CONNECTING& INSPIRINGWOMEN
WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY FALL 2019
DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH DISABILITY RIGHTSATTORNEY, EMILYHARVEY PAGE4
THEGREAT MENTORS WHOTAUGHTMETO ADVOCATEFORME PAGE9
Teaching Kids to Change the Worl d WITHKRISTINASCALA, ASPENACADEMY PAGE10
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www.TheWomenOfDenver.com
WHAT'S INSIDE STORIES 4 | Courage and Doing the Impossible: An Interview with Disability Rights Attorney, Emily Harvey
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6 | How Being Fired at 7-Months Pregnant Led Cashmiyr Scott to Her DreamBusiness 7 | Increase Your Impact with Adventure
8 8 | After Beating Cancer, Jessica Sidener Launched a Group to Celebrate Breast Cancer Screening 9 | The Great Mentors Who Taught me to Advocate for ME 10 | Teaching Kids to Change the World: An Interview with Aspen Academy Founder, Kristina Scala
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Cover Photo Carlos Palacios
FALL 2019
Editorial Contributors Krystal Covington Joce Blake Susan Golicic & Stephen Glitzer Hannah Gordon Sophia Benedetto Copy Editor Alexandra Coughlin Correll Publisher & Layout Designer Krystal Covington 2
Social Media facebook.com/Womenofdenver twitter.com/womenofdenver instagram.com/thewomenofdenver Advertising For advertising inquiries contact Krystal@TheWomenofDenver.comor call 720-515-3078. Ads start at $150.
Letter From the Founder COURAGE + ACTION = CHANGE Joining the Denver community provided me with a new definition of what it means to be a change-maker. In the past I'd only known social impact to take place at the non-profit level, led by donation seeking organizations that provide services to support those in need. Building the Women of Denver community allowed me to meet hundreds of women who live to make an impact in the world through business. Some identify as social enterprise, which means their business works to solve a social injustice, but others simply use the power of their dollars to support the community around themin diverse and creative ways. In this issue, we introduce a few such women whose impact can be felt in their local communities and even around the world.
Krystal Covington FOLLOW@KRYSTALGOLEAD
3 Ryan Kane, Hashtagitude
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Courage for Emily Harvey looked like ?how?instead of ?if?when growing up with an amputated left foot. At the age of two, her parents waved to her as she entered an operating roomwith two feet and hugged her as she came back out with one. The disability rights attorney was born with a condition called fibular hemimelia, meaning she was born without a fibula bone and had a bowed tibia with a significant leg length discrepancy. Emily realizes that her parents set her up to live a normal life by making the most difficult decision to amputate her left foot after getting more than two opinions; she is forever grateful to them. Their bravery ignited a fire within her to live her best life by her own definition. Fromsports to horseback riding, Emily has desired nothing more than to enjoy each and every experience and to enhance the experience of those around her. ?There are lots of bad things in the world and I may not be able to fix all those things, but I can choose to make a positive impact on the people I have the opportunity to interact with,?she said.
COURAGE AND DOINGTHE
IMPOSSIBLE WITH EMILY HARVEY
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Joce Blake, Writer www.linktr.ee/ joce_blake
If you were to ask a younger Emily Harvey what she aspired to be, a disability rights lawyer would not have been the answer. With no lawyers in the family, the law realmdidn?t quite manifest itself until later on. She always knew she wanted a career where she could help people but thought more along the lines of physical therapy, prosthetics, sports medicine, or a P.E. teacher. We talked to the Living in Motion 359 founder about her journey to learn more about her courageous story. What do the words courage, action and change mean to you? Courage means doing difficult things even when you think you can't and despite what others might think or say about you. Action means leaping into a situation with both feet (even if one is fake) to get things done. It's great to sit around and think about what can be done, but nothing will ever happen until there is action. Change means striving to learn and grow and pushing the limits of your own boundaries. What do you love most about your work as a disability rights attorney?
Growing up, I went to a youth camp for kids with physical disabilities and I always loved that experience. When I moved to Denver I started talking with some other women (shout out to Whitney, Allison, and Michelle) who were thinking of starting up a support group for people with limb loss/difference. I knew right away that I wanted to be involved, and the next thing I knew we were drawing a logo on a napkin at Qdoba, writing out a mission statement, and holding a garage sale to raise the funds to file the paperwork for tax exemption. The original idea was to give adults a similar experience as what Whitney and I had at camp when we were kids with limb loss/difference, but as monthly events rather than a multi-day camp because that made it more accessible for working adults. How important has courage been on your journey? Courage has played a huge role in my journey. When I took the leap of going to law school, I had no idea what I was getting into and I had plenty of people telling me I was making a horrible decision. Despite this, I carried on and did what I knew felt right despite the outside forces. As an athlete, I took a giant leap by signing up for a full Ironman last summer. There are less than 10 female lower limb amputees who have completed a full Ironman, so it was definitely something that took courage to do. As a kid, I really didn't know any different and I just went about life in my own way, so I don't think there was any courage then because I wasn't aware of any of the forces that would require courage to overcome and/or work through. My aunt did Ironman races in the 1980s and I always remember seeing her posters on the wall when we'd go to her house. I thought it seemed like a really badass thing to do, but never in a million years did I think I'd actually do one myself. Doing these races has also allowed me to actually show people that sometimes you can actually do things you think are impossible, and has broadened my ability to connect with people.
...sometimes you can actually do things you think are impossible...
I love that I get to fight for people who feel like they don't get to have a voice in the world. Everyone deserves equal access and an equal playing field, and I love that I get to be the one fighting for that. You created Living in Motion 359 as a way for this underserved community to come together in order to share past, present, and future experiences through participation in group activities. What inspired you to innovate this space?
5 Left: Finsher Pix Right: Bobbie Turner
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HOWBEINGFIRED AT 7-MONTHS PREGNANT LED CASHMIYR SCOTT TO HER DREAM BUSINESS If momand entrepreneur Cashmiyr had listened to the naysayers that said the beauty industry was oversaturated, she wouldn?t have been able to walk into her destiny. ?I often looked at myself as just ordinary but eventually realized that ordinary people can do extraordinary things,?she told us. Being raised in the church and coming froma military family, she has always maintained self-discipline while holding meaningful relationships close. Cashmiyr believes that courage is doing what your heart feels is right. Ahuge part of Cashmiyr?s story is how she reinvented herself while being bedridden due to a high-risk pregnancy. ?Early in my pregnancy with my daughter, I got great news that I'd been hired for a government job and I was so excited that I had to share the news with family and through my social media channels. After a few months on the job, I just felt like a number. I started to receive some flack frommanagement for missing work due to pregnancy appointments as I got further along. There was an apparent issue and as prenatal appointments became more frequent, I noticed management becoming more irritated,?she said. The Baltimore native remembers sitting in her supervisor's office explaining why she had to go to so many prenatal appointments at 7 months pregnant. She said, ?I was exhausted driving four hours a day back and forth to work. I quickly realized that this wasn't going to work in conjunction with the plan that I had for myself and my family. My husband knew my worth and really pushed me to jump into my esthetics career and has encouraged me daily on this journey.?
develop multiple locations in several cities while providing skincare training. She also plans to pay it forward by forming a scholarship programto assist aspiring estheticians. Especially since the biggest lesson she?s learned is that if you're not educated and involved in your business processes you can easily set yourself up for failure. For this entrepreneur, action exudes intentionality in every aspect of your life.
Eventually, the administration?s frustration led to Cashmiyr?s supervisor calling her into the office to be let go for what was explained as ?various acts of insubordination.?She was initially in disbelief but also incredibly relieved. She went on to say, ?While being on strict medical restrictions at home, I ultimately came to the realization that I didn't have to work for someone in order to be and feel successful. My sanity was far too valuable to be in the hands of people who didn't have my well being as a priority.?Most importantly, she absolutely loved the fact that her children will have the best formof representation. This is when Chloe Maddison Skin was born ? a studio providing permanent makeup services such as microblading, permanent lipstick, permanent eyeliner, scar camouflage, and areola restoration. Cashmiyr plans to keep growing her brand and to
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Joce Blake, Writer www.linktr.ee/ joce_blake 6
INCREASE YOUR
IMPACT with Adventure Adventure is defined as an unusual and exciting possibly hazardous - experience or activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm; it is the exploration of unknown territory. Its origins are in the Latin ?adventurus?(i.e., about to happen) from ?advendire?(i.e., to arrive). Adventure is rooted in something happening that helps us arrive at a destination. Anytime we want to try something new or make a change, we step into a daring, exciting activity. Living our lives often requires the exploration of unknown territory; it requires adventure. It gets you out of your comfort zone. It is a catalyst for growth. Because it gives you more courage, it moves you forward personally and professionally. Adventure has been shown to have numerous positive outcomes. It can change how you perceive obstacles in your path, help you feel more empowered, make you appreciate more in your life, increase your leadership skills, improve your relationships, and help heal wounds and change beliefs you may have. Adventure is a means to achieving success in your personal life and in your business. More adventure will bring more success! Here are four ways to increase adventure in your life and therefore your impact on those around you! Adopt an adventurous mindset. It?s easy to get trapped in the grind of everyday happenings in the workplace; after all, we see the same people, spend time putting out the same fires, and attending similar meetings. How would you performdifferently if you shifted your mindset to one of an adventurer? Being bold, exploring unique solutions, engaging your clients and co-workers with new energy and enthusiasm...if your mindset changes, outcomes will too!
Susan Golicic, PhD, CPIC, Holistic Life Coach and Stephen Glitzer, CHWC, Holistic Life Coach, Chef www.uninhibitedwellness.com
Try something for the first time. Remember that you AREon your grand adventure! This is your life, and every day has new potential for discovery and new experiences. What do you shy away frombecause it?s not in your wheelhouse? Get curious and stay open to learning ANDto making mistakes! The key is to get moving on it even if you don?t have a plan ? there are bound to be obstacles but you?ll figure themout. Get an adventure buddy. We all need a support system. Bonnie had Clyde, Crockett had Tubbs, Thelma had Louis, Agent Jhad Agent K, and Rocket had Groot. A friend can give you courage to stretch your boundaries. Having a ?partner in crime?can add fuel to the creative fires that may take you way outside the box, which is where the real progress can happen! Travel somewhere. Get outta dodge! Use your vacation time; it?s there for a reason! Taking a trip ? even if short and relatively close by ? can give you a monumental shift in your perspective, which is sometimes the greatest aid to finding new and amazing ways of doing business and living in a manner that inspires your daily adventure back home. So put down this magazine and do something new! Be brave, step out of your comfort zone and accelerate the achievement of a goal. If you need a nudge with this, contact us ? we?re experts in adventure and how it can impact your life. We can point you to adventure 7 experiences that could work for you to increase your success in life and work!
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AFTER BEATING CANCER, JESSICA SIDENER LAUNCHED A GROUP TO CELEBRATE BREAST CANCER SCREENING In 2017 Jessica Sidener did a self-breast exam, found a lump and was diagnosed with breast cancer six months after her husband?s death. ?My husband was a boob guy, so when he was gone I decided I should be more breast health aware,?Jessica said. As unnerving as the diagnosis was, the good news was she caught it early. ?I changed my mindset and changed my attitude,?Jessica said. ?I was fearful of the results and then I became excited. I said, 'bring it on.'?Ayear later, ANight Out with ?The Girls?was formed as an opportunity for women to talk about ?the girls?(their breasts) and breast health awareness.
when women have these questions and fears by themselves, but when women start sharing with other women, Jessica said, those fears seemto melt away and turn into empowerment. Busy lives and generosity towards others often lead women to place themselves last when considering healthcare for themselves and their loved ones, a tactic that can be exasperated when coupled with the fear of bad news and guilt of procrastination. A Night Out with ?The Girls?helps women to release their fear and guilt and replace it with grace. ?Women leave our event not only informed and knowledgeable on breast health awareness, but excited about being breast health aware.?
It takes courage to performa self-breast examand courage is what Jessica chooses to live by on a daily basis. She affirms that courage and impact create change, which is exactly what NOWTG is about. ?As an entrepreneur and a widow, you really have to tap into that inner courage and surround yourself with women who encourage you to move forward with your calling,?Jessica said. ?What I love about the word impact is it is a service-based word. How amI impacting others? And I believe courage and impact result in change.? She gets a lot of feedback that ANight Out with ?The Girls?has changed other women?s lives fromtaking the first step to being breast cancer aware to getting their first mammogram. In Jessica?s words, the programcombines early breast cancer detection with a fun experience. ?Women are scared. We know the reality that one out of seven women in Colorado are diagnosed with breast cancer and one out of eight nationally.?It?s isolating
Hannah Gordon Freelance writer and editorhmgordon8@gmail.com 8
THE GRE AT ME NTORS WHOTAUGHT METOADVOCATEFOR ME Sophia Benedetto, She's Got it Photography, www.sgiphotos.com Many of our readers would agree that succeeding as a woman in business requires us to advocate for what?s important. For many, self-advocating can be a challenging skill to learn, which is why mentorship is a powerful tool providing a leadership presence that reminds us when we need to step up a bit more in our daily work life. Highlighted here are a few stories of great mentors who helped our members learn to find their voice and advocate for the things they value most. Abbi Moss met her mentor when she joined the Women of Denver network. Her mentor, DesiRae Kraft, works as a sensual empowerment life coach for female leaders and has been mentoring Moss for the past three years. Moss will be launching her crowd funding campaign in October for her app, Embryo. ?I had always seen myself as the kind of woman who would always work for someone else?s company, have a stable income, but less passion in my work and less freedomto persue my real dreams. As a single parent, I had been told for years that the stable income was the most important, not my soul-aligned life. DesiRae has coached me by digging up these old beliefs and rewriting them. For the first time in my life, I believe that I can get my startup off the ground, have a stable income, and the soul-aligned life that I want and deserve. I believe more than anything now that my ideas have value." ?I amdeveloping an app called Embryo that will be a tool for women as they go through their IVFjourney. The idea came fromwhen I was a surrogate mother for two other families. The IVFprocess is complicated and complex and a lot to keep track of. Embryo is a practical tool that helps take care of the ?paperwork?of the IVFprocess, so women can focus on what?s more important.?
Elaine Grant, one of the founders of Podcast Allies, shared two mentors that inspired her to self-advocate: Lise Ragan founder of Course Crafters and her stepmother Hat Myerson. ?My close friend Lise Ragan inspired me to realize the worth of my skill and expertise and set prices accordingly. Twenty-five years ago, she started a company called Course Crafters, which serves the educational publishing industry. She often did publishing deals worth well over $1 million. Early this year, my partner, Lindsey O'Connor, and I started Podcast Allies, a podcast consulting and production firm. Alarge financial services company asked us for a quote to help themlaunch a branded podcast. Lise quickly dismissed my initial thoughts about how to price our new service. She told me to set a price that was at least four times higher than I originally imagined. Her logic made sense, but what really convinced me was that she said if we quoted too low a price, we would not be taken seriously. Our potential client would assume we were inexperienced, which is far fromthe truth. While we have not yet signed this client, we have closed other business at prices that appropriately value our skills and services, and because of this, Podcast Allies has taken off! (And the financial services company may sign with us in 2020.)? ?I'malso inspired by the example of my stepmother, Hat Myerson, who died at the age of 96 two years ago. Hat was my role model? a feisty, funny, courageous woman who did whatever she wanted. She was an officer in the Women Army Corps during World War II, and was a member of the first class of women to graduate with an advanced business degree fromRadcliffe College. Today that degree would be known as an MBAand would have come fromHarvard.?
Angela Daniels was a product manager at Name.comwhere she met her mentor Shannon Brown, the Director of Product at the time. Daniels still works at Name.com, but has since moved up to Senior Product Manager. ?Brown was an amazing boss and mentor that inspired me in many ways to advocate for myself. The main thing that she did that was inspirational to me was model how to be a powerful and effective leader while maintaining self-awareness. If something went wrong, Shannon was the first to take responsibility instead of looking to blame others. This taught me to let go of perfectionismand take responsibility for my mistakes. Learning frommy 9 themhas shaped me into a better leader at work and in life.? mistakes instead of pretending I don't make
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TEACHING KIDS TO CHANGE THE
WORLD An interview with Kristina Scala, founder of one of the fastest-growing Colorado private schools
In 2005 three women founded Aspen Academy, an elementary school that ran fromPre-Kto 4th Grade and started with 100 students. Now as one of the fastest-growing private schools in Colorado it?s grown to 400 students and runs fromPre-Kto 8th Grade. The head of Aspen Academy and one of the founders, Kristina Scala, has grown her vision and added leadership and financial literacy curriculumto her students?education. In 2014, Scala was featured in a PBSseries for ?Exceptional Women.?Her courage and tenacity have taken her to a multitude of places. Where did the inspiration for Aspen Academy come from? Like most successful ideas, it was born out of a need. Despite being a graduate of public school, I was aware of the statistics that the public school systemis in large part failing America?s children in providing an ?education of consequence?that will allow themto be personal, business, civic, and community leaders. We built a school where our focus was to determine what skills, what habits, what attitudes and what content an adult would need to lead themselves, others, ideas, and organizations well -- and then to backward engineer that into an educational setting.
were purchasing our property, the bond market fell and we had to meet with 90+lenders before we secured funding to purchase our current property. That required courage, perseverance, and commitment.
Starting an entrepreneurial endeavor is often intimidating. What gave you the courage to forge ahead, and what kind of setbacks did you experience? There?s courage in just knowing your own direction. It?s not that every idea is to be pursued, but if your ideas are born out of what is a reflection of your own skills and passion, and if you?ve calculated the risk, then you sit in a place of knowing that this is a viable product, idea, or service. After that, it simply becomes the courage of conviction: you know that you know. And every obstacle (there will be one or more every day--- some are small and some require Herculean efforts to overcome), each of those obstacles helps you to both refine and iterate in a way that allows that idea to be able to come to market and create a movement. At Aspen Academy, as we 10
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Sophia Benedetto, She's Got it Photography www.sgiphotos.com thewomenofdenver.com 15
Was this your first business? If not, how did you get your start as an entrepreneur? I started my first business, a recycling business, at the age of eight. I almost can?t remember a time when I didn?t have a business because I?ve always had something that I was doing that emanated frommy own thoughts, desires, and vision. I?ve owned my own business and helped others to own and run their own successful businesses for years. What kind of impact were you looking to make when you first had the idea for Aspen Academy, and how do you see that impact playing out now? We aimed to create a paradigmshift in the world of education. One in which students, after 12 years of school, would receive an education of consequence. Our aimwas to develop leaders, who at a very minimumcould lead and take care of themselves, with capacity and inclination to care for and create for others in Denver, in Colorado, and throughout the USand world. The students who have graduated fromAspen Academy have manifested a profound sense of humble, but resolute courage. They are very comfortable taking the road less traveled and making a difference in their world. How has being the founder of Aspen Academy impacted your life and where do you see that change the most? It has allowed me to have a full and synergistic life: one that is lived in complete integrity -- who I amas a mom, also shows up in who I amas an educator, or CEO, or entrepreneur. I amable to consistently manifest the same values: being kind, doing good, working hard, and making the world better. This work has given my life the most profound richness of personal evolution, witnessing and being part of the children pursuing extraordinary lives (my own, and all the students I?ve adopted in my heart). I ampart of an organization of people I learn from, who inspire and challenge me and part of the greater community of Denver that is continuously striving for the best. The biggest impact is so much love. What advice would you have for women first starting out as entrepreneurs? You have to fall in love with your spreadsheets: numbers don?t lie. First and foremost: plan the business. Have a proforma that justifies the existence of your product or service and demonstrates it?s calculated potential for growth and scale. Ideas are great, but goals, objectives, and tasks must be identified and executed in an efficient and effective manner. It?s the love of an idea plus the logic of execution - the combination of those two things are incredibly important.
LEADING INTO
2020
Women of Denver Winter Summit
Friday, December 6, 2019 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Join some of Denver's brightest leaders as we discuss strategies for building your leadership acumen, landing the best opportunities, and making an impact as a leader in 2020.
What kind of self-care or rituals keep you sane as someone with such a demanding job? Deep spiritual and philosophical study and an immersion into a group of friends and colleagues who edify and inspire me always. 11
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The women featured in this profile are members of Women of Denver. To join visit www.JoinWOD.com.
DONNA EVANS CEOOF PHENIX GROWTH PARTNERS Donna Evans is dedicated to helping business owners and executives grow their businesses and careers. Clients hire her for her business experience, trust her for her heart, and achieve success when they take inspired action. While serving as CEOof the Colorado Women?s Chamber of Commerce for nine years, she led significant growth initiatives in all aspects of the organization. As the founder and president of Phenix Growth Partners, she has worked with large and small firms, business owners and executives and boards of directors helping themto achieve their goals. Donna has a Masters of Science in Management and her awards include CEOof the Year fromthe Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, Outstanding Woman in Business fromthe Denver Business Journal, Woman of Distinction from the Girl Scouts of Colorado, and Extraordinary Woman fromKOSI. www.phenixgrowthpartners.com \ www.linkedin.com/in/donnaevans1
TERESA ADAMS EXECUTIVEHEADHUNTER Teresa Adams is the founder of Executive Career Consulting, a premier Denver-based boutique firmfor which she also serves as lead talent matchmaker and executive headhunter. Over the last 20 years, Teresa has created an exclusive process by which she connects people to their callings and companies to human solutions. Teresa has secured more than $90Min employment agreements for positions ranging frompresidents and COOs to civil engineers. Arecognized expert in executive search, employee development, and career-transition coaching, she has cultivated a reputation as an anti-recruiter?s recruiter who partners primarily with companies earning $3M-$75Mand professionals earning $100-$500K. Teresa is an ideal fit for both organizations and individuals seeking unconventional transformations, renewed passion, meaningful and financially rewarding work. www.ExecutiveCareerConsulting.com \ Social: @CareerExecCoach www.Linkedin.com/in/ExecutiveCareerCoach 12
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ANDI SIGLER FOUNDER, VIVEFLOAT STUDIO+ | CHERRY CREEK Leading a fast-paced career, Andi Sigler experienced first-hand the personal and professional exhaustion that comes along with life in Corporate America. While the experience gave her access to valuable business knowledge, it also helped her to recognize the value of mental and physical simplicity, which became the foundation of her business. Opening her first wellness center in 2015 at the age of 52, VIVEis now a national company specializing in Float, Cryo, Infrared, VAT, and Halo therapies. These alternative therapies provide mental and physical RESTand RECOVERYfor individuals, athletic organizations, and employee wellness programs. Visit a VIVE studio to find your mental and physical balance through the power of REST, which ultimately leads to personal and professional SUCCESS. www.VIVEFloatStudio.com \ Twitter @ViveCherryCreek
CHRISTINE DASPRO FOUNDER & CEO, CURATINGCONNECTIONS Curating Connections focuses on the development of women leaders through life-long learning, creating valuable connections, and curating impactful, thoughtful discussions with women and men to enhance workplace cultures. Christine has a passion for helping leaders grow their careers through learning, listening, sharing, and connecting. Curating Connections offers you the resources and talent to unleash leadership potential in individuals, teams, and organizations. Christine previously held the position of Chief Gratitude Officer and Vice President of Programs for The Leadership Investment. The Leadership Investment provided expert leadership development tools and supported an inspiring community of peers and mentors. Prior to that, she worked for Merrill Lynch for thirty years in New York as a Vice President and was one of the top performing relationship managers supporting the largest institutional clients residing at Merrill Lynch. www.curatingconections.com \ www.LinkedIn.com/in/christinedaspro Twitter @CurateConnects
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JANA AXLINE, MBA, PMP FOUNDER, CHIEF PROJECT OFFICER Founder and Chief Project Officer of Axline Solutions, a leading project management consulting firm, Jana Axline, MBA, PMP, ACP, CSM, SA, DTM, works with some of Colorado?s largest and most progressive firms. Jana?s expertise stems frommore than 20 years experience in leadership and 10 years in project and portfolio management in health insurance, healthcare, investing, mining, retail, and supply chain management. An internationally recognized speaker on leadership, employee engagement and project management, Jana serves as President of the Project Management Institute Mile Hi Chapter. She authored the book, ?Becoming You,?in 2013 and is a well-recognized blogger on living your dream. She has presented to students at Aspen Academy and has initiated a mentoring programfor women in technology. Learn more at www.AxlineSolutions.com or www.linkedin.com/in/janaaxline
MARY GROTHE CHIEF EXECUTIVEOFFICER At age 22, Mary began working with a Fortune 1000 Payroll/HRcompany. Starting in an administrative role, she quickly advanced into mid-market sales, and rapidly found success by listening to her clients, always solving their needs, and putting their agenda before hers. Even in times when her sales approach was the direct inverse of what corporate was enforcing, she knew in her heart what was right, leveraging emotional, intellectual, and behavioral intelligence. After multiple #1finishes and millions in revenue sold, she founded Butterfly Creative, LLCin 2011to become a business strategist for entrepreneurs of all ages. Her vision expanded into sales strategy consulting in 2017 and rebranded as Sales BQTM. Her driving goal is to help CEOs ($1-$5M) avoid losing what many CEOs lose on their first few sales hires; over $1Mas a result of no sales infrastructure, bad hires and lack of time to manage the teameffectively. Learn more at www.SalesBQ.com or www.MaryGrothe.com
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The women featured in this profile are members of Women of Denver. To join visit www.JoinWOD.com.
KIMBERLY FRASHER DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Kimberly Frasher was a sales and marketing professional in the information security, retail, and advertising sectors for over a decade before taking a break to raise her daughter. In 2017 her husband and business partners began crafting a new type of auto collision center designed especially for smaller accidents and hail damage, reducing turnaround times and providing a welcome solution in a city known for severe weather. Approximately 65% of auto body customers are women, but most auto body shops are designed by and for men, so Kimberly stepped in as the Director of Customer Experience to craft a customer focus that provides a brand and shop experience that puts women first. Her quickly growing business seeks out and happily employs female repair technicians in a male-dominated industry. www.axiomrepair.com \ Facebook: @axiomrepair
KATIE WAFER FOUNDER, HYDRATEIV BAR Katie Wafer is a proud 5th generation Colorado native who is deeply involved in the Denver community. At the age of 26, Katie founded Hydrate IVBar, which offers vitamin-infused IVtherapy treatments with three locations in the Denver Metro Area. Since opening in 2016 Hydrate IVBar has serviced clients ranging from professional athletes, celebrities, and traveling musicians to business professionals and every day health conscious adults. Katie and her medical teamhave been featured on local and national news channels including Denver?s Channel 9, Channel 7, Fox 31, Colorado?s Own 2, and Colorado?s Best Show and in local print including BusinessDen, Westword, 303 Magazine and Denver Lifestyle Magazine. Hydrate IVBar received the 2017 Cherry Creek Chamber Business of the Year and has plans to expand to additional location in 2019. www.hydrateivbar.com \ Social media: @hydrate_ivbar
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