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Good morning, Fearless readers:
July 26 marked the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Though advocates are still pushing for universal accessibility, the landmark legislation protects the civil rights of Americans with disabilities, like our guest columnist, Kate Hayden, myself and likely many people that
you know and love.
The ADA allows millions of people to live with the dignity and respect they deserve.
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- A preview of the upcoming Latina Business Excellence Summit.
- A guest column about invisible disabilities from Kate Hayden.
- In the headlines: ABI named Kellan Longenecker the new chair named for its board of directors.
- In case you missed it: A closer look with the new CEO of Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Julie Kenney.
- Lots more!
— Macey Shofroth, Fearless editor
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Preview: Latina Business Excellence Summit expands in second year
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| BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS EDITOR
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| Christina Fernández-Morrow, Hola America Publications editor-in-chief, and Erika Macias, Hola America Media Group president and publisher, pose at the 2024 Latina Business Excellence Summit. Photo by Hola Iowa.
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When Tar and Erika Macias, CEO and publisher of Hola America Media Group, opened registration for the first Latina Business Excellence Summit in 2024, they hoped to get 150 participants.
They reached that goal quickly. So they opened up 50 more tickets. Then they reached 200 participants, so they opened up 50 more tickets. Those tickets sold quickly, so they opened up 50 more. They sold
those quickly, too.
They’re going even bigger for the 2025 event, aiming for 300-400 people to attend the event at Drake University on Aug. 9.
“It’s been amazing to see the response of Latina women who want to either learn more about the next step in their business or open a new business,” Erika said.
The summit was originally meant as a sort of unveiling party for Jefas magazine, a publication celebrating Latina business owners published by Hola America Media Group. They quickly realized their community wanted more information and resources.
In its second iteration, they hope the event can reach even more women who often feel overlooked and forgotten.
The theme of the 2025 event explores the intersections of financial, physical and mental health. It
aims to empower Latina business owners with the information and confidence to realize their dreams of business ownership.
The summit is an extension of their mission with Jefas magazine – to tell the story of Latina women business owners and show the world that they exist.
“We aren’t just moms or wives, staying home and taking care of the family. We have an entrepreneurial spirit. We saw a need for this because sometimes, for Latinas, it’s more difficult to start a business,” Erika said.
The event attracts attendees from all across the region. Folks will travel from Sioux City, Iowa City, the Quad Cities and even Nebraska.
The huge response showed Tar and Erika that Latina business owners are searching for opportunities to learn more and grow their businesses. They hope to encourage more of these women to embrace the term “jefa,” which is the female noun for “boss” in Spanish.
“People call you jefa, you don’t call yourself jefa,” Erika said. “They give you the title. Sometimes, we don’t believe we’re the boss. I tell these women, ‘This is who we are, and we have to show them you are a business owner. You have a story, and I want to hear your story.’”
For the second Latina Business Excellence Summit, Tar and Erika focused on expanding their offerings and improving accessibility. The event will have both English and Spanish panels, while also including translation services through Caracas Language Solutions.
Mentors will be available to share stories and advice. Event sponsors will have vendor booths. Anyone with interest in owning and operating a business or who wants to support Latina-owned businesses is welcome to attend.
Some of the summit speakers and panelists include:
- Rocio Hermosillo, CEO and co-founder, Team ELLLA
- Claudia Schabel, CEO, Schabel Solutions, Inc.
- Miriam De Dios, CEO, De Dios Consulting
- Lily Dueñas, yoga instructor
- Jessica Ramos, mental health counselor
- Victor Oyervides, SBDC
- Bill Adamowski, Drake Business Accelerator Program
- Jacki Boldt, director, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small
Businesses Iowa
Erika and Tar launched Hola America Group in 2000 to share the stories of the Latinx communities across Iowa and the Midwest. They’ve gained a deep understanding, both through their work and their own experiences, of the barriers these communities face.
“When I came to the United States, I saw that if you don’t know the language, that is a barrier. You have to really have connections,” Erika said. “When I see someone that is struggling, I say, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s go
here.’ I guide them. My dad always taught me that you have to be humble and respectful and people will follow you. Whatever you do, just do it with dignity and feel proud of yourself.”
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Commentary: What my invisible disabilities have taught me about workplace inclusion
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| BY KATE HAYDEN, GUEST COLUMNIST
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| Kate Hayden. Contributed photo.
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At some point in January 2020, I could tell my body was struggling.
I knew how to listen. By then, it had been 12 years since I was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and I was long past the carousel of medications and strict routines that had managed early years of symptoms. My case file at Mayo Clinic was shut.
But one day, I started falling asleep – at my standing desk in a buzzing newsroom, among rowdy concert crowds and in the middle of Lambeau Field, surrounded by screaming fans with championship dreams in sight. I’d wake up to nonsensical sentences in the middle of story drafts, or leave editorial meetings with no memory of what the team discussed. My doctor referred me to a specialist nearby, who scheduled me for a sleep study in April.
At work, I kept my game face on. Everything was manageable until a mystery virus leapt out of the newspapers and into Iowa, shutting down all nonessential medical treatment. In less than five months of working from home and delayed medical treatment, my writing tanked and I spent endless Zoom calls fighting sleep attacks on camera.
I had no diagnosis and no treatment plan. Worse, I had no language or tools to explain these experiences at my job, where colleagues and supervisors could only see the quality of my
work drop off. It was the most vulnerable I have ever felt; I feared for my professional reputation and future.
In all of 2020, I never showed symptoms of COVID-19, even when my partner got sick that March. But the symptoms of another illness were there, even though bystanders couldn’t spot it.
We all tend to assume pain and hardship is obvious; it’s not. Disability – conditions that interfere with a person’s access to movements, senses and the activities of life – can look like Alzheimer’s
disease, lupus or post-traumatic stress disorder. Many of these conditions can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years, isolating one from effective treatment.
The business community needs to learn how to navigate this. Although research is just beginning, recent medical studies suggest that COVID-19 in individuals may be associated with a higher likelihood of developing dysautonomia syndromes like POTS. We don’t know yet how many Americans may be living with an undiagnosed disability after surviving COVID-19, perhaps managing splitting headaches, brain fog or other debilitating symptoms.
Many of these disorders seem to predominantly affect women. POTS is particularly common among teenagers and young women, who are already trying to navigate early career expectations with lower pay than their male counterparts. When an invisible disability is unmanaged, organizations lose out on expertise and diverse viewpoints, while the employee loses time in the workplace, career development opportunities and possibly their financial stability.
During this time, testing accommodations for my condition felt, to me, like a game that both I and my employer were losing. I didn’t know about resources like the Job Accommodation Network (askjan.org), which has a database of suggestions searchable by disability, physical limitation, job function and more.
Dysautonomia International (dysautonomiainternational.org) had helped me in the past, but it wasn’t until I finally underwent medical testing that I was given literature for resources like Wake Up Narcolepsy (wakeupnarcolepsy.org).
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 These resources unlocked language for my new reality, as I began considering what disability really looks like. With the right doctors managing the right treatment plan, I enjoy a full life – running my career, volunteering and even hiking mountains in South America. Without treatment, I saw how quickly my life could derail.
Healing is not linear, and careers certainly aren’t, either. One year after my new diagnosis, I finally acknowledged my life in 2019 wasn’t coming back, and I sought out a different career path than the one I had expected. Yet, I want to see a future where an invisible diagnosis does not prevent people from thriving in a career they love.
To get there, we need employers who will adapt and learn together, particularly as the ramifications of COVID-19 are better understood at a societal level. We need a business community willing to have nuanced, truly difficult discussions with curiosity and
grace for each other. We need to ensure employees feel safe to disclose when they need accommodations at work – and it will take major cultural change to get our society there.
In 2024, I walked into a new office and greeted a new supervisor. Reviewing my schedule, I learned I would be joining a large conference with specific triggers for my sleep attack symptoms: dozens of new faces, with significant time sitting and listening to a speaker present on new-to-me content.
I paused over the schedule, looked at my supervisor and chose to disclose. This time,
I had language and experience to help me navigate.
Kate Hayden is a writer and editor based in Des Moines. She previously covered tech and innovation for the Business Record.
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“I AM MY OWN MUSE.”
FRIDA KAHLO
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New chair named for ABI's board of directors. Kellan Longenecker, global supply chain learning and development lead at General Mills Inc., has been elected the 2025 chair of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry’s board of directors. Longenecker has over 20 years of manufacturing and supply chain experience as well as a background in talent development, culture and workforce engagement. Longenecker is based at General Mills’ Avon Plant in Carlisle. As ABI chair, Longenecker will guide the board in advancing key business priorities, building strategic partnerships, and supporting Iowa’s pro-growth business climate. “ABI has long played a critical
role in helping Iowa businesses grow and lead,” Longenecker said in a news release. “It’s an honor to serve as chair and to work alongside leaders who care deeply about our state’s economic future. I look forward to contributing to ABI’s efforts in meaningful ways.”
Samantha Mosser to become president of Bankers Trust. Samantha Mosser will become president of Bankers Trust on Aug. 1, the bank announced last week. Mosser currently is Bankers Trust’s Nebraska president, a position she’s held since February 2022. Mosser
will relocate to Des Moines and plans to quickly get involved in the community, according to a news release. Mosser’s community involvement in Omaha includes serving on the boards for Children’s Nebraska Hospital, Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Child Savings Institute and United Way Campaign Cabinet.
Anne Nizzi Clark announced as keynote speaker at Iowa Women's Foundation Annual Luncheon. The Iowa Women's Foundation announced Anne Nizzi Clark as the keynote speaker of its annual luncheon on Nov. 5. Clark is the mother of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark and the founding director of the Caitlin Clark Foundation. As the foundation's director, she invests her time, wisdom and presence into programming that uplifts youth and their communities through sports, nutrition and education. The IWF Annual Luncheon is the
organization's signature fundraising event to raise money for Iowa women and girls. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
University of Iowa Center for Advancement CEO to retire. After 20 years at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, president and CEO Lynette Marshall announced she plans to retire in 2026. Marshall was the third leader in the organization's history when she was hired in July 2006 to what was then the UI Foundation. She was tasked with merging the UI Foundation and the UI Alumni Association into the Center
for Advancement to better engage with alumni and increase philanthropic support. A national search for Marshall's successor will launch in the coming months, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
PCM Monroe player makes 'play of the tournament' in state softball. PCM Monroe's Libby Winters made a leaping catch to deny a home run in the Iowa high school state softball tournament on July 24, the Des Moines Register
reported. Though PCM Monroe lost to Dubuque Wahlert, the freshman's play made the SportsCenter Top 10 as the second best sports moment of the day.
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When measles hits day cares, there are more than just health concerns (The 19th). First pill for postpartum depression shows varied real-world results (New York Times). Female founders outperform their male counterparts but receive much less funding, a study finds (Inc.). Iowa boy born at 21 weeks is now the world's most premature baby (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics). U.S. Olympic Committee bans trans women in line with Trump attacks (MSNBC). "Even God cannot hear us": What I witnessed inside an ICE women's prison (Vanity Fair).
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A Closer Look: Julie Kenney
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| BY GIGI WOOD, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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The Agribusiness Association of Iowa gained a new leader on Sept. 1, when Julie Kenney stepped into the role of CEO. She has more than 20 years of experience in agriculture, most recently serving as the deputy secretary of the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Kenney
stepped into the position following the death of past CEO Bill Northey in February 2024. Northey served as Iowa’s secretary of agriculture from 2006 to 2017.
Kenney, who grew up on her family’s farm in Lohrville during the 1980s, has seen the tougher side of the agriculture industry. Today, she lives in Story County with her husband and children, where they raise corn and soybeans on their family farm. Her new role allows her to give back to that industry, she said.
The AAI was formed in 1994 with the merger of the Iowa Grain & Feed Association and the Iowa Fertilizer and Chemical Association. The AAI lobbies for legislative and regulatory issues important to the agricultural businesses that serve farmers.
Kenney recently sat down with the Business Record to talk about her new role at the association, her goals for the position and the challenges facing the agriculture industry in
Iowa.
Read the story here.
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At its core, Fearless exists to help empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. We believe that everyone has a story to share and that we cannot progress as a society unless we know about one another. We share stories through featuring women in our reporting, featuring guest contributions and speakers at our events.
We are always looking for new stories to share and people to feature. Get in touch with us!
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