JOIDreams

As the owner of Joi Dreams Salon and the newly-launched Ward Avenue Style Parlor, Joi Dreams has made beauty her business, but uplifting others—especially women— is her ultimate passion. “Being a business owner myself, I mentor and counsel both women and men of all ages with all kinds of business ideas by being available for any questions and connecting them with anyone I know that can be a blessing to them,” she says. “I have a passion to help others see themselves the way God sees them—as His amazing creations—and to help them give their dreams wings [with which] to fly and bless others with their ideas.”

“As a Black woman, I know that heart disease runs rampant through my community. My healthy, athletic son was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 19 years old and my eldest son, uncle, mother, brother, best friend and a host of clients, friends and family members all have high blood pressure. It’s so important to adopt healthy eating habits and go to the doctor. Some diagnoses can be reduced by eating habits, but many people with heart disease in their family line find out too late because people do not go to the doctor until they are forced.”

Having launched two successful businesses, Dreams has much to be proud of, but the mother of three does not consider this to be her greatest accomplishment. “Motherhood is the toughest ‘hood’ to live in, but it has grown me, bettered me and helped me to love unconditionally,” she says. “I’m incredibly proud to be a mother, and also of navigating through breast cancer while keeping my hope and faith intact. I don’t speak much publicly about this, but it was the hardest, most rewarding journey I have ever taken because it taught me so much about myself. It helped me to trust people and God unconditionally. I also have a new respect and love for time, as it is the most expensive and valuable gift God has given us. Battling through breast cancer taught me that fear is not as strong as hope and faith. I see people better, which allows me to love them in spite of them.”

Dreams’s vision for the future includes creating a beauty school at Joi Dreams Salon and later a vocational school, as well as giving up-and-coming designers a place to showcase their exclusive designs at Ward Avenue Style Parlor. An avid cook, she also plans to write a cookbook.

“Heart health is especially important to me as a clinician who treats women, because heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Black women are especially at risk of dying from heart disease. As a Black woman and clinician, it is essential to my life's work to reduce the suffering of my clients, sisters and family members because of heart disease.”

PORTRAIT BY JONATHAN THORPE

In her work as the founder of DiscovHER Health, Jenna Perkins, RN, WHNP-BC, uses her expertise as a boardcertified Women’s Health and Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner to provide the women of Alexandria with a wellness destination where they can be treated for complex urogynecology and aesthetic concerns.

A wife and mother of two toddlers, Perkins has a hectic home life, but is determined to make an impact on women’s health and change the narrative. “Outside of treating women and providing services for women's health, I also provide and participate in educational opportunities,” she says. “I’ll create and participate in events to educate women about health concerns they are not comfortable talking about with anyone [else]. I feel an onus to share my knowledge to help anyone who identifies as a woman to help themselves.” She also holds the proud distinction of being the first person in her family to become college educated and boasts two Ivy League degrees.

“I’m a brave woman, and believe in leading by example, and my hope is that I make it contagious,” says Perkins. “I want others to watch me grind and persist to achieve my vision and believe they can do the same. Stepping outside of traditional and ‘safe’ roles to start your own business is not [an] easy or a well-paved path—and it’s one that I’m proud of having taken. I want to continue to push myself, believe in myself and to listen and trust my instincts. It empowers me and I want to live this way in all aspects of my life and leave that example to my children and to other women around me.”

At Spectra, we recognize strong female leaders build a strong organization. It all starts at the top. Unlike 80% of credit unions our size, we are led by a dynamic female CEO, Kristin Shultz. And equally important to our success is that more than 65% of our staff comprises women and half are people of color.

Spectra is proud to be nationally recognized for our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. It’s not a new initiative for us. It’s who we are.

Are you ready to align yourself with a financial institution with shared values?

Join the financial evolution today! Learn more at SpectraCU.com.

YOU ARE WELCOME. SPECTRACU.COM

KRISTIN SHULTZ CEO, SPECTRA CU

“People helping people” is a philosophy by which credit unions operate—and, fittingly enough for CEO and president of Spectra Credit Union Kristin Shultz, that is the ethos by which she lives. “It’s one of the reasons I was drawn to work in credit unions,” she says. “On a personal level, community involvement and volunteerism are in my core. Throughout the years, I have volunteered as an EMT and treasurer for a volunteer fire department, served as the treasurer for an animal welfare organization and I currently serve as the president of my local faith-based organization. At work and at home, it is my honor to share my time and talents with others who can benefit.”

A wife of 25 years and mother to a 20-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, Shultz is incredibly proud of the family she and her husband have raised. In her own right, she takes pride in her work as the president and CEO of Spectra in helping to improve the financial lives of members as well as that of the community. “I passionately believe that we are making a positive difference in our world,” she says. “I also believe I have made my mark on the world through my genuine interest and investment in others. It is my hope that I leave every person I encounter better off than when we met, either through coaching, mentoring, listening, supporting, helping or just being empathetic and kind. Everyone has a story. Once someone feels comfortable enough to tell you theirs, growth happens for both people.”

Like most of us, Shultz strives to achieve a balance of work and home commitments. “We try to ensure that our family has as much quality time together as possible,” she says. “Professionally, I never want to stop learning—and that requires a commitment of time.”

As the head of operations and management for some of Alexandria's most popular hotspots (Fontaine, Kaizen Tavern, Grape + Bean and recently acquired Sonoma Cellar), Stacey Wharam prides herself on being the matriarch of the family culture she’s created within them. “We are a family and we rely strongly on one another,” she says. “Establishing a sense of comradery among our teams and across all our restaurants has always been my top priority.”

That sense of comradery is one she fosters through the company's official ethos, "Small. Local. Eclectic." In that spirit, Wharam has made some very critical changes to the structure of each business. “When Fontaine was purchased,

100% of the staff was part-time, which meant that most of them needed a second job,” says Wharam. “That didn’t feel right or good to me, so my focus became creating an environment where everyone can depend on a full-time income and have access to health benefits for themselves and their families." Taking care of each restaurant's team is not just a job to Wharam; to her, it's as personal as caring for her own family.

"You have to create conditions that allow competent people to succeed.”

Under Wharam’s leadership, her restaurants have created meaningful partnerships with other local businesses. Some of these include Acme Pie Company, Bubba’s Sweet Nectar, Pawfectly Delicious, Roastee Toastee and Caffe Amouri, which provides barista training for all locations and coffee sourcing for Grape + Bean. In partnership with Wharam, Caffe Amouri is also preparing to launch a craft, pour-over coffee program at Sonoma Cellar. "I'm just doing my part to sustain small businesses whenever and wherever I can."

But the partnership that is most near and dear to Wharam's heart is with the non-profit organization, Together We Bake. "They are my favorite charity ever, working with women who are transitioning out of prison, escaping domestic abuse or assimilating to life in a new country," Wharam boasts. "There is so much that we, as Americans, take for granted. Something as simple as visiting the DMV to get a driver's license can seem impossible to immigrants from other countries, especially when language barriers become a factor. Together We Bake not only provides these women with a community to lean on but also a skill set that will make them employable within the restaurant industry."

Restauranteering may have been Wharam's professional calling, but there is no doubt that her true passion is her children. "I have three kids, who are all adults now.

Charlotte is an Honors student at Longwood University and graduating this year and Nate is a talented chef at Quirk Hotel in Charlottesville," she explains. Her oldest child, Kate, recently relocated to Alexandria and is following in her mother's footsteps. You can find her behind the counter at Grape + Bean in Del Ray. Like her mom, she always has a smile and kind word to pass to everyone she meets. "No matter where life takes any of my kids, my deepest desire is that they all know how proud I am of them. I love them with everything I have and, in my heart, they will always be my greatest achievement."

Coffee is a drink that crosses cultural divides, and as a goodwill ambassador for Turkish coffee culture since 2009, Turkish Coffee Lady founder, Gizem Salcigil White, makes bridging those divides her mission—all while empowering women.

As the founder of a woman- and minority-owned business based in Old Town Alexandria, Salcigil White encountered a great number of challenges, overcoming all of them to become a great inspiration to so many others. “As a mother entrepreneur and a philanthropist, I believe we can turn challenges into opportunities,” she says. “I had many challenges over the last few years, but neither a breast cancer diagnosis in 2018 nor a store closure due to COVID-19 in 2020 stopped me from reaching my ultimate mission of bringing people together through coffee and culture. I believe that people need to reconnect and socialize more in the postCOVID era."

“After traveling the world with a coffee diplomacy initiative for eight years, my goal is to build a community-driven coffee and culture house where world cultures can meet and support one another, as many people are still struggling with uncertainties,” she goes on. “I believe that one woman's impact can reverberate across her community for generations to come, like a pebble creating ripples. Therefore, to support women empowerment, I established the Turkish Coffee Lady Foundation on March 8, 2020, in Washington, DC. Being the world’s first coffee diplomacy association, our non-profit foundation is committed to inspiring women entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and also offer mentorship and leadership programs. I plan to build a networking platform where visitors can find information about how to start a business or other related business resources easily online.

I am eager to show the world how resilient and dedicated women entrepreneurs can be if they empower each other.”