I’m a Bennie

MEGAN JUNIUS ’99

A WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

In 2019, the Peter Hill Design firm rebranded and changed its name to Eight Moon™. For owner Megan Junius ’99, it was a turning point moment, moving on from the name of her mentor. “After working for Peter for 10 years and buying the business when he passed (in 2011), it just didn’t seem appropriate to change the name at the time.”

Today, the agency has increased in size, expanded in scope beyond design and broadened its client base. One new tool to help continue that growth is the certification Eight Moon recently received from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as an official Women’s Business Enterprise.

According to the WBENC website, this “is the most widely recognized and respected certification for womenowned businesses in the U.S.” The process includes in-depth review to validate that a business is at least 51% owned, controlled and managed by a woman or women.

“Diversity in the workplace and supplier chains is becoming a real talking point,” says Megan. “Consumer products are starting to have the women-owned logo on them and I think it will only become more visual and valuable as our society is undergoing such culture shifts right now.”

For some, entrepreneurship might seem like a stretch for a fine art major. (And Megan admits she probably could have used an accounting class!) But she’s clear that “Saint Ben’s prepared me for problem-solving and that’s what I do. Clients come to us to solve problems through design and marketing. As a business owner, solving problems is a constant thing and it’s very much a juggling act – leaking windows, rent due, email not working, sick employees. …”

Megan took part in the U.S. Small Business Association’s Emerging Leaders program (a mini-MBA type program). And she’s made great entrepreneur connections through the CSB/SJU Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship (she was named the 2017 CSB Entrepreneur of the Year), though “there were always a disproportionate number of men to women attending, which tells me women weren’t going out and running companies as much as men. I assume this will continue to change over time, and you can already see it in other professions like law.”

In the meantime, Megan and Eight Moon will continue to thrive in their new offices in Vandalia Towers in St. Paul’s designated Creative Enterprise Zone. “There’s a crescent moon on the water tower here,” she laughs. “How could I not have our new offices under the moon?!”

Major at CSB: Fine art

First-year residence hall Corona

Favorite class: Sculpture, with Bob Wilde. This class was so carefree and we were able to really do what we wanted. We had great fun pouring lost wax sculptures out at his studio in Dassel. And after I graduated, I even helped him hang one of his art shows in the cities.

Favorite Bennie memory: Preparing for my senior art show at SJU with the other eight art majors. We became a tight group even though we had very different artistic styles.