well-being of the home. I attended the virtual Singlemomathon in 2022 and really enjoyed hearing stories and experiences from other single parents, as well as getting great advice about going back to work after an absence, how to handle coparenting and the importance of self-care. I really enjoyed the sense of community and connection at the event. Did I mention that Kim is also a poet and published author? This woman really does it all, with style and grace to boot!

CY WHITE MANAGING EDITOR

Shonda Rhimes. A woman who needs no introduction. I’m not very prolific when it comes to watching television shows. In fact, I can’t even say that I’ve finished watching Ms. Rhimes’ shows. However, hers are one of a select few that I have no problem diving into, no matter how long between viewings. The governor of Shondaland, Ms. Rhimes is one of the many filmmakers who have reaffirmed the power of Black storytelling and excellence in the medium and has forced the establishment to seriously reassess its underestimation of Black creativity. Her characters, particularly the Black women leading Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, are complex, emotional, frighteningly intelligent and above all else, ferociously human. She creates worlds and characters I can relate to and who I root for every single week. With Shondaland, she’s given women the ability to create stories that fully express the spectrum of our creative minds and capabilities.

All photos courtesy of respective staff member.

We spend as much time at “work” as we do at “home.” I know that is a mixed bag right now, but my passion stems from bringing your best in all you do. People need and want to be connected in an inspiring way to the work atmosphere that provides a focus on health and wellness. Research proves this directly impacts productivity, quality of work and employee retention. I am passionate about connecting people to what they do and how they do it.

You’ve been an active board member of YPO since 2017. Explain your deep connection to YPO Austin.

YPO Austin provides an opportunity for us to come together as a collective professional community, but it is the relationships that support the evolution of personal development, family enrichment and friendships that amplifies the connection. One of the secrets to creating these deep connections is our approach to forum, where six to 10 people create a “forum” that meets monthly. This forum is essentially your personal board and is there, in the cone of silence, supporting you when times are challenging and to celebrate your successes.

As YPO Austin’s new Chapter Chair, what is your greatest goal for the organization, and how do you want to achieve it?

Being the first female president, or chapter chair, that was an unintended goal. But my greatest goal for the organization is to continue building a transparent collective of value-based leaders that push for curiosity of learning, support our community, are committed to each other and trust the relationships we have built. There are over 100 presidents and CEOs that form our chapter, so our impact as leaders has great depth and reach. I take our role as leaders in this community seriously…while having a bit of fun. We have taken this past year to crystalize our values, set parameters on recruitment and onboarding, and are trying to elevate the member experience through forum and our educational events.

How do you intend to expand your intentional dedication

to diversity at YPO Austin?

As the first female chapter chair, my first order of business was to elect our first DEI chair. The board voted that in unanimously, and I am proud to announce that Neha Sampat is our first DEI chair! We look at diversity through many lenses: gender, race, industry, cultures, age. We are a collective and are only stronger when we bring diversity of thought and perspective. It is hard to grow when not challenged. I am so excited to have a more intentional focus on what diversity means, the importance, and how each board and general member has a role to play.

For more info on YPO Austin, please see: ypo.org or contact Monica McCall at info@ypoaustin.com

What drives your dedication to ensuring a healthy work culture?

The world’s largest leadership community of chief executives, over 30,000 extraordinary global members, coming together to become better leaders and better people.

BETH GOFF-MCMILLAN, CEO of SKG PRESIDENT OF YPO

Call Me Mother

BY CY WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSICA WETTERER

2020In 2020, Natalie Sanders (a.k.a. Mother Girl6) opened the doors of the House of Lepore to Austin’s queer Black, Brown, Indigenous and Latinx community. She acts as the House Mother, the first in Central Texas, providing a home and family to those who were shunned by their biological families. In the tradition of all house mothers, she nurtures the growth and creativity of her children, offering them unshakeable love, discipline and respect for who they are. She takes it a step further as a mental health counselor, health prevention specialist and a vocal activist for Black Trans Lives.

54,240

According to the Children’s Bureau (an Office of the Administration for Children & Families in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services), by the end of the 2021 fiscal year, 54,240 children were adopted with public agency involvement. This is a 6% decrease from 2020.

Any woman or woman-identified person with love in her heart to raise, protect and nurture another living being deserves to be called mother.

9,663

Austin Pets Alive! recorded 9,663 adoptions in 2021. The organization was founded in 1997, and has reportedly saved over 100,00 animal lives since 2008.

8,657

In 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded 8,657 single-mother households with children under 18 years old.

2013In 2013, Cortney Jones founded Change 1 Youth Services to provide resources for youth in the foster care system. The organization provides youth development and leadership resources, child welfare restorative practices, training and consultation, and the organization works from within the legal system to support and propose legislation that will benefit the protection and care of children in the foster system. With a master’s degree in social work, Jones is the executive director and a child welfare advocate. She herself is a product of the foster care system, and is a proud adoptive mother of two.

Things I Learned Over Sunday Supper

Austin Board of Realtors’ first ever (and youngest)

female CEO shares the lessons that have shaped her view of equity in housing.

BY EMILY CHENEVERT

Growing up, Sundays were for church and family lunch at Grandma’s house. All the aunts, uncles and cousins would come up the long driveway on Fisher Lane, make a ham sandwich and circle up in the living room. Kids to adults, all of us sat on the big blue sofa or cozied up on a piece of carpet and the conversation began. The afternoon would hold hours of discussion on the topics of the day, primarily centered on politics. Sunday suppers helped shape my understanding of many issues and reinforced the values I hold dear today.

I miss Sunday suppers and the opportunity to be with my family so regularly, but I’m thankful for the many years I had with ham sandwiches and sitting next to Grandma on the big blue couch. I’m thankful for the lessons I’ve learned and the opportunity to use those lessons to help make Austin a better place and home for all. Here are some of the things I learned.

You don’t have to say a lot to say a lot.

My grandmother was quiet compared to the rest of us. She didn’t have the same zest for sharing opinions the rest of us couldn’t keep quiet about, but anytime she did share it was meaningful. She’d keep a watchful eye on the conversation, scoop up a grandbaby that needed a squeeze and listen intently as the family tossed about a topic. She’d let the conversation reach a boiling point, then quietly offer some graceful and usually simple wisdom that let the steam out of the pot again. She didn’t say a lot compared to the rest of the group, but she was saying so much more than all of us combined.

My work as an advocate for housing has often required me to communicate solutions to an urgent problem clearly and concisely. It requires me to dig into a big and unwieldy knot of issues that impact affordability and access in our city. I watch as Austin tosses about the matters of managing our tremendous growth, while maintaining what makes this place special. What I want to say about it is simple: Everyone deserves a home and a chance to call Austin that home.

Every person matters.

My grandfather was a labor lawyer who built a firm specializing in organized labor at a time it had few friends anywhere in the South. His work representing the civil rights of minority workers and the interests of people who had no other voice left a mark on many of the discussions had around his living room every Sunday. The value I hold highest from the lessons learned from Grandpa’s work is recognizing that every person matters and every voice deserves to be heard. As I look back on it, I think these were the seeds sown that taught me about equity.

Finding opportunities to house every person in Austin is an uphill battle—almost as uphill as representing labor unions in Texas in the ’50s and ’60s. We have a land use code in this city built on the back of racist redlining policies, and our growth has only exacerbated these lines. That said, I firmly believe every person can find a home here. I’ll keep calling on elected officials to promote policies that allow for more types of housing, more flexibility in the development process and continued funding of housing opportunities that make this possible because every person matters.

Little people count too.

One of the distinctions of my family is that even the kids get to weigh in on these hot topics each Sunday. My grandparents, aunts and uncles endured what I can only imagine were some outlandish comments from each of the kids in the room as if we were equals. This meant we weren’t just growing through the exposure to the conversation, but we were also shaping our own views on big issues in real time. I try to replicate the same with my two sons today. Allowing them to express themselves as they wrestle with trying to understand a really complicated and sometimes scary world is the most important thing I can do as their momma.

The kids are always listening.

Do you think our kids will inherit the sense that Austin can be a home for everyone? We must teach them to consider the tradeoffs of protecting the character of a community that is so unique and special, while creating opportunities for more. More housing, more community and more access is a win for both Austin and the community I want to make for my boys. These little people are listening to us, and I hope mine hear that using your voice is powerful and making space for others is a gift.

Photo courtesy of the Austin Board of Realtors.

Y o u r P e r s o n a l i z e d H e a l t h c a r e , O u r U n i q u e A p p r o a c h T o g e t h e r , E v e r y S t e p O f T h e W a y .

Building a Legacy

Alice Arterberry, co-founder of Arteberry Cooke

Architecture, curates unique designs and flexibility.

BY MOLLY JO TILTON

Growing up, Alice Arterberry always knew she wanted to create something one day. In college, she thought this meant simply becoming an architect and designing buildings, but Arterberry has since successfully co-created an interstate architecture firm focused on holistic design.

After graduating from Woodbury University with her architecture degree, Arterberry worked in various firms focused on public sector projects, including schools and libraries, an industry notorious for long weeks and late nights. However, after having her second child, she decided that it was time for a change. She and her partner, Barrett Cooke, co-founded Arterberry Cooke Architecture, a firm originally based in California focusing on design in the private sector.

The 10 years of public sector experience prepared Arterberry to start her own company, but she still wishes she would have recognized her strength early on.

“[It’s] the confidence [to say], ‘Okay, you know this is hard. Of course it’s always hard, but [Barrett] and I, we know what we’re doing.’”

The company has now expanded with dual headquarters in both Los Angeles and Austin. While both cities offer incredibly different design opportunities, the holistic approach doesn’t change.

“We’re not just exterior architects, in the sense that we [also] focus on interiors,” says Arterberry. “So we have a whole other service level when it comes to the design portion of it, which is this interior design piece.”

Especially in Austin, the process is even more involved.

“We are actually involved in the construction project management, all the way through certificate of occupancy,” she says. “We’re picking out paint colors and grout colors and all the

Photos by Madeline Harper and Mandy Harris.

“

At this point in time, we have established a reputation with the people we work with and our builders. They respect the hell out of us.

—Alice Arterberry

minutiae of what goes into making a space come together. We’re involved in all of those pieces.”

Arterberry’s diverse background, both in experience and places lived, has influenced her designs to include more spaces meant to foster community.

“It’s my really strong belief that those exterior spaces, they might be kind of small, but they’re so critical in terms of how a person sociologically connects to their environment. In terms of architecture, we can either facilitate that or not.”

The journey hasn’t always been easy. Architecture is a male-dominated field; Arterberry remembers being only one of three women in her college program. She admits that this created many challenges, from balancing motherhood to earning the respect of her peers.

“But at this point in time, we have established a reputation with the people we work with and our builders,” she says. “They respect the hell out of us. There is no ‘thing’ about a woman or a man.”

This has influenced her business model, creating a more flexible working environment for those who need it.

“My goal is to offer an incredible working environment where if you’re gonna hustle, I don’t care if you hustle five days a week or seven days a week.”

Arterberry reminds people not to limit themselves and to pursue their dreams.

“We’ve built this thing, and we’re just moms,” she says. “I think that’s my message to people. If you have passion about what you want to do, then you should go and do it. Acknowledge your value and fight for what you want.”

“

—Alice Arterberry

We’ve built this thing, and we’re just moms.

I think that’s my message to people.

Love and Money

Congrats, you’re engaged! Now it’s time to talk finances.

BY JENNY HOFF

New Year’s Eve is the most popular day of the year to get engaged. In fact, 40% of engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, making this month a big one for celebrating love. It’s also a great month to have a very honest conversation about money. Not to quiet the butterflies of anticipation for new beginnings, but financial stress is one of the top causes of divorce, and it can be avoided by having those important conversations before saying “I do.” The following questions will help you get started.

What’s your credit score? Many couples share credit cards, buy homes together and make purchases where credit scores matter. A bad credit score isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but you should get to the bottom of why they may have one. Is it due to a life crisis that they’re still clawing their way out of? Are they cash-only buyers, leaving them with no credit cards on which to build a score? Or do they habitually miss payment deadlines, rack up debt and neglect their financial health? Getting to the bottom of why your partner might have a low credit score can help you find a way to build better habits to increase the score and keep it there.

How much do you make and spend each month? According to a study conducted by Fidelity, 40% of couples who live together don’t have a clear idea of how much their partner makes. That means almost half of people pair up having no ability to make a real household budget, to gauge if they’re bringing in more than they’re spending or to be able to plan for emergencies. Even if you’re planning on keeping your finances separate, you will likely share costs of rent or mortgage, groceries, bills, etc. You should know if your partner has the money to carry their weight or if they spend more than they earn (or more than you earn!).

How do you budget? If the answer is, “I don’t,” it’s time to get to work. You’re likely thinking of spending a lifetime with your partner, which means retiring together and potentially raising a family together. Those milestones require money, a budget and a sense of financial responsibility. Even if you’re both living paycheck to paycheck right now, it’s a good idea to sit down and make a sample budget for at least your first year.

Are you willing to sign a prenuptial agreement? This isn’t for every couple, but with people getting engaged and married later in life, many enter the union with a decent net worth they’ve built up on their own through years of work. Divorce is a financial train wreck. Every lawyer meeting costs thousands of dollars, and if you can have a “just in case” agreement already drawn up (look at it as an insurance policy you hope to never use), you can save yourselves from financial ruin if separation ever happens.

If the answers you’re getting to these questions are shocking or disappointing, it doesn’t mean you’re incompatible. It just means you should start working together now to solve some of these problems and potentially meeting with a financial counselor before getting hitched so you can walk down the aisle with confidence that you’re entering into an emotionally—and financially—healthy union.

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.

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MICHELE OLIVIER O&H CONSULTING | PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, CEO

M ichele Olivier is not your typical recruiter. After 20 years in the talent sector, Olivier opened O&H Consulting in 2020 to disrupt the status quo for hiring. Rejecting the traditional (and often tumultuous) relationship dynamic between external recruiters and hiring managers, Olivier provides end-to-end talent acquisition that seamlessly integrates into her clients’ businesses, closely partnering with hiring managers to design the interview process, deliver excellent candidate experience and improve DEI recruiting. In her role as a fractional head of talent/ chief people officer, she works closely with executives to establish or refine their approach to people systems, aligning company culture with its mission. Olivier hosts the podcast Hey, I Want Your Job, where she chats with other industry disruptors about their experiences and what it took to get where they are. oandhconsulting.com

Photo by Joi Conti Photography LLC.

FOUNDER AND CEO

C ourtney Hogenson, RN, CMC, ALNC, is the founder and CEO of Call-Light, an on-demand health care platform that connects care-seeking clients with independent nurses and clinicians to provide in-home medical care anytime, anywhere. As a nurse and patient advocate, Hogenson knows keeping patients in the comfort of their own homes is crucial to driving positive outcomes and maintaining dignity. However, most insurance plans only cover a few home health visits for a few weeks, leaving care seekers with the daunting task of finding, screening and hiring a private nurse or clinician with the skills and availability they need. Motivated to bridge this gap between hospital-to-home health care, Hogenson is developing a safe, efficient, affordable platform through which clients can find, hire and pay vetted nurses and clinicians. The platform empowers clients to choose their own skilled care providers and empowers care providers to choose their own hours, rates and clients. Call-Light launches in Spring 2023. call-light.com

COURTNEY HOGENSON

CALL-LIGHT |

Photo by Joi Conti Photography LLC.

Venus as a Mom

BY CY WHITE PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY

tk tunchez exemplifies what it means to be a mother, a creative and a human being.

Clouds. Heavy and pregnant with expectant rain. There’s a chill in the air, a sort of flirtation with a storm that has the small Austin Woman crew and our cover woman, tk tunchez, on edge. The tension is evident in the way the photoshoot begins. tunchez is a bit self-conscious. As you do; women often have a hard time understanding their elegance and beauty, especially when it comes to being on camera. The first two outfits aren’t doing much. “You don’t have to love it,” our photographer, Annie Ray, insists. “But are you okay with it?” tunchez concedes that the outfit, number two on this dreary mid-morning, will suffice.

The pictures are taken; the next shot is prepped. After a brief conversation, she comes back out, a vision in cream and light fabric. A flower crown, one of the many creations she birthed and has sold in her apparel shop Las Ofrendas, adorns her head. She takes her seat in a hidden alcove, nestled in a round archway that houses a soft cushioned bench. Suddenly, she transforms. She is no longer tk tunchez, shy creator seemingly a bit uncomfortable in front of a camera. She is Venus, a work of art exuding the unmistakable womanhood and feminine grace of the goddess of love and beauty.

All the radiance of tk tunchez is in her smile. She’s warm and honest when she gifts the world with it; flirtatious and unapologetic when she looses a cheeky grin. She has an infectious energy that enraptures anyone who’s blessed to be in its presence, making all who meet her fall head over heels for the woman. It’s remarkable, then (though unsurprising), that so much of that radiance eclipses personal life struggle.

This isn’t the story of a woman who triumphed when the odds were against her, though there is a bit of that. Rather, this is the story of a woman, a friend, a mother who embraced the twists and turns of life and at almost every opportunity allowed her heart to lead.

As with every living thing on earth, tk tunchez’s story begins with a mother. In fact, her whole life story is a true study in the many shades and shapes of motherhood, the many paths that lead a woman to find her true calling and the acceptance of self that pushes someone to embrace every aspect of who they are.

She was born in Guatemala, a young girl surrounded by nature, earth, water. At the age of 8, she was adopted and brought to the States. Unsurprisingly, her upbringing was quite different from what she had as a young girl in Guatemala. “My mother was French-Cajun Creole. My dad was Armenian, first-generation, and my mother’s family was from Louisiana and Texas, Houston,” she says. “We lived in the Northeast, and then I grew up outside of Boston, then Western Massachusetts. But I always felt like the culture within my home was different than the culture everywhere else around me.”

Growing up in a suburb of Massachusetts, tunchez never quite settled. Her spirit continued to wander. Her wanderlust, needless to say, led her to some interesting places. “I was a runaway,” she reveals. “I was 13 years old when I ran away for the first time. When I was 14 years old, I stopped living with my parents. I lived in the hood. That subculture was very impoverished, and there came all the things that come with that.” This independent spirit propelled her in directions that perhaps she didn’t expect, but as with everything, she led with her heart and allowed love to enter the conversation. As it turns out, love had the loudest voice in the biggest decision she’d had to make in her life up to that point. She had just turned 17 when her first child, Noalanii Karakashian, came into the world. At a point in life when most girls are still trying to figure out who they are, tunchez let her heart guide her.

“I think that people really discredit teen motherhood,” she says. “I’m not encouraging it, per se, but I do want to say that some of the most powerful women I know in the world were teen mothers. I think going through that experience definitely makes them grow up really young, obviously. It forces you to make big life decisions and be mature in ways that people who don’t go through that experience don’t have to be. Having children at a very young age, I think people are always like, ‘Oh, it’s something you had to overcome,’ or like, ‘It’s something that you had to

contend with.’ For me, it was like, yeah, it added something to my life; that was the responsibility that I had to take on at a very young age. But it also taught me a lot of the life skills I learned from being a mother and having to mitigate systems that weren’t set up to support me and mitigate systems that were actually set up to defeat me, like the welfare system.

“We were homeless, you know,” she continues. “We experienced things that were really hard at very young ages, and my children were there with me. I think that gave me the power to power through and learn how to build community and learn how to build relationships and prioritize my people and make sure that our needs are taken care of, create stability. Even business wise, make smart financial decisions; I had to do that to survive.”

These are certainly not the aspects people take into account when they think of someone becoming a mother before they graduate high school. The stigma of teenage motherhood is heavy with judgment, ridicule and a general lack of humanity. What masquerades as concern is really a means for people to further discriminate against those they don’t understand. However, tunchez never once doubted her journey, not with her children. By the time her son J’vaughnii Karakashian came into the world, tunchez was well into her life as a creator. Motherhood, after all, is creation. It’s a ripping apart of the physical body to enter into the spiritual realm of birth, creation, life. With everything she’s ever done, tunchez has been guided by her urge to breathe life into something.

Just as with her decision to become a mother, love led her to Austin. That, too, was a road twisting and turning in unexpected paths and crossroads. “When my dad passed away, I decided that I wanted to learn more about my family,” she says. “I grew up coming to Houston every summer once we had moved to the U.S. So [when] I decided I wanted to move, I was like, ‘I’m gonna move to la familia. I want to get to know this side of my family history because my granddad doesn’t live there anymore.’ He passed away, and everyone I knew there had already passed away. But my spirit felt compelled to move there. So I decided that I would move to Texas. I had my children with me; my daughter was going to college and was 16. We sold everything I owned except for one little box.

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We experienced things that were really hard at very young ages, and my children were there with me. I think that gave me the power to power through and learn how to build community and learn how to build relationships and prioritize my people and make sure that our needs are taken care of, create stability. Even business wise, make smart financial decisions; I had to do that to survive.

“

I was getting in the car [and said], ‘When my spirit says stop, we’re gonna stop, and that’s where we’re gonna live.’ We drove all the way down the East Coast into Florida, up, across. I almost stopped in New Orleans. But then I was like, ‘I’m nervous. My son is queer. He’s Black. He’s flamboyant. I don’t feel like the cops here are really friendly to any of those things.’ I’ve heard horrible stories. So I kept driving, and we got to Austin.

“We got to Austin, and my son was like, ‘Hey, in two weeks I have to start school. You have to figure this out.’ So I agreed to stay here. I had visited before, so I knew a few people, and they were moms. So I decided we can try it for a couple years, and if I don’t like it, then we’ll move again. We came, and I enrolled him in school, and he finished high school here and he moved back right away. He was like, ‘I hate it here. I hate the South. It’s too hot.’” Her laugh is open and kind. “I wanted to give him a chance to figure himself out.”

That being said, a heart-led decision isn’t always an easy one. “I really had a hard time,” she admits. “I felt like it was very culturally white; I didn’t feel comfortable, and it wasn’t what I felt like I was looking for. So I actually moved to San Antonio in this search to find where I belonged. I was there for maybe three or four years, and we did some great things there. I actually started making markets in San Antonio, built some really beautiful friendships there.”

In the end, though, tunchez found herself calling Austin home. For better or worse, it was a place of great creative spirit. Love brought her here, and her desire to make it a place that truly fostered what it means to be a creative keeps her here. Thus, the creation of Frida Friday.

“It was really important to me to do justice by Austin,” she says. “I would visit [my ex-partner’s] family, and they would tell me the story of what it was like for them. They were five generations here, to now be displaced from place to place. Frida Friday became this quest for me to make community, but also create a space for people who couldn’t find their community, or needed an outlet to build community, for the people who have been from Austin as well to take up space again.

“For two years, we were exclusively all women of color,” she continues. “I got a lot of not lovely things from people who were not from within that community. The wildest ones were telling me that it was ‘reverse racist’ or, you know, just really not getting what we were trying to do. But after two years and talking to some of the vendors that had been with us consistently, they were like, ‘Well, we would really like for our neighbors and our community to be here.’ I also had this big eye-opening moment where I was like, ‘I don’t feel like I’m creating a space for women of color. But I’m a queer woman of color, and they want to be inclusive of gender-variant people, non-gender-conforming people, trans folks, folks that are two-spirited, which I identify as. To be able to be all of who I am in those spaces. So I changed the trajectory of Frida Friday at that time.”

Like most artists, tunchez struggles with the line between art and commerce. After all, art is nothing more than the soul’s need to breathe. The body is a vessel and is limited in what it can do and perceive. The soul, however, is limitless. It is, in essence, energy forced to exist in a prison of bone and tissue. It needs a playground, and art is the manifestation of that restlessness. When trapped within the confines of capitalism and consumption, a great schism forms between spirit and human that can cause one to question where to go.

“I’m not creating a market to build an empire. I’m creating a market to offer an extension of my brand to support other creatives. It’s been really interesting to go through that journey because it was never set with the intention of trying to build this big, huge thing. I still don’t even see it that way. I’m like, ‘Oh, we’re just a little operation. We have two or three people we work with on our team; at the most we’ve ever been five.’ But really, we’re me, my daughter and usually we have one or two other people that are working with us part time. I don’t know that people have ever really seen that.

“I feel like I’m in this big transition of trying to figure out what’s next and where I want to go,” she says. “What feeds me, and what nurtures me? What am I doing in Austin? I just bought a home in August. I didn’t come here to stay here, but now I’m here and I own this home. Now I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m investing?’ I’m trying to figure out where that investment really is. What brings people to Austin? What’s going to help us build a city identity and a community identity and keep us invested?

“I see so many people of color come here and leave. They’re like, ‘Okay, I’ll be here for like five years, and then I’m gonna leave,’ and they don’t stay. They don’t stay because…” She pauses, for a moment to really bring her complicated thoughts about Austin together. “I think we’re doing way better,” she begins again. “I think in the last two years, we’ve really done a lot of cultural investment. But in a lot of ways the city has provided us a space that hasn’t centered around BIPOC people or queer people. We’ve had to do a lot of that heavy lifting on our own. So it can be tiring and exhausting. As wonderful and exciting as it is, it’s also like, ‘Dude, I’m fighting with institutions to get space that I shouldn’t have to [fight for].’ Then once it becomes a thing, then they want in. It’s hard, and it can be heartbreaking, but it’s also awesome to witness and be a part of.”

She’s a teacher, this woman, this mother. tunchez is naturally gifted with the ability to embrace, heal and inform. She wants those around her to succeed. That’s the human in her, the natural-born lover of life who seeks only to bring life into the world and make it worth living for those around her. This is never more poignant than when talking about her children. In a world that is still so cruel to those who don’t fit a “norm,” tunchez has struggled to ensure she’s made a safe space for the ones she loves the most.

“Well, I think with our family, it was what came first, the chicken or the egg,” she says. “I was queer and I was out to myself when I had J’vaughnii, but I wasn’t out to the world. I was still in mainly hetero relationships, and I would have, you know, a girl that I was like hooking up with or something,” she says with a chuckle. “But I didn’t understand myself as a queer person.” tunchez’s openness with herself did, however, create a space for her son to be completely free to express himself from a young age. “I have two very vivid memories of him,” she says. “I remember him as a little boy wearing heels and boas around the house, and a mother knows. I was like, ‘Oh, he’s queer.’ I think you can do that and not be queer, and you don’t need a gender construct. But that was not the feeling for me [about J’vaughnii]. I was like, ‘Oh, you’re queer.’ I also remember I was putting on makeup with my girlfriends, getting ready to go out, and him sitting on the side of the tub watching us do our makeup. He was enamored,” she says with affection. “It didn’t feel like, ‘Oh, I have a crush on you.’ It felt like, ‘Oh my

“

I’m not creating a market to build an empire. I’m creating a market to offer an extension of my brand to support other creatives.

—tk tunchez

god, what is this world?’ I came out specifically because I was like I can’t live this dual lifestyle where I’m in these hetero relationships. Not that they weren’t authentic; they were 100% authentic. But I felt like [for J’vaughnii], he needs someone to show him that it’s okay. It’s okay for you to be who you are.

“So I feel like it kind of was like, what came first the chicken or the egg? Is it because he came into the world, so I came out? Or did I come out, and then he felt comfortable enough? Because he knew by the time he was 8 or 9 years old. He was expressing, ‘I think I might be a girl.’ He doesn’t identify as a man. Then being like, ‘Oh, okay, I’m queer.’ In the community where we live, I went to bookstores, and there were queer-friendly books, queercentered programming. The work I’ve been doing in community from the time I was 18 years old has been about BIPOC people and queer people. That is what I do. So it was really about ‘This child needs safety.’ I don’t know that I’ve been able to provide him the kind of safety that he needed in his life. We don’t live in a safe situation for queer people. I don’t know that we can provide a safe space for queer people in this world to this day. Sometimes, I have to check out of that, honestly.”

Her words come from a deep place, a spiritual well that overflows and spills into the living world. As she speaks, her eyes shine with unshed tears, the truth behind everything she says leaping out of her like a sudden tear in a raincloud. A tear drops softly to the table in front of her, but her voice is strong.

“In terms of family, I think that’s something that I’ve had to learn a lot this year. I was an adopted child, and I was adopted into an interracial family. I didn’t see a lot of reflections of myself in the world when I was growing up. The comfort of home is very abstract for me; the concept of family is very abstract for me. What I had to realize was, in terms of mothering, I have to mother myself, first and foremost. Then I can build community and build sisterhood. And obviously, I am an actual mother to children. Or adults now.” Another honest laugh.

“I’ve had to draw a lot of boundaries to protect and take care of my inner child. To be like, ‘No, you can’t deplete me of all my energy.’ It doesn’t matter who it is. You don’t have rights to me 24/7. You don’t have rights to all my creative insight. I have to replenish myself, and the little girl in me deserved and continues to deserve to have a mother that protects her and takes care of her.”

This is the strength of a mother. Tears, a healing balm, springing forth from a woman with a soul like a tsunami. An urge to protect the sanctity of her children’s right to live in their truths propels tunchez forward. Living in her truth as a queer femme woman of Mayan heritage, she refuses to deny any part of herself, and encourages her children to do the same. J’vaughnii is a proud and out Black gay non-male identifying person who won’t allow his light to dim for anyone. Noalanii is a loving, indefatigable mother of a 3-year-old angel who’s neurologically divergent. tunchez’s children love boldly and without question, a lesson from the mother who dared to live her life according to what her heart told her, not what society wanted to force her to believe about herself.

“I think one thing I learned from watching Noalanii parent is…” A thoughtful pause. “My grandbaby is chronically ill and terminally ill and neurologically divergent. His capabilities are very much like a little baby. Can you imagine being in little baby mode for three years? Noalanii is just an amazing mother.” The sheen of unshed tears returns to her eyes, but again the voice is strong, proud. “She has created for him the opportunity to feel safe. When I think about it, being a parent, really, your job is to create a space that feels safe. Nobody told me that, and my parents didn’t prioritize that. I didn’t know. So many of our children don’t have that. Even if you provide that for them in their homes, they don’t have it when they go into a world that literally hates them because of who they are. We want to create these institutions and worlds and creative spaces that welcome children and ask who they are and allow them to be who they are. That’s the big mother energy that I want to bring into the world. You get to show us who you are, and you’re perfect. Clearly I’m still working on that in myself. I’m still learning that for myself, still creating that space for myself.”

In the natural lighting of Fonda San Miguel, tunchez’s creative spirit comes to the forefront as soon as she dons her cream-colored skirt and seats herself like Venus atop her seashell. This is tk tunchez. She lives and breathes in this ethereal existence; we all see it the very second she takes her seat. From that moment on, the sun bursts through the melancholy of the morning, bringing forth a golden afternoon. The rays are hot, bright. With each subsequent look, tunchez becomes more and more the woman she always has been: bold, fearless, leading with love.

She is a champion of mothers, of womxn, of humanity. tk tunchez is a champion of light, of creation, of beauty. To riff on a quote from another ethereal mother, Björk, she’s Venus as a mom.

“I think part of why we’re all so committed to making an impact in this city as BIPOC folks is because we literally need each other to live and thrive. That is all about making familia.”

The Gift of a Mother’s Voice

Women’s Storybook Project of Texas connects children with their incarcerated mothers through the joy of literature.

BY KRISTEN WEST PHOTOS BY BUFF STRICKLAND

When Angelica Zaragoza fell on hard times and wound up in the prison system, her biggest struggle was being separated from her children.

“My family wouldn’t bring them to see me. They were trying to do the tough love thing,” Zaragoza says. “I wasn’t getting visits, and I didn’t have access to a phone back then.”

While Zaragoza’s aunt did eventually deliver Zaragoza’s letters and bring her daughter to see her on special occasions, Zaragoza’s 6-year-old son, Andrew, was living with his dad who refused to give him letters or the opportunity to communicate with his mother. “I was grasping at everything and anything I could behind those walls to try and find comfort from somewhere, to try and have some communication with them,” Zaragoza says. “Eventually, being away from them, I lost hope. I tried to take my life a couple of times.”

That’s when Women’s Storybook Project of Texas, a program that records incarcerated mothers reading stories and words of love to their children, became that beacon of hope for Zaragoza. “I was elated because it was a way that my children could stay in touch with me. They could hear my voice,” Zaragoza says. “They wouldn’t forget my voice. I thought I had lost them forever.”

That sense of hope and connection was exactly what Storybook Founder Judith Dullnig aspired to when she established the program 20 years ago. “Children of incarcerated parents are a neglected population, and the number of incarcerated mothers is increasing—most of them for nonviolent offenses,” Dullnig says. “We wanted to help the children connect with their mothers while the mothers are away, perhaps reduce recidivism, in addition to preventing the children from going to prison. We wanted to break that cycle.”

—Angelica Zaragoza

CONTENT WARNING: The story includes mention of attempted suicide. Reader discretion advised.

“

I was elated because it was a way that my children could stay in touch with me. They could hear my voice.

Dullnig’s vision for the organization began after a friend told her about a program in Louisville, Kentucky, that was recording moms in the local jail and giving the recordings and books to their children. “The idea immediately tugged at my heart,” Dullnig says. Through a connection within one of the Texas women’s prisons, she designed a program that would mimic the one in Kentucky.

On a Saturday in November 2003, Dullnig traveled to Gatesville, Texas, with four volunteers, four tape recorders and 25 books to begin the program. When they returned the following month to record the mothers, they heard things like, “My child took the book and cassette to bed with him,” and “My child talked back to the tape recorder.”

“I knew we had a special program,” Dullnig says.

Dullnig has a background in education, reading and psychology, and her experience volunteering at her children’s school fundraising events and several nonprofits gave her a broad understanding about founding a nonprofit.

She guided Storybook to a gradual and careful rise to success. The organization operated under the umbrella of the Austin Community Foundation until 2013, when it became a standalone nonprofit organization. It added a board of directors, a part-time employee and expanded into several women’s prisons. Dullnig learned about grant writing and gave presentations to seek volunteers and donors. She invited guests to their first annual luncheon and moved her books and other supplies from her guest room to a storage space. Volunteers began to accept leadership roles, and Storybook continued its impressive growth, now operating in all 12 state women’s prisons in Texas with several full-time staff and over 200 volunteers.

Their evolution expanded technologically as well. They went from using cassette tapes for over 10 years to bringing in laptops, which were

previously considered contraband. Now volunteers burn the recordings to CDs and provide URL links.

Zaragoza’s son, now a college graduate and future nursing student who strives to help others, told his mother that he still has his original tapes. “He told me that when he felt so far and so lost—when he felt lonely—he would just play my tapes and love on the bear that I gave him,” Zaragoza says. “He could remember feeling that he knew he didn’t lose me, that I was still there and I was still his mom. To hear him tell those stories, it’s like I knew I didn’t do everything wrong.”

For incarcerated moms, Storybook also introduces a motivation to stay on a positive path while inside the prison, in order to be accepted into the program. “I went in as a bad actor. I wasn’t trying to listen to the guards. Then when I found the program, I started to want to change inside so that I could participate. I could have that privilege, and my children could hear my voice,” Zaragoza says.

Many participants report feeling a connection, not just with their children, but also with their true selves and with the volunteers. “It was the love that they brought in, not only the access to reading the books to the children; it was the love that the volunteers brought in and shared with you as a human and not as a number,” Zaragoza says. “It made me strive to be better.”

Women’s Storybook Project Executive Director Jill González agrees that volunteers help remind the participants who they are outside of the prison system. “Storybook moms are more relaxed than usual because they’re with a group of people who care about them. We use their names, and they get to be a mom. They get to talk about their kids,” González says.

Judith Dullnig, Women's Storybook Project of Texas founder

“

I received The Invisible String and read it to my son over the phone, and we both loved it. What a great book; thank you. My son received a book about the same time, and he read it to me. I love it! I loved hearing his beautiful voice reading to me. This time away is something I’ll never be able to get back, but at least it paused for a minute and we were able to share the same space. The pain of missing him is something I could never have imagined. But while we read, we were together. Thank you. – Women’s Storybook Project participant

The minimum commitment to volunteer with Storybook is relatively low, but the benefits are huge. Volunteers not only connect with the program moms and create a ripple effect of family connections, but also connect with other women who share a similar passion. They are required to commit to two recording sessions per year, but most sign on for more. On a recording day, volunteers carpool to one of the prisons, which is typically an hour or more away. They have lunch together and carpool back after the session. “It’s a great day because you meet people who are dedicated to the mission, and they can make really good friendships along the way because you have time to talk on that drive,” González says.

During the session, the participants and volunteers are led to a classroom or library where they can browse books almost like a book fair. They begin with an opening circle for introductions, feedback from the previous month and conversation about the books. Mothers then choose one book for each eligible child and pre-read the book so they will feel confident when they record. Volunteers will invite women, one at a time, to record the books for their children.

After they’ve recorded, moms complete a bonding activity to mail with the recording, which is an additional way for the mother to connect with their children. Activities can be anything from acrostic poems or making a puzzle of shared traits, to drawing or talking about their favorite page in the organization’s signature book, The Invisible String by Patrice Karst. The idea is to allow the mothers to go a step deeper with their child.

Once mothers finish four months of recording sessions and graduate from the program, they are able to continue to send books and bonding activities to their children for another four months. They can reapply for the Storybook program afterward if they choose.

Storybook also aims to continue its connection with the moms during the difficult transition after they are released from prison through a new program called Storybook@Home. After they are released, mothers are invited to a virtual meeting every two weeks where they can join discussions about reading and receive parenting tips. The dream is to build a community of moms working on family literacy after their sentence.

In addition to growing their Storybook@Home program, González says their team has big plans for the next five years. “We currently serve about 16% of the mothers in Texas state prisons,” González says. “We want to double that.”

In order to do that, they will need additional volunteers and funding. One way they are kick-starting their goal is by celebrating the organization’s extraordinary impact and growth during Storybook’s 20th anniversary this year. The anniversary celebrations will begin with Storybook’s annual luncheon in Austin and continue with an additional luncheon in Houston, volunteer appreciation and reunions and a redesign of their website.

Their biggest celebration, though, will be in December at the Neill-Cochran House Museum where they will host a party, announce new initiatives and launch their new endowment founders fund.

– Women’s Storybook Project participant

“

Thank you so much for this program. My daughter and I both enjoyed it very much. It gave us a way to connect even from afar. It made me feel good that even from behind bars I was able to give her something. I can hardly tell you in words how good that made me feel or how much it means to me. Now that I am home, we can build on those connections we had made.

The celebrations are about more than just the growth of numbers and support, however. It’s about the lives that have forever changed because of the program.

“It helps a person change from the inside out,” Zaragoza says. “To bring in love and humanize, just the hug or the handshake and things like that, it’s remarkable what it does to a person inside. It gives them back the hope that they’re not alone. That’s the major thing that we fight in prison. That feeling that we’re alone and that nobody cares.”

Without Storybook, she says her connection with her family, especially her son, would have looked very different or nonexistent. “There would have been no connection with Andrew, period, at his younger ages if I didn’t have Storybook.”

Zaragoza is now the senior program director of Girls Embracing Mothers, a program that provides visits for young girls to their mothers in prison once a month in the Gatesville area. “I found my purpose, and it’s through all the programs that I was able to be a part of, like Storybook, that fed my spirit.”

Dullnig says she looks back at the organization’s progress with awe and gratitude. “I feel very proud, but most of all overwhelmed at the success of this unique program. It began in one female prison with five volunteers. In 2022 alone, we were able to connect over 300 families and we are supported by over 200 volunteers. That is just so powerful.”

Angelica Zaragoza and her son, Andrew: "Everything that he's seen me go through and everything we went through as a mom and a son, he just wants to help. He wants to help make people better."

Consolation of Chaos

Corps Multiple presents a story about the chaos and confusion of the human experience.

BY CY WHITE

Life is a series of bursts and sizzles. A constant whirlpool of kinetic and potential energies that oftentimes collide. When they do, we are left in the wake of the ensuing chaos wondering what the hell happened. Such is the thematic core of Austin-based French arts company Corps Multiple’s Consolation of Chaos

With choreography by Sandie Donzica and live music by electronic duo Key Hole, Consolation of Chaos pushes the audience to consider creation. What does it mean, and how do we exist in the ever-evolving chaos of “blooming” and becoming?

PERSPECTIVE

A white screen. That’s what audience members first experience when the lights finally dim on the VORTEX’s Eloise Brooks Cullum Stage. Juxtaposed against each other are images of dancer Rachael Hanlon as both physical metronome and a visceral representation of birth/creation/the dawn of existence. Life is water is sex is earth and nature. Then suddenly life is happening, and Hanlon is thrust into a deep blue emptiness broken up only by the dingy whiteness of a bathtub. Here she explores the idea of confined chaos, a birth culminating in feelings of unfamiliarity in one’s own body. She professes herself an alien, even speaking with herself in a voice she at once doesn’t recognize but accepts as her own.

DUALITY

When the lights once again go up, we are suddenly thrust upon a kaleidoscopic landscape of movement. Spilling from the solitary dimness, Donzica and dancer Sarah Jack are Hanlon’s internal struggles made manifest. One dancer wears clothes similar to Hanlon’s in her final moments on screen, the other dons more revealing attire, similar to Hanlon’s as she gyrates on-screen in a pantomime of the ecstasy and pain of creation. Donzica and Jack’s movements almost mirror each other. The more clothed manifestation is almost childlike in her mimicry, while the other shows a maturity in movement, as if to say, “This is what we are when the universe settles within us.”

SENSATION & CHAOS

The entirety of Donzica and Jack’s performance hinges on the audience tapping into their own sensual selves. They almost dare us to reach deep within ourselves and full-bodily sit in the sensation of being, of continuing to become and simply exist in the chaos that governs who we are. The entire performance is an exercise in defining the true essence of chaos and how, if we are only meant to experience it, do we gain anything from it? Ultimately, Consolation of Chaos asks, “What does it mean to be

human?” As we stare back at ourselves, what do we see? Is the reflection in that glass universe really who we are? Or are we nothing more than the byproduct of circumstances we have no control over?

The show itself is a marvelous rendition of media that came before it, films that continue to probe the idea of humanity vs. something alien. With nods to films like René Laloux’s La Planète Sauvage and Jonathan Glazers Under the Skin, Consolation of Chaos attempts, and mostly succeeds, to define existence within the scope of our limited bodies.

It is unfortunate that the show culminates in a deluge of exposition masked as playful banter—an info dump that perhaps thinks itself necessary to the visual narrative, but ultimately ends up breaking the emotional weight and honest vulnerability of the main performers. Perhaps Donzica and Hanlon, as the show’s scriptwriters, thought without some form of overt guidance the audience wouldn’t understand. However, more than anything, this comes off as, at best, the creators’ lack of narrative backbone, at worst, an arrogant belief that their work is so elevated an audience has to be spoon-fed the message.

Beyond the imagined need to bolster the work with vocal input, Consolation of Chaos is an immersive experience. Perhaps ultimately the solace chaos gives us is the knowledge that in the end when the illusion of control falls away, we are still left with the ability to love, feel and live. Perhaps life is the consolation prize.

Photo by Errich Petersen.

Ridethewave

JAN. 12 to 28

The VORTEX

The VORTEX proudly presents the premiere of Ride the Wave, a new multimedia performance telling the story of three bros searching for an epic surf on the last day of summer. Set in a loosely imagined 2060s, rich with vibes, grooves and laughter, a group of young women riff on the surfer bro trope to examine how friendship, the pursuit of freedom and growing up will be impacted by climate catastrophe.

MedievalXModern

DEC. 10, 2022 to JULY 9, 2023

The Blanton

Medieval X Modern presents the work of modern artists from Europe and the Americas who created prints, drawings, paintings, illustrated books, sculptures and decorative objects informed by the spectacular craftsmanship and compelling historical figures of the Middle Ages. Drawing primarily from the Blanton’s permanent collection, Medieval X Modern offers a wide array of artistic responses to the European Middle Ages, including one of the museum’s most iconic works—Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin

vortexrep.org/35_ride-the-wave

More Than Milk

Griö bottle system revolutionizes feeding for parents and babies.

BY BRENA ULLRICH

Navigating the challenges of motherhood through a life filled with other responsibilities is often neglected in the realm of baby products. Dara Chike-Obi and Lydia Contreras knew they needed to address this when founding Griö, “a baby bottle system that promotes early developmental milestones while deepening emotional bonding.”

Entering motherhood only three weeks apart, Chike-Obi and Contreras were inspired by how their very different journeys into parenting contained so many of the same elements. Chike-Obi explained that both of them came to realize the “arduous and all-consuming nature” of becoming a mother while also maintaining lives of their own. Chike-Obi, a full-time attorney and new MBA student at the time, and Contreras, an engineering professor at the University of Texas, were both shocked at the responsibilities and sacrifices that came with this new role.

New parents spend anywhere from five to nine hours a day feeding a baby, making up the bulk of the baby and parent’s waking hours. Time spent outside of feeding is used to nurture the baby to aid in development, not to mention cooking, cleaning and resting. Add in other responsibilities that are often forgotten in this conversation, and time is spread even thinner.

Starting with the bottle was essential for Griö because feeding is the “first and greatest journey in the parenting experience,” says Chike-Obi. For her and many others, “the bottle was in [her] hand more than [her] phone.” Griö strove to bring a product into the home that acted as a true problem-solver and helper for new parents. “The products that were being presented to me as a mom did not feel like they considered my lifestyle. I wanted a tool or a device that would help me be a better parent, and not just junk,” says ChikeObi.

Both of the founders’ cultural backgrounds celebrate the birth of a new baby by activating the community around the parents. It is custom for friends and family to offer their help, an element Griö wanted to reflect in their vision. Griö’s name stems from “griot,” a term used for storytellers and oral historians in West African culture. With Chike-Obi coming from a Nigerian background and Contreras coming from Dominican culture, Contreras reveals the name “really embodied how Dara and I felt about a brand and product that would rely on the community knowledge, community support and emotional presence it takes to really raise a kid.”

According to Contreras, Griö sought out a way to maximize the time spent feeding a baby that would make the process “as special, nurturing and as mutually beneficial as possible” while also relieving the guilt many new parents face with their time. Parents know that feeding time is so much more than just delivering milk; that is where Griö’s innovation comes in.

The system includes all the state-of-the-art elements expected of a bottle, with an elevated twist. The bottles are all BPA-free and environmentally friendly, with ergonomics that make for easy handling during and between feedings.

The nipples use anti-colic air valves and mimic the breast to reduce nipple confusion so that moms can switch between breastfeeding and bottle feeding. The bottle also introduces a simple visual stimulus that allows parents to tell stories during feeding to promote cognitive and language development. The shape of the bottle allows babies to easily reach and grab, nurturing early motor skills and preparing the baby for feeding in later stages.

Though there has been a major surge in research surrounding the psychological and intellectual development of newborns, there has not been a lot of change in the products. The research process during Griö’s creation relied on NICU therapies, occupational therapists and early developmental specialists to bring these benefits into the world of baby products.

“We’re very excited and fortunate to find ourselves in Austin, where people are so excited to try new products and are so aware that the world is changing, that the concept of the family is changing,” says Contreras. “We’ve learned it’s not easy, being two women of color starting a business, and it also takes the right market.” Fortunately, Griö’s collaboration with the Texas Innovation Center has allowed them to access the help of experts in education, science, engineering and product innovation. Griö was developed in direct partnership with the University of Texas’ Cockrell School of Engineering, where Contreras works as a professor.

Griö understands that it takes a village to raise a child, and that village may not always be around. By creating a product that acts as a true supporter, Griö’s founders have figured out a way to enhance a baby’s experience in feeding and give time back to the parent. “We are more than just parents,” says Contreras. “We are people with jobs, hobbies, ideas, businesses and things to give the rest of the world”

Photos courtesy of Griö.

Applications

Mixing Flavors with Family

BY CHANDLER MALONEY

In search of a purpose after moving to Austin from Mexico City, Fernanda Sampson-Gómez joined forces with her wife and co-founder, Cat Sampson-Gómez, to create their extraordinary hemp- and vitamininfused beverage Celzo. Unique from other sparkling waters, the brand features Latin American flavors, using ingredients like basil, tamarind and hibiscus to craft the nonalcoholic drink. Nutritionists and other certified health professionals have commended the founders for inventing a delicious and all-natural product. Apart from its health benefits, the brand connects with consumers by encouraging them to seek happiness and balance in their daily routines through the motto “Vive el Momento” (live the moment).

While many people googled at-home cocktail recipes during the pandemic, Fernanda embraced her creativity by making original nonalcoholic mixtures. After purchasing ingredients from H-E-B, the search for the perfect concoction commenced. “The first one, you know, we were working on it,” says Cat, the original taste-tester. “I think it was

a little too citrusy for me, but eventually we got to a place that was absolutely perfect.” After final tweaks had been made, the two began distributing cups to family, friends and neighbors. “Everybody really, really loved it,” Fernanda says. “That’s when I understood that there was something going on there, and that’s when I decided everybody should be able to have this flavor experience.”

The main factor that differentiates Celzo from its competitors is that the Mexican-style sparkling water is composed of entirely natural ingredients. “In other beverages, you can taste the cannabis, so it’s not a good experience” Fernanda says. To disguise the bitter taste of cannabis, some brands use artificial sweeteners. Assuming a healthier approach, Celzo incorporates agave and real juice from a variety of fruits. “A lot of flavors you see on the market are the same because they have the same palettes that are being marketed to; that is why this Latino kind tastes so good,” Cat says.

Photos by Mélanie Duault.

Fernanda Sampson-Gómez (left) and Cat Sampson-Gómez

Whereas CBD is typically associated with relaxation, Celzo defies stereotypes by using hemp to promote functionality. Fernanda was raised in a culture where she was constantly encouraged to make magic happen. However, during the pandemic, Fernanda’s energy fell and she became desperate for something that might improve her performance. After researching, she decided to include additional benefits like vitamin B, green tea extract and even L-theanine into her unique beverage. “I was looking for vitamins everywhere; that’s how I came up with the idea of creating a beverage where everyone can have this firsttime experience in an elevated way with some functionalities,” Fernanda says.

The biggest obstacle the team has had to overcome has been the lack of diverse representation within their industry. “There’s a very limited number of women in most industries, especially Latina and queer women. You don’t see people like us in our space,” Cat says. “There is this unconscious bias in the background every time you go into a conversation. Whether we like it or not, people are just used to talking to the same people and working a certain way.” The group wants to make it known that their brand is more than sparkling water; it’s also a symbol of expanding opportunities for people of different backgrounds.

Fernanda applied the knowledge she learned from personal experience to craft this drink for everybody, but specifically women. Suffering from endometriosis, she endured cramps so painful that she occasionally would visit the hospital. After attempting several unsuccessful pills and treatments, she discovered CBD oils as a solution. “In general, [women] tend to be more bloated than men, because we tend to be more worried about things. It’s just how our body works,” Fernanda says. “I think CBD, especially for women, could be a huge benefit, not just like drinking seltzer, but understanding more about CBD and how it can really affect our bodies in a positive way.” Celzo incorporates CBD into each flavor to reduce inflammation, anxiety and stress.

In addition to flavor and functionality, family is another value that Celzo embraces to distinguish their brand from competitors. Whereas many people believe merging family and business is a recipe for disaster, Cat argues that having her spouse as a co-founder makes work more meaningful. With her expertise developing startups and Fernanda’s knowledge of marketing strategies, the two have successfully turned their dream into a reality. “We’re married, and we’re doing this thing together,” Cat says. “You just have to communicate

and work together. It’s been fun because I get to see my partner and do something she’s also so passionate about.”

The team is excited about its recent success and hopes to expand their product to new markets. Consumers can purchase the drink at smaller niche grocery stores and soon, the product will be available to order at local breweries. The team not only hopes to infiltrate local, but also national markets including Mexico, Colombia and the U.K. The ultimate goal is to leave a legacy. “We want to keep growing,” Fernanda says. “We want to leave a huge footprint. We want to get into every single household in the U.S. because why shouldn’t everyone have a taste of happiness?”

Photos courtesy of Celzo

“

We want to get into every single household in the U.S. because why shouldn’t everyone have a taste of happiness? —Fernanda Sampson-Gómez

A Leap of Faith

Aberdeem, founder of Street Sweets, finds absolute joy in every creation.

BY ABERDEEM

It’s a beautiful thing when career and passion come together!

Following your passion is something that many dream of, but actually making it happen is another story. What I want women to know is that it never gets easier. You only get better at handling the difficulties that running a business and fulfilling your passion throw at you, but if you are fully invested in it, everything will flow easily.

For me, baking is the easy part, but what I have come to realize is managing and administration are difficult. It’s easy to get lost in this world of baking; from the marketing to social media to the baking itself, it never ends. There are, of course, a lot of hardships you go through alone, and people may never realize what goes into getting that cake in a box delivered to the customer. From the preparation to the execution to the different comments and responses I get from different customers, positive or negative, the stress is real. However, I try not to let it consume me or get me down. Because it’s true what they say: When you love what you do so much, it doesn’t feel like a job. It feels bigger than that. Baking a cake for special occasions— birthdays, anniversaries, holidays—there are strong emotions that go into that special dessert I make. I absolutely love every minute of it, good or bad. I get to play around with ingredients and come up with creations for the customer. People are happy with what I do; that joy of seeing them take the first bite is amazing!

I find pure happiness in feeding others, my friends, my family, my community. Baking is not just a hobby or a career for me, but a call to a higher purpose in life. It’s a big manifestation of what I feel I’m supposed to be doing on this earth while I’m on it, and I don’t want to live another minute not chasing this path, this dream that has been engraved in my soul since I lost my father. Because of him, I found what I am meant to be doing in this world, and I am so thankful. I may have lost my father, but my family has been so supportive. I’m so blessed to have them in my corner, especially my mother, who does not like cooking at all, but she believes in me. Mother is my biggest fan and helps me with great advice, prayers and the decorations that go into my business. Everything you see that I make and everything that my hands get to the customer is who I am 100%.

I put my soul into every single detail of my pieces, and I firmly believe that the love I feel for what I do somehow flows through my desserts. Today more than ever, I reaffirm how lucky I am to be able to live out my great passion. I will do anything in my power to achieve this dream we both had and make it come true. After so many years in this industry, I feel as if I’ve found my niche, and it fills my heart and soul with absolute joy. My advice to all women out there, entrepreneurs or not, is whatever you decide to put your heart into, go into it full-heartedly. The beautiful journey is yours and yours alone; trust yourself, your product and your journey. Enjoy and learn every step of the way, the good days and otherwise.

Be ready for the biggest leap of faith of your life, the long hours, the sleepless nights, the mistakes and the triumphs. You can only keep getting better. The important thing is to take your time, have dedication for your craft and overcome any obstacle thrown at you, even if all odds are against you. Learn from every mistake, and let them motivate you to do better. Some days you may question if it’s all worth it, but if you have that fire, that passion, that dream you want to fulfill, let that be your motivation and drive to keep pushing through. Follow your dreams and they will become bigger and bigger. And, ladies, never give up!

Photo courtesy of Aberdeem.